LEEDS UNITED 1 CITY 0
League Division 1
8th October 1980
attenance 19,134
Scorer Harris(60)
ref Peter Reeves
City Corrigan. Ranson, Reid, Booth, Power, Caton, Henry, Daley, Mackenzie, Palmer, Reeves – used sub Deyna
Leeds Lukic, Greenhoff, Gray, Flynn, Hart, Cherry, Harris, Curtis, Parlane, Sabella, Graham – used sub Hamson
FROM THE PRESS BOX
JOHN ROBERTS WRITING IN THE GUARDIAN 9TH OCTOBER 1980
When Leeds played Manchester City a few seasons ago mounted policemen stormed the Elland Road pitch and dispersed frenzied supporters. The atmosphere at the ground last night was so low key that a donkey and carrot would have seemed ostentatious.
Spectators for the most part had to amuse themselves and for once their rapport was comparatively good matured. The Leeds crowd greeted their side’s first home win of the season, and their first victory under Allan Clarke’s management, with the exultant cry:
“We’re going up the League”. The City contingent, still waiting for their team to win a League match, responded with: ” You’re going down with us.”
So little cohesive or effective football was produced by either side that it would be unfair to single out individuals for criticism. There were, however. two particular examples of players reacting with reflexes dulled, perhaps, by the stress of life near the foot of the First
Division.
Shortly before half-time, Gray, continuing at left-back his position on Saturday when Leeds won a creditable point at Ipswich, made this one careless pass of the evening, square to the feet of Reeves. City’s £1 million ‘striker, probably startled by the opportunity, shot hurriedly and tamely, leaving Lukic ample time to make a comfortable save.
Curtis was equally profligate for Leeds atter an hour of mostly dire play had elapsed. Flynn won possession on the left. but flighted an excellent centre in Curtis’s path, only to see the striker miss the ball completely.
In the next minute Leeds scored their goal, and if Malcolm Allison the City coach, did not think rnuch of Dalglish’s shot at Maine Road on Saturday, he would have been even less enamoured with what he saw here. Hamson, a second- half substitute for Parlane gave
Harris a square pass from the left and Harris, who had joined Curtis in attack, slipped through a sleeping defence to beat Corrigan from close range.
Harris’s achievement at least inspired Leeds to play with something approaching confidence and in the closlng minutes Sabella hit a post and then fashioned with immense skill another opening for Curtis, who was unable to find a way past Corrigan at the far post. Finding a way past Corrigan seems to have become a national pastime again.