CITY 1 NOTTINGHAM FOREST 1

League Division 1

7th February 1981

attendance 40,534

scorers
City Power(11)
Forest Francis(56)

ref Morris Baker

City Corrigan, McDonald, Power, Caton, Booth, Henry, Tueart, Gow, MacKenzie, Hutchison, Reeves – Sub Bennett(unused)

Forest Shilton, Anderson, F Gray, Gunn, Mills, Burns, Ponte, Francis, Walsh, Wallace, Robertson – sub Needham(unused)

FROM THE PRESS BOX

PETER GARDNER WRITING IN THE MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS 9TH FEBRUARY 1981
Manchester City were handed a dose of their own medicine as Nottingham Forest surged back to the sort of form that made them European champions two years running.
The outcome was yet a further squeezing of the brake pedal on the Blues spectacular leap back up the First Division with a 1-1 draw, a stark reminder to Maine Road fans that their team has no devine right to win matches.
Success has to be worked for and the truth is that too many players on Saturday were off key when City sat back in confident expectation after taking an 11th minute lead.
What they got instead was a painful lesson from a side who have already tasted the heady heights of success the Blues themselves are so anxious to achieve.
But that sort of glory won’t come their way unless they take a leaf from the Forest book.
The goal from which Paul Power gave his team that early lead merely provided the launching pad for Trevor Francis inspired Forest to attain a grip in the game which was rarely relaxed.
That grip should have been released with the awarding of the second half penalty from a blatant Kenny Burns push on Tommy Booth, but you can’t afford to rely on referees to provide you with the breaks when the going is uphill.
As manager John Bond said: “Forest played us at our own game and at the end of the day only our pride saved us.”
City had no penetration through the middle where they irritatingly used the long high ball to totally ineffect. It enabled Burns and his central defensive partner Bryn Gunn to pick off the Blues at will and all the chasing of Kevin Reeves came to nothing.
Reeves had insufficient support up front for Dennis Tueart, after a busy first half, faded mainly because he basically lacked match fitness.
It was ironic too, that the three men who will not be playing at Anfield in tomorrow’s League Cup semi-final second leg emerged probably City’s most ineffective players.
In front of watching Scotland boss Jock Stein, Tommy Hutchison, Bobby McDonald and Gerry Gow all failed to reveal the skill and tenacity that has been a hallmark of their play since becoming Bond’s vital life-savers last autumn…