LIVERPOOL 3 CITY 2
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League Division 1
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12th August 1969
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Attendance 51,959
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Scorers
City Smith(47 og), Bowyer(73)
Liverpool St John(3 & 86)), Hunt(83)
City Smith(47 og), Bowyer(73)
Liverpool St John(3 & 86)), Hunt(83)
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Ref G Kew
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City Corrigan, Book, Pardoe, Doyle, Booth, Oakes, Summerbee, Bell, Lee, Bowyer, Coleman – Sub Bowles(unused)
Liverpool Lawrence, Lawler, Strong, Smith, Yeats, Hughes, Callaghan, Hunt, Graham, St John, Thompson
An own goal from Tommy Smith makes it 1-1
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FROM THE PRESS BOX
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Liverpool and Manchester City, who scored four goals apiece on Saturday, had a comparably healthy appetite last night at Anfield. On this occasion, however, they settled for five between them, Liverpool finishing with a great flourish, and two of their three goals.
It was rough justice for City who, after being behind almost before they had adjusted themselves to the wet pitch and stuffy atmosphere, fought back splendidly and took the lead. Never mind. As I have said before, and no doubt I will have cause to say again, they will win many friends if they continue to play the fast, direct football they played last night
Liverpool obviously were surprised by the persistence of the City team. and there were long periods in which the mighty Smith himself was in difficulties. No opposition could be paid a higher compliment. Yeats lost many of his duels with Lee, it was rather like watching the diminutive Pilling stand up to the thunderbolts of Alan Ward, and Liverpool owed a great deal to the determination of Lawler and Strong. St John, not for the first time was a most. industrious forward, and Graham gave Booth as tough a testing as that promising young man is likely to have all season. Hunt was in his more recognisable form at least in approach; but Bill Shankly moved uneasily in his seat when so many of Liverpool’s attacks broke down or were broken down. Still, in the final analysis, nobody really could complain, about any lack of entertainment.
The Koppites, even if they are not all familiar with the word, like to he punctilious in these matters, and they did not need to be told that Liverpool’s first goal arrived in the one hundred and forty-seventh second. After a centre by Thompson, Doyle inadvertently headed the ball straight to Graham and from Graham’s pass St John bear Corrigan with a splendid shot from 12 yards. In the next minute, Booth‘s head, no less inadvertently intercepted another violent shot from St John and City’s centre half was fortunate not to require medical attention.
The expected goal rush did not materialise however. Nor was the threat of one sustained. City’s defenders saw to that, and for an appreciable period Corrigan had only one direct shot by Thompson with which to concern himself. Yeats and company, on the other hand, did not impress collectively, Yeats twice was fortunate to foil Lee, and Lawrence had to make a brilliant save from a volley by Lee, And only Bowyer’s inexperience denied him a possible goal after the irrepressible Coleman had left St John and Yeats tor dead, so to say.
Lawler’s anticipation, one of his many assets, offset several wicked centres by Summerbee and Coleman, while Doyle‘s frequent appearances in the Liverpool penalty area embarrassed the defenders more than they interfered with the smooth operations of the attackers.
Two minutes after the interval. Fortune relented long enough for City to equalise. Bell and Summerbee combined well on the right, and when Summerbee centred. Smith turned the ball quite forcibly past Lawrence at the Kop end, to add insult to injury.
It was rough justice for City who, after being behind almost before they had adjusted themselves to the wet pitch and stuffy atmosphere, fought back splendidly and took the lead. Never mind. As I have said before, and no doubt I will have cause to say again, they will win many friends if they continue to play the fast, direct football they played last night
Liverpool obviously were surprised by the persistence of the City team. and there were long periods in which the mighty Smith himself was in difficulties. No opposition could be paid a higher compliment. Yeats lost many of his duels with Lee, it was rather like watching the diminutive Pilling stand up to the thunderbolts of Alan Ward, and Liverpool owed a great deal to the determination of Lawler and Strong. St John, not for the first time was a most. industrious forward, and Graham gave Booth as tough a testing as that promising young man is likely to have all season. Hunt was in his more recognisable form at least in approach; but Bill Shankly moved uneasily in his seat when so many of Liverpool’s attacks broke down or were broken down. Still, in the final analysis, nobody really could complain, about any lack of entertainment.
The Koppites, even if they are not all familiar with the word, like to he punctilious in these matters, and they did not need to be told that Liverpool’s first goal arrived in the one hundred and forty-seventh second. After a centre by Thompson, Doyle inadvertently headed the ball straight to Graham and from Graham’s pass St John bear Corrigan with a splendid shot from 12 yards. In the next minute, Booth‘s head, no less inadvertently intercepted another violent shot from St John and City’s centre half was fortunate not to require medical attention.
The expected goal rush did not materialise however. Nor was the threat of one sustained. City’s defenders saw to that, and for an appreciable period Corrigan had only one direct shot by Thompson with which to concern himself. Yeats and company, on the other hand, did not impress collectively, Yeats twice was fortunate to foil Lee, and Lawrence had to make a brilliant save from a volley by Lee, And only Bowyer’s inexperience denied him a possible goal after the irrepressible Coleman had left St John and Yeats tor dead, so to say.
Lawler’s anticipation, one of his many assets, offset several wicked centres by Summerbee and Coleman, while Doyle‘s frequent appearances in the Liverpool penalty area embarrassed the defenders more than they interfered with the smooth operations of the attackers.
Two minutes after the interval. Fortune relented long enough for City to equalise. Bell and Summerbee combined well on the right, and when Summerbee centred. Smith turned the ball quite forcibly past Lawrence at the Kop end, to add insult to injury.
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Ian Mellor puts City 2-1 up
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And the tenants of that stronghold were still muttering when Lee hit the crossbar with one of the best shots of the night.
But City needed no luck when they scored their second in the seventy third minute, Summerbee scorning attempted tackles and personal insults from the exasperated Kop, centred superbly from the dead-ball line. and Bowyer, outleaping Yeats, finished off the movement in the grand manner.
But City needed no luck when they scored their second in the seventy third minute, Summerbee scorning attempted tackles and personal insults from the exasperated Kop, centred superbly from the dead-ball line. and Bowyer, outleaping Yeats, finished off the movement in the grand manner.
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Roger Hunt equalises
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” No surrender.” howled the Kop. and with seven minutes left Hunt headed a good equaliser after a corner kick by Callaghan. and at the end of another three minutes a combined operation by Lawler, Callaghan and Smith bulldozed a path through the City defenders, and St John applied the finishing touch.
ERIC TODD WRITING IN THE GUARDIAN 13TH AUGUST 1969
ERIC TODD WRITING IN THE GUARDIAN 13TH AUGUST 1969
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