STOKE CITY 1 CITY 1

League Division 1

1st September 1973

attendance 22,434

scorers
City Law(85)
Stoke Greenhoff(24)

Ref H Davey

City Corrigan, Pardoe, Donachie, Doyle, Booth, Oakes, Summerbee, Bell, Law, Lee, Marsh – sub Carrodus(79)

Stoke Farmer, Marsh, Pejic, Mahoney, Smith, >Bloor, Robertson, Greenhoff, Ritchie, Hurst, Haslegrove – sub Conroy(unused)

FROM THE PRESS BOX

MANCHESTER ATTACK LACKS URGENCY

ERIC TODD WRITING IN THE GUARDIAN 3RD SEPTEMBER 1973
Stoke City, after being in front for 85 minutes at the Victoria Ground, suddenly forgot that Denis Law is still capable of pinching goals if not apples. So Manchester City went home with a point from a 1-1 draw which, overall, they had done little enough to deserve.
In recent years, my expressed distaste for the battle for power at Maine Road, where it has neither concern nor effect among the contestants, has prompted a belief that I have a “thing” about the club, and that criticism of the team has been warped in consequence. But if Manchester City were satisfied with their performances at Derby and Stoke, then it is time that they faced reality and gave up pretending.
The international forward line is priced at something in excess of £750,000, never mind the “freeze.” Twice in succession, Summerbee alone looked value for money; twice in succession, the others looked slovenly and unimaginative. And twice in succession they did not test their opponents’ goalkeeper before half time. Milton, in fact, might well have had the Manchester City forward line in mind when he suggested that they also serve who only stand and wait. The basic skills are there: the urgency to score is not.
At Stoke Donachie, Doyle and Oakes gave all they had, and Corrigan confirmed his improvement and, once, his falibillity. Pardoe, happily was much more like his old self. All these worthies are entitled to expect much better results from the aristocrats up front.
Stoke, like Derby County on Wednesday, looked the faster, fitter, and more intelligent side. If Ritchie had accepted all that went his way Manchester certainly would have lost. Hurst and Robertson went close and Haslegrave has come to stay for a long time.
… Considering the rain and slippery surface it was a reasonable game. There were no really nasty fouls and no bookings. There is hope yet.
Stoke scored after 24 minutes. Corrigan threw the ball to Greenhoff, and Greenhoff drove it into the net. Perfection.
Towards the end, Booth joined the attack, and hit the crossbar with a worthy header. Farmer saved brilliantly from Bell, and with five minutes left Rodney Marsh took the ball off Mahoney, who claimed unsuccessfully that he had been fouled, and slipped it to Law, who is still capable of pinching goals let alone apples. Which is where we came in.