Manchester City v Oldham Athletic 1992/93

CITY 3 OLDHAM ATHLETIC 3

FA Premier League

29th August 1992

attendance 27,288

Scorers
City Quinn(4), Pointon(8 og), White(23)
Oldham Jobson(11), Milligan(29), Halle(38)

Ref Dermot Gallagher

City Coton, I Brightwell, Phelan, Curle, Vonk, White, McMahon, Sheron, Simpson, Quinn, Holden – subs Flitcroft(80), Reid(45), Margetson(unused)

Oldham Hallworth, Redmond, Pointon, Barnard, Jobson, Marshall, Halle, Olney, Sharp, Milligan, Adams – subs Palmer(unused), Fleming(unused), Gray(unused)

AN ARTICLE FROM THE CITY PROGRAMME 8TH MARCH 1997
The meeting at Maine Road was remarkable in that all six goals were scored before half-time. Not that there was any chance of adding to the tally after the break, but more of that later.
Joe Royle, the Oldham manager, had said that his side needed to get to grips with Irish international Niall Quinn from the very
beginning. This is something the Oldham defence failed to do.
Niall opened the City scoring account after four minutes following a free kick taken by defender Keith Curle.The ball was aimed towards the left-hand side of the penalty area where Michel Vonk was lurking.The big Dutchman headed back across the face of the goal and there was Quinn to hook his shot into the net.
“Vonky” had a part to play in the next goal four minutes later. Again it was a Curle free kick that initiated the threat. and this time the ball was flicked on by Quinn to David White. His shot hit the bar and went to Vonk. who powered in another drive from close range. Oldham ‘keeper jon Hallworth did well to parry the ball but watched in utter dismay as it hit Pointon on the toe and bounced back into the net..
Vonk was pleased with his contributions. “l scored a few goals at home.” he said later. “The people here know I can head the ball so they’re looking for me at corners and free kicks.”
To celebrate the two-goal lead against Oldham, the heavens opened. Not that the Blues needed a dampener from above; they
were perfectly capable of putting a dampener on themselves from time to time.
That old bugbear. the corner kick, led to the Latics pulling a goal back after 11 minutes. Neil Adams headed on to Richard Jobson, whose header skidded into the net off the greasy turf.

City’s defence appeared statuesque and Tony Coton made his feelings known.
After 23 minutes. it was 3-1. Ian Brightwell punted a long clearance upfield and David White beat his former colleague. Pointon, to the ball. Leaving the defender trailing in his wake, White drew Hallworth off his line and hammered the ball past him.
But there was no way Oldham were going to lie down, and City’s defence crumbled twice more before the break.
Ian Marshall took a free kick and Adams got in a good header to give Ian Olney possession.The Oldham striker, making his full League debut that day, shielded the ball well before slipping it into the
path of the incoming Paul Bernard. He in turn fed skipper Mike Milligan, who scored the most impudent of goals, back-heeling the
ball across the goalmouth into the corner of the net
So 29 minutes had gone and it was 3-2. After 38, Gunnar Halle made it 3-3, again following a corner. Marshall hit a wild shot that was going to safety until it struck Halle and rebounded from him past Coton.
“We shall be working on corners,” said a grim-faced Peter Reid after the game.
“l thought we had cured that problem!”
There might have been another goal “in the first half, but Hallworth saved magnificently from White following a delightful move which involved Holden, Quinn and Phelan.
Reid brought himself on after the interval in place of Steve McMahon. He tightened up the midfield considerably and the game
quickly became something of a one-sided affair as Oldham’s attacks dwindled.
There were chances galore for the Blues to re-establish their lead but unfortunately nothing
happened.
There was a White shot following a Holden corner, that Redmond headed over his own bar. Following another Holden corner, the ball arrived at the feet of Ian Brightwell, who beat Bernard and Pointon before crossing to Mike Sheron. His shot looked a likely one until an Oldham torso deflected it on to a post.
Hallworth later rushed out to save a White effort with his feet, White missed virtually an open goal, and Hallworth tipped a header
from Quinn over the top.