NOTTINGHAM FOREST 3 CITY 2
League Division 1
13th September 1980
attendance 23,184
scorers
City Bennett(25), Henry(35)
Forest Birtles(15), Bowyer(46), Wallace(51)
ref David Hutchinson
City MacRae, Reid, Power, Caton, Booth, Henry, Tueart, Daley, MacKenzie, Bennett, Reeves – Sub Palmer(unused)
Forest Shilton, Anderson, Gray, McGovern, Needham, Burns, O’Neill, Bowyer, Birtles, Wallace, Robertson – sub Ponte(unused)
FROM AN ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN THE NOTTINGHAM FOREST PROGRAMME 27TH FEBRUARY 1993
With the exception of Liverpool, no other clubs were more in the headlines than Forest and City, as soccer entered a new decade.
While Forest had begun to slowly re-shape the side following three seasons of phenomenal success, City, forever it seemed in the shadow of neighbours United, had turned, once again, to Malcolm Allison in the hope of a return to the more successful days of ten years earlier that had been enjoyed under Allison and Joe Mercer.
…Despite the massive investment, City had, at the end of the 1979-80 season, been more than fortunate to escape the drop into Division Two, a sequence of 17 League matches without victory had sent them crashing headlong down the table. Only three victories in their final four matches had ensured their status in the top flight.
The men from Maine Road began the new season no better , in five league games, prior to their arrival at the City Ground, they were yet to win a game.
City fought back and with Forest hesitant in defence the visitors took advantage as goals from David Bennett and Tony Henry gave them the upper hand at the break.
City persisted in the use of the offside trap in an effort to hold on to their lead, a policy that was to cost them dear, for the second time, as Ian Bowyer raced through to level the scores against his former club.
The Reds, in search of victory with City defending in depth, snatched victory with a sharp piece of finishing from Ian Wallace, who fired home with the City defence in a tangle…
