MIDDLESBROUGH 1 CITY 0
League Division 1
10th January 1976
attendance 23,000
scorer Armstrong(18)
ref H Hackney
City Corrigan, Barrett, Donachie, Doyle, Watson, Oakes, Keegan, Booth, Royle, Hartford, Power – sub Clements(unused)
Middlesbrough Platt, Craggs, Bailey, Boersma, Boam, Maddren, Murdoch, Mills, Willey, Cooper, Armstrong – sub Souness(64)
FROM THE PRESS BOX
AN UNRELIABLE GUIDE
JOHN DOUGRAY WRITING IN THE GUARDIAN 12TH JANUARY 1976
As a guide to the probable outcome of the Football League Cup semi-final between Middlesbrough and Manchester City, the first leg of which will be played at Ayresome Park tomorrow, Saturday’s League match between the two was not particularly helpful.
In the first half Middlesbrough … had City on the rack with swift, darting attacks that began deep in their own half. From one of these Armstrong scored a splendid solo goal, sprinting after Cooper’s pass from the centre circle and keeping a clean pair of heels between himself and three pursuing defenders before shooting wide of Corrigan.
Further shots rained in on the City goal, the best coming from Craggs, Maddren and Willey, and City were made to look very ordinary. Then shortly before half-time, City began to click, Doyle, receiving a short free-kick from Hartford almost deceived the unsighted Platt with a low drive, and then the goalkeeper did well to hold a header from Power.
City maintained their improvement after the interval. It stemmed largely from the increasing involvement and commitment of Hartford, a shadowy figure in the first half. He was a shade too positive for the referee’s liking and was cautioned for persistently questioning decisions, not one of his more enduring traits. Still, when the mood takes him, he can play a bit.
… Although City failed to score, they did enough in the second half to hint at a reversal of the result tomorrow night…
