CITY 2 LIVERPOOL 1
League Division 1
24th August 1966
attendance 50,923
Scorers
City Murray(28), Bell(90)
Liverpool Strong(35)
Ref K Howley
City Dowd, Book, Kennedy, Pardoe, Heslop, Oakes, Summerbee, Bell, Murray, Crossan, Young
Liverpool Lawrence, Lawler, Milne, Smith, Yeats, Stevenson, Callaghan, Hunt, St. John, Strong, Thompson
It was City’s first home game in the First Division after winning promotion and there was no stiffer test since they faced the reigning League champions And beat them!
The Blues showed skill a-plenty and proved they could hold their own with the best in the land. Colin Bell, George Heslop and Tony Book looked every inch like players belonging to the top flight.
City went close on four occasions before they took the lead. Tommy Lawrence saved from Jimmy Murray, then turned a 25 yard shot from Alan Oakes over the bar and blocked a shot from Bell. Murray got too much elevation on a header after these incidents.
It was 20 minutes before Liverpool tested Harry Dowd and he saved comfortably from Roger Hunt. Then Oakes, Johnny Crossan and Bell combined to provide an opening for Murray to put City ahead in the 28th minute.
Liverpool replied immediately and Geoff Strong’s header hit the crossbar. But Strong netted with another glancing header from a Jimmy Stevenson free-kick in the 35th minute.
After the interval Liverpool took control and put the City defence under pressure. Dowd made two fine saves before City rallied magnificently with Bell hitting the Liverpool crossbar and setting up a chance for Oakes who blasted over the bar.
In a dramatic finish Bell got the winning goal with almost the last kick of the match. lt was just reward. for a classy display, scoring with a smart shot from close-range.
Fears about City’s ability to live with the “big boys” were swept aside and the scribes who hailed Bell as a future star were, for once, to be proved right.
AN ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN THE CITY PROGRAMME 27TH OCTOBER 1979