EVERTON 1 CITY 0
FA Premiership
17th August 1993
Attendance 26,025
scorer Rideout(18)
Ref V Callow
City Coton, Hill, Fiitcroft, Phelan, McMahon, D Brightwell, Vonk, White, Sheron, Gronenduk, Holden – subs Reid(64), Quigley(unused), Dibble(unused)
Everton Southall, Holmes, Ablett, Snodin, Watson, Jackson, Ward, Ebrell, Cottee, Rideout, Beagrie – subs Preki(53), Barlow(72), Kearton(unused)
FROM THE PRESS BOX
CYNTHIA BATEMAN WRITING IN THE GUARDIAN 18TH AUGUST 1993
The chants for the head of the chairman Peter Swales were lost in the roar when Manchester City almost rescued this match seconds into injury time. But those calls from the stands told the real story of City’s performance.
Everton, who took the lead through Rideout early in the first half to notch their second win in four days, looked better from the start. By the finish City had seen the writing on the wall and on the “Swales Out” banner at the visitor’s end. The antipathy to the chairman has not so much started early as carried on where it left off last season.
Rumors from Maine Road about rifts between board and management can have done nothing to improve morale. Reid has made only one summer signing, Ajax’s Dutch midfielder Alfons Groenendijk, mercifully nicknamed The Fonz, and City were without Quinn, Curle and Ian Brightwell last night. Reid may yet sign Paul Stewart, but few supporters seem to want the Liverpool player back.
Kendall, who wanted City’s Niall Quinn among others, has failed to make any summer signings, but with one win already Everton’s play had a snarl and bite to it that was missing last season.
Indeed their tigerish display kept City at bay for most of the 90 minutes. Ward was their inspiration, covering miles of ground and setting up two early chances before they took the lead after 18 minutes through Rideout.
Snodin’s intelligent pass found Ablett wide on the left, and the square cross evaded a dozen City legs to find Rideout unmarked at the far post. The striker, who had an unhappy season with injury last year and had not scored since December, slid in to score with a low shots off the upright.
A thunderous shot over the bar from McMahon was City’s only response until two minutes before half-time when Hill’s header was spectacularly headed off the line by Watson.
Reid came on to replace Groenendijk midway through the second half, but the loss of Watson, taken off on a stretcher with a quarter of an hour left, disrupted Everton more than any City attack had done.
The introduction of Barlow to partner Cottee, with Ebbrell dropping back to shore up the defence, kept the visitors’ attention on their own goal, and Barlow rolled a shot just wide.
Despite their dominance, Everton could not find the again and almost threw the victory away. First Southall threw himself at Flitcroft’s shot and stopped it with his foot, then the full-back Vonk headed against the post, before Everton were saved by the whistle.
“If we play like that we are going to get beaten in every match,” said Reid. “I never saw a tackle go in. It was the same against Leeds on Saturday.”