CITY 1 EVERTON 3

League Division 1

26th December 1968

attendance 53,549

scorers
City Bell(25)
Everton Royle(1), Husband(9 & 82)

Ref K Walker

City Dowd, Pardoe, Mann, Doyle, Booth, Oakes, Summerbee, Bell, Lee, Young, Coleman – used sub Owen

Everton West, Wright, Brown, Kendall, Labone, Harvey, Husband, Ball, Royle, Hurst, Morrissey

COLIN BELL SCORES CITY’S GOAL

FROM THE PRESS BOX

Everton showed their championship capabilities by becoming only the second team to win at Maine Road in the past 12 months. A goal up after one minute, they shook off a spirited City rally later. Everton also succeeded in halting the Manchester club’s free scoring home run.
City had scored 16 goals in their previous three matches, yet against Everton they had only Bell presenting any real threat near goal. Everton took the game by the scruff of the neck right from the start.
Royle, who moved swiftly and sure footedly for a big man, got the early goal, leaving the home defence flat-footed as he sprinted to meet Morrissey’s left wing centre to head past Dowd.
In the ninth minute Husband went past Oakes with a forceful dribble, and closed in before beating Dowd with a rising shot. City raised their supporters’ hopes in the 25th minute when Young turned beautifully before firing a 20 yard drive that West could only parry, Bell turning the rebound into the net.

But the Manchester team could not match Everton’s all round purpose. Twice Royle went close.
West brilliantly cut out a dangerous centre from Bell as City tried to reward their big holiday crowd of 53,549. Pardoe also bounced the ball on the Everton bar but the visitors shrugged off City’s revival and clinched a fine win in the 83rd minute when Husband headed home a centre from Morrissey.
REPORT FROM THE TIMES 27TH DECEMBER 1968