Manchester City 5 Manchester United 1 – Division One 1989

Saturday September 23, 1989; Division One

Manchester City 5 Manchester United 1

Man City: P.Cooper, G.Fleming, A.Hinchcliffe, I.Bishop, B.Gayle, S.Redmond, D.White, T.Morley, D.Oldfield, I.Brightwell, P.Lake (J.Beckford).

Man Utd: J.Leighton, V.Anderson, M.Donaghy, M.Duxbury, M.Phelan, G.Pallister, R.Beardsmore (L.Sharpe), P.Ince, B.McClair, M.Hughes, D.Wallace.

Match Report: There was little real reason for anyone to feel confident going into this Manchester derby early on in the 1989-90 season.

Newly promoted City had managed only one win in their first six games back in the first division and had been knocked out of the League Cup at Brentford in midweek. They were also missing experienced players through the spine of their team in Dibble, McNab and their £1 million centre forward Clive Allen.

United had hardly fared any better since thrashing Arsenal on the opening day and with confusion still surrounding the takeover bid of Michael Knighton and pressure beginning to mount on manager Alex Ferguson the Reds were hardly in the healthiest of states.

Having hammered Millwall and won at Portsmouth in the League Cup in their last two games Ferguson was hoping this would prove a launching pad for his expensively assembled side.

In the build up to the game the United manager singled Gary Pallister out for praise and estimated that the centre half was now improving with every game.

United were also missing players, however, and the absence of Steve Bruce and in particular Bryan Robson on a day like this was not designed to build confidence.

The erratic form shown by both sides probably heightened the tension ahead of this hugely important fixture and the atmosphere was charged beyond even normal derby day levels.

It was a glorious day and Maine Road was heaving as the teams took to the field. Along the Kippax both sets of fans traded chants and insults but there was a still more unpleasant atmosphere building in the North Stand where a large contingent of United fans had gained access to the supposedly City only enclosure.

As the captains met for the toss it was tempting to wonder if these two sides had ever been led by less imposing figures during the history of the contest. Brian Gayle and Mike Phelan could hardly be counted among the greats of either side.

The game opened at a remarkably frantic pace and with absolutely no thought of either side feeling their way into the game. Play was immediately wide open and swinging from end to end.

United produced a slick move which had Paul Ince looking to break clear but he was stopped on the edge of the box and City set off on an attack of their own.

Trevor Morley sent a fine ball out to David White on the right and he put in a decent centre which Pallister did well to head clear.

Once again the counter attack was instant and Russell Beardsmore’s pass was just too strong for Brian McClair to collect racing into the City box.

This cracking start was abruptly halted as the rival factions in the North Stand began fighting and with police reinforcements required to sort out the trouble referee Neil Midgeley was left with no alternative than to stop the game and take the players from the pitch.

It would be close on ten minutes before the bulk of the United fans had been herded across to the other end and play was able to restart.

Amazingly the tempo of the football was unchecked as both sides carried on from where they had left off before the disturbance.

Mark Hughes dropped deep to collect and spread play to the left and Danny Wallace. No City defender bothered to track the Welshman’s run as he then made for the penalty area and Wallace picked him out in all sorts of space down the left hand side of the box.

Hughes could have shot but chose to square towards McClair in front of goal but the pass was somewhat scuffed and a lunging Gayle was able to intercept.

As play switched to the other end Pallister was forced into a lunging interception of his own to stop Morley running clean through onto a David Oldfield header on.

Ian Bishop produced a sweet ball down the right hand side of the United box for the lively Oldfield to chase and having got there first he slipped the ball back to White in a promising position but his cross shot was way off the mark with Morley demanding a square ball in front of goal.

With neither side apparently worried about the consequences of their approach a goal seemed inevitable and after just over ten minutes play one duly arrived.

City were awarded a free kick following a midfield skirmish which Andy Hinchcliffe immediately launched crossfield to White on the right wing. White had no difficulty working space for his centre against Mike Duxbury but his pull back was not clean and looked easy to intercept.

Gary Pallister’s weight was on the wrong foot, however, and he looked truly ungainly as he made an unsuccessful attempt to intercept and the ball rolled on for Oldfield who swivelled to hit a screaming drive beyond Jim Leighton into the top corner.

Maine Road was rocking with this goal and so were United. Within seconds they had surrendered possession to allow City another attack down the right hand side.

Again the ball in should have been comfortably dealt with but Mal Donaghy, having taken control, completely froze on the edge of his own area allowing Morley to brush past him and go through on Leighton.

Leighton produced a fine parry to his right to deny the striker but Paul Lake was onto the rebound and having rounded Viv Anderson sent in a shot from close quarters which United’s keeper again did well to block.

There were five United defenders in the vicinity but none reacted and Morley was able to lunge forward and stab in the second from three yards out.

The game continued amid scenes of delirium across three quarters of Maine Road.

United looked to respond and much of their football going forward was impressive. Ince, Beardsmore and Hughes combined in splendid fashion but Paul Cooper was alert to the danger and dashed outside his area to boot clear as Ince looked to reach the final ball.

None of United’s defending carried any conviction, however, with Duxbury and Anderson both at sea in the wide areas and Donaghy scarcely to be seen at the point of the action.

Therefore it was left to the leggy Pallister who was suffering a torrid time at the hands of Oldfield. Without his presence though United’s position might have been far worse.

White tore clear of Duxbury again to whip over a superb ball which evaded everyone as it travelled across the six yard box with Oldfield the closest to taking advantage.

Danny Wallace won a corner down the left which Beardsmore went across to take. Pallister got above Cooper at the near post to head upwards and when the ball dropped the centre half produced a neat shot hooked over his own shoulder which was destined for the net until Hinchcliffe stretched to head off the line.

The ball lobbed back into the box and Gayle was too close to the top corner for comfort as he headed behind for another corner.

City were finding less resistance when they went forward and Leighton had to be smart to reach a through ball ahead of Morley before the same player embarrassed Donaghy again before forcing a save from the keeper.

This one wouldn’t have counted, however, as a mysterious handball decision was given against the forward.

Where Pallister was a one man defence at times the same could be said of Paul Ince in the United midfield. Phelan was completely off the pace and with Beardsmore and Wallace hugging the touchlines to little effect Ince was engaged in a lone tussle against Bishop, Lake and Brightwell.

Not surprisingly City were winning most of the battles in that area, especially given that the one man in blue staying tight to the line, David White, was completely the master of his full back.

Pallister produced another last ditch challenge to deny Oldfield a run on goal and when White and Fleming combined to good effect down the right Brightwell was on hand to send another telling ball across the six yard box. Again there were no takers.

United broke forward with Ince linking with McClair who sent a good ball in for Phelan but the stand in skipper got the ball stuck under his feet and City cleared behind for a corner from which they would enjoy a remarkable escape.

Beardsmore dropped the ball into the near post again, Pallister flicked on but McClair was unable to twist in time to turn the ball home from three yards out.

The ball was still bobbling around the six yard box, however, and when Gayle went to hammer clear the ball rebounded off Anderson and was flying into the net only to strike Fleming in the face on the goalline.

The United fans behind that goal were left in desperate frustration but it did seem as though their side was beginning to assert some sort of order over proceedings as Ince began to link with McClair and Hughes more consistently and this in turn led to Wallace seeing more of the ball.

The little winger had looked sporadically dangerous but when he cut inside and played a poor ball which Steve Redmond easily intercepted City launched another rapid counter attack at United’s fragile rearguard.

Redmond hurdled a challenge from Phelan and, having left possession to White, continued his run up the right wing.

White sent the ball back into his path and Redmond slipped a nice ball further along the line for Oldfield who rode Pallister’s desperate challenge before clipping his cross into the middle for Bishop to come lunging in to head past the exposed Leighton.

It was party time for the City supporters and a succession of surreal songs began bellowing across the terraces as befitted a surreal afternoon.

“You’re going down with the Millwall” was a highlight as the United fans had to stand and take it in the Manchester sun. Yes, a truly surreal day.

United looked to respond and McClair linked with Anderson to offer Beardsmore a presentable chance but his attempted lob, with Cooper well off his line, was poorly executed and drifted harmlessly wide.

Then McClair and Anderson combined again and might have expected more as they this time offered Mark Hughes a shooting chance on the edge of the box but his shot was snatched and sliced away past the same post Beardsmore had missed.

Then Anderson tried his luck himself but from 35 yards out he was 35 yards over, much to the delight of all in sky blue.

The half ended with Hinchcliffe taking over goal kick duties from Cooper who looked a sitting target in the City goal but had somehow kept his goal intact while Fleming went straight through Wallace without earning a caution.

Half Time: Manchester City 3 Manchester United 0

The second half began with Ince scything Lake down as United looked to make an impression of any kind.

Then came a potential lifeline.

Hughes dropped off to set an attack in motion by feeding Beardsmore with a lovely pass. The winger for once comprehensively tricked Hinchcliffe with a double shuffle and when he hung his centre up to the back post Hughes had arrived in time to launch himself into a truly magnificent scissor kick which crashed into the net off the underside of the bar.

The visitors looked to capitalise on this strike and when a through ball from Wallace bounced off the retreating Redmond’s back they had a fine attacking opportunity.

Beardsmore and McClair ferried the ball wide for Anderson whose cross was there for Hughes to attack but Gayle did brilliantly to force himself in front of the striker and head behind for a corner.

Wallace then embarked on a driving run infield which took him beyond White, Fleming and Redmond but although his shot was crisp it did not unduly stretch Cooper diving to his left.

Again United were in disarray as City managed a quick counter. The ball rebounded kindly towards Lake from a hefty challenge midway inside United’s half and the crafty use of an arm probably assisted the City man to stride clean through the heart of United’s defence.

Leighton again managed to parry the initial shot only to find no assistance on hand as the ball ran loose and Lake was able to square for Oldfield to tap into the empty net from six yards out.

United’s next effort was a 30 yard free kick from Gary Pallister which required a comfortable save from Cooper but the game now entered a scrappy phase.

Tackles were flying in from either side, some verging on the reckless, but in the main both sides were prepared to give and take with little sign of histrionics.

United also began looking to play offside in an effort to curtail the surging runs of Oldfield and this ploy worked as the lanky blonde front runner continued to charge forward.

Bishop suddenly played a one two with Morley in the midfield and found himself with time and space. United were holding a high line but Bishop’s pass was timed perfectly to meet White’s gallop down the right and the defence was immediately turned.

White met the ball on the run and centred to the far post where Hinchcliffe came bombing up in support to head emphatically beyond Leighton for a spectacular goal.

McClair linked with Hughes before screwing his shot tamely across goal as Cooper advanced as United looked to gain some respectability but they were in danger of shipping more goals as Pallister did well to recover and deny White while Leighton was able to dive on a through ball just ahead of Morley.

Alex Ferguson made his only change in replacing Beardsmore with Lee Sharpe and this prompted a furious response from the United fans.

There was loud and prolonged booing and chants of “Fergie Out”, although the chants might have been from mischievous City fans.

The booing was definitely from the United sections, however, and displayed a wider dissatisfaction than the events of this game alone. There could be little realistic argument against replacing Beardsmore who had been slaughtered by Hinchcliffe down his flank.

Quite why Ferguson chose not to use Clayton Blackmore as a second sub as well is more of a mystery. Perhaps it was just too difficult to decide which other player most deserved replacing.

Phelan was an obvious candidate and he promptly sent a pass straight to Lake which could have brought a sixth goal but Lake’s shot, stretching slightly on the edge of the box, passed well wide of the post.

Lake hurt himself in shooting and had to be replaced by Jason Beckford, a remarkably bulky looking young man.

Wallace sliced badly when Anderson headed down a free kick and then slipped in a clever reverse pass which Hughes failed to read on the edge of the box and although McClair was able to get in an effort Cooper was out to narrow the angle and block.

McClair headed inches wide from a Wallace centre and then Sharpe sent over a corner which the unmarked Anderson headed wide but there was to be no gloss put on the scoreline by United and the final whistle finally sounded to put them out of their misery and allow the blue half of the city to start the celebrations in earnest.

Full Time: Manchester City 5 Manchester United 1