CITY 3 WEST HAM UNITED 2

League Division 1

14th January 1978

Attendance 47,171

Scorers
City Kidd(20), Booth(30), Barnes(57)
WHU Brooking(35), Cross(88)

Ref Pat Partridge

City Corrigan, Clements, Donachie, Booth, Watson, Owen, Barnes, Bell, Kidd, Hartford, Tueart – sub Channon(45)

West Ham Ferguson, McDowell, Lampard, Bonds, Taylor, Curbishley, Devonshire, Robson, Cross, Brooking, Hales – sub Pike(unused)

…When the Maine Road fixture against West Ham came round, Tueart was the leading scorer with 12 League goals, and Peter was very close behind him with nine. So that made 21 out of City’s League total of 45.
The Blues were at the time on a roll. They lay in fifth position in the First Division and had won their previous four League games without conceding a goal.
In addition, they were through to the fourth round of the FA Cup, having beaten Leeds United 2-I the previous Saturday, and four days after the West Ham match, Arsenal were due to visit Maine Road in Round Five of the League Cup.
The Hammers, on the other hand, were having a turbulent season and were in 19th place. City were unchanged from the Leeds cup-tie and swept into a two goal lead by the end of the first 30 minutes. The provider was Tueart, this time goal-maker rather than goal-taker For the first one, he sent over a wicked-looking centre from the left wing and found the head of Brian Kidd , who was given acres of space by the defence.
The second cross, again from the left, found Colin Bell, who in turn flicked the ball on to Tommy Booth, and there was one of Tommy’s three League goals for the season taken care of.
This was Bell’s fifth full game since his re-appearance as substitute on Boxing Day after the long lay-off he had endured due to the knee injury sustained in 1975 in a League Cup-tie against Manchester United.

West Ham started to play as if the big drop was next week, not next Spring, and Joe Corrigan then had to make a brilliant double save from Trevor Brooking and Derek Hales. The big City ‘keeper had no chance, however, after 41 minutes when, after the bewhiskered Hales and Devonshire had linked effectively, Brooking was left with a simple chance.
A fraction before the interval City full back Kenny Clements was involved in a collision with Hales and was carried off. A badly-bruised thigh was the verdict and Mike Channon entered the fray in his place.
The Blues started the second half like the proverbial house on fire but could only score once more. It was a goal to savour, however; a magnificent solo effort from Barnes which had players of both sides applauding generously.
After 56 minutes, he gained possession on the right wing and moved forward. Cutting inside, he left Frank Lampard and Billy Bonds in his wake before he let fly with a tremendous left-foot shot from the edge of the penalty area.
City then grew a little careless at the back, and but for lapses in finishing by Hales, the Londoners might well have snatched a point, though when they did score again, it was rather academic.
Brooking provided the pass which brought the final goal of the afternoon with only two minutes left. The scorer was David Cross.
Tony Book, the City manager, said: “We lost our momentum and it was a bit of an anti-climax after the win against Leeds. Still, that’s six victories on the trot, a sign that we are achieving the consistency to win major trophies.”
FROM THE ARTICLE ‘ONE TO REMEMBER’ IN THE CITY PROGRAMME 1ST JANUARY 1996