Manchester City v Tottenham Hotspur 1991/92

 

City Coton, Hill, Pointon, Reid, Curle, Redmond, White, Brightwell, Sheron, McMahon, Hughes. Subs Quigley(79), Megson(unused)

Spurs Walker, Edinburgh, Fenwick, Sedgley, Howells, Bergsson, Stewart, Durie, Samways, Linekar, Allen – subs Nayim(65), Walsh(70)

FROM THE PRESS BOX

DEREK WALLIS WRITING IN THE OBSERVER 2ND FEBRUARY 1992
Manchester City’s declared intention to finish at least third in the First Division and thereby qualify for European football next season was reinforced with this defeat of Tottenham.
The win was achieved not without some difficulty, however, notably after the interval against opponents who were strangely circumspect in the first half but became increasingly assertive as the match progressed and might have secured a point.
McMahon and Reid enabled City to make inroads into Spurs’ defence, which might have succumbed long before White scored after 29 minutes.
White was involved on two occasions, first In driving over the bar after a cross from Hughes, then by squeezing between defenders after Brightwell had headed back a cross from Reid. He was unlucky as the ball popped up from the scramble and over the bar.
Durie’s hesitancy when he thought he had been fouled by Redmond cost Spurs a possible goal after 26 minutes. So sure was Durie that a free-kick would be awarded that he allowed the chance to go, with Lineker lurking in a handy position,
White’s goal followed soon afterwards. Hughes planted a free-kick into a congestive goal area where White somehow reached the ball first and directed it in; whether from head or body it did not matter.

Spurs had made little impact up to that point with Lineker and Durie becoming increasingly isolated. But a flurry towards half-time produced anxious moments for City with Coton saving a close-range header from Howells.
Spurs stepped up a gear in the second half. They managed to ease City’s midfield stranglehold and played with greater confidence, if not enough to save the match. They had one scare when an attempted clearance from a corner by Bergsson struck a post, but generally they were a match for City after earlier having been threatened with a heavier defeat.
Stewart’s shots on the turn, which brought a fine save from Coton, was an example of their resolution, though City could argue that White should have scored at least one more.
His most startling miss came in the final minute when, bursting through without a challenge in sight, he sent the ball wide.

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