CITY 1 SUNDERLAND 0
League Division 1
24th February 1968
Attendance 28,624
Scorer Lee(73)
Ref H Davey
City Mulhearn, Book, Pardoe, Doyle, Heslop, Oakes, Lee, Bell, Jones, Connor, Coleman – sub Bowles(unused)
Sunderland Montgomery, Irwin, Ashurst, Todd, Kinnell, Palmer, Brand, Suggett, Harris, Harvey, Mulhall – sub Heslop
Relegation threatened Sunderland came to Maine Road happy to keep all eleven men behind the ball and try and earn an important point in their efforts to stay in the division.
Normally it would be expected that City’s entertaining attack would still have beaten The Mackems easily with the midfield domination they were allowed, however with Mike Summerbee absent on International duty and Neil Young sidelined due to injury they were firing blanks for most of the game.
In the first half Tony Coleman saw his shot easily saved and the Colin Bell was very unlucky as Montgomery made a superb save of what looked to be a certain goal. After the break, and against the run of play Sunderland nearly secured all two points, when Mulhall, completely through on goal could only smack his shot against Mulhearn’s legs.
It was left to Francis Lee to save the day for The Citizens, with less than 20 minutes left, he received a pass from Alan Oakes and swivelled and then expertly beat the Sunderland custodian.
It wasn’t the most entertaining victory of the season, but the records would show that City took all two points in their chase for the title.