The game of death saw both these fallen giants relegated to the Second
Division.
Only Manchester City could score five and go down, and produce their best away
performance of a nightmare campaign in the process.
The flow of goals going in at Bradford and Huddersfield meant that Portsmouth
and Port Vale were securing their safety regardless of what was happening at
Stoke.
Now Manchester City will be playing in third-grade soccer for the first time
in their 118-year history and Joe Royle was unable to work the salvation
miracle.
Stoke, who had real belief they could escape on their home ground, have only
spent three seasons out of the top two divisions in their 134-year history.
Now both these big clubs face the prospect of local derbies now with
Macclesfield Town next season, a club whose rapid rise from non-league only
underlines the horrors that have befallen their near neighbours.
The game started amid tension that could be cut with a knife, and ended as a
bitter anti-climax as both sides accepted their fate.
The predicted crowd problems were all too evident virtually from the start.
Manchester City fans with tickets in the Stoke sections were pinpointed and
hauled out. That caused running battles with stewards and police which caused
referee Mike Bailey to halt play after just 10 minutes as supporters spilled
onto the playing area.
Hundreds of police then ringed half of the pitch, facing the Manchester fans
where there had not been a hint of trouble. All the aggro was elsewhere!
Stoke's decision to make City's end all-ticket and put the other three sides
of the stadium on open sale from their box-office and on a credit card booking
line, was clearly responsible for the shambles.
In the midst of all this high tension, precious little football was being
played. Stoke had a numerical superiority in midfield with Joe Royle's side
opting for an extra striker in Paul Dickov, and that enabled Richard Forsyth and
Kevin Keen the chance to gain a measure of control.
The Maine Road men started at a frantic pace, Dickov and Shaun Goater both
threatening to break through in the opening minutes.
But from then on it was a nerve-ridden, ferocious battle, with Ray Wallace
booked for a lunge at Dickov after 16 minutes.
The men in blue were attempting to hit Stoke on the break, and one well
flighted long ball from Kevin Horlock set up Goater for a crucial strike.
The big Bermudian strode between Larus Sigurdsson and Steve Tweed, reached the
ball before the on-rushing Neville Southall, and lifted it over theveteran
'keeper and into the net.
That sparked wild scenes in the visitors' end, and in the celebrations,
Manchester fans sprung from several areas of the ground to rush towards their
own fans and dive headlong into City's end to escape any further ejections.
Southall then made fine saves from Richard Edghill and Lee Bradbury, thelater
a superb one-handed block from what looked a goalbound header.
Stoke almost scored when Graham Kavanagh put Peter Thorne clear, his first
effort cannoned off 'keeper Martyn Margetson, and his second attempt wasblocked
by the flaying bodies of desperate defenders. Margetson pulled down another
Thorne effort, a header from Tweed's flick on, as Stoke fought to get back into
the game.
Scores from around the country were not being flashed onto the scoreboard, but
news that Portsmouth, Port Vale and Bury were all winning didn't take long to
filter through at the break.
And it was a very subdued crowd - of both persuasions - with the knowledge
that at that point, both would be relegated.
Whether the teams knew about scores elsewhere is open to debate, but
Manchester City came out after the break clearly intent on putting their part of
the equation beyond doubt.
Southall saved superbly again from a Bradbury hook, but when Horlock's corner
arrived in the box, Goater had a header blocked and Dickov lashed home the
second after 49 minutes.
Bradbury hit the bar and Southall made another brilliant stop from Goater
before Stoke pulled one back on 62 minutes.
Forsyth's shot was blocked by Margetson, and Thorne crashed home the rebound
off the underside of the bar.
But Manchester City's response was immediate, as they reclaimed their two-goal
lead from there-start, Bradbury headed home Edghill's cross.
The result was beyond doubt after 71 minutes when Kit Symons threaded a long
ball through for Goater to run onto and slide past Southall for the fourth.
Goater was led away with an arm injury, and with City fans calling for
Kinkladze's introduction, Royle put on the Georgian for what will surely be his
contribution in a blue shirt.
But news from elsewhere was getting worse. Portsmouth and Vale were strolling
to victory, and it was left for City's remarkable fans to sing "Are you
watching Macclesfield"...their humour, amazingly never ceasing toamaze!
Three minutes from time Thorne headed a Kavanagh cross over Margetson
forStoke's second, but the result had become meaningless long beforehand.
City were not finished even then, and Bradbury set up Horlock for a
close-range tap in to make it five.
One fact, though, didn't escape both sets of fans. Alan Ball, vilified when he
was manager of Stoke and Manchester City before being sacked by both, had
masterminded Portsmouth's survival.
Teams:
Stoke: Southall, Pickering, Heath, Sigurdsson, Tweed, Keen,
Forsyth, Wallace, Thorne, Lightbourne (Taaffe 57), Kavanagh.
Subs Not Used: Holsgrove, Whittle.
Booked: Wallace, Thorne.
Goals: Thorne 62, 87.
Man City: Margetson, Edghill, Horlock, Wiekens, Symons, Vaughan,
Jim Whitley (Brannan 45), Pollock, Goater (Kinkladze 73),
Dickov (Jeff Whitley 90), Bradbury.
Booked: Edghill.
Goals: Goater 32, Dickov 49, Bradbury 64, Goater 71, Horlock 90.
Stoke & Man City relegated to Nationwide Two
Att: 28,000
Ref: M C Bailey (Impington).
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