MCFCfans Midweek Feature: Classic matches - City 5 Tottenham 2; October 22, 1994

Joe Hart’s weekend masterclass at White Hart Lane meant that the latest top flight encounter between City and Tottenham finished goalless.

Nevertheless, goals and excitement have seldom been far away in previous meetings between the sides.

Maine Road played host to what became known as “The Ballet on Ice” in 1968, when City’s championship-winning side featuring the talents of Mike Summerbee, Francis Lee and Colin Bell made light of a snow-covered pitch to win 4-1 with a breathtaking display of attacking football.

Few will ever forget the Blues’ 10-man comeback to win 4-3 in North London in the fourth round of the 2004 FA Cup, but the meeting between the two sides in October 1994 produced an often overlooked classic.

Following that summer’s World Cup in the USA, Tottenham had made a number of eye-catching additions under boss Ossie Ardiles. Romania pair Ilie Dumitrescu and Gica Popescu joined after helping their country reach the quarter finals, while Germany’s Jurgen Klinsmann became one of the Premier League’s first world class foreign imports.

Spurs adopted a cavalier approach under Ardiles, with a forward line boasting the talents of Klinsmann, Dumitrescu, Teddy Sheringham, Nick Barmby and Darren Anderton.  A thrilling 4-3 opening day win at Sheffield Wednesday was followed by chastening defeats at the hands of Leicester and Nottingham Forest, and Ardiles arrived at Maine Road on a miserable autumn day as a man under pressure. 

City were also becoming noted as one of the division’s entertainers.  The relegation-saving run of form under Brian Horton at the end of the 93/94 season had continued, with Peter Beagrie’s wing trickery providing the bullets for burgeoning strike pairing Paul Walsh and Uwe Rosler.  Rosler was absent from the game with ankle ligament damage, leaving Walsh to form a little-and-large partnership with Niall Quinn.

The game kicked off in driving rain, forcing spectators in the partially built and presently roofless Kippax stand to reach for their complimentary waterproofs.

Spurs commanded possession in the opening stages, with Popescu dictating proceedings, but City took the lead when Walsh drove home left-footed from just inside the penalty area after Sol Campbell had failed to deal with Steve Lomas' right-wing cross.

A clever reverse pass from Sheringham undid the City backline, releasing Klinsmann who was felled by the challenge of goalkeeper Andy Dibble inside the box. England forward Sheringham had missed Tottenham's previous three penalties, so Dumitrescu duly stepped up and hammered into the top corner.

The home side's lead was restored when Spurs keeper Ian Walker could only parry Walsh's header from Nicky Summerbee's raking cross into the path of the on-rushing Quinn.

It was three before half-time. Peter Beagrie and Quinn combined sublimely down the left flank before Walsh stabbed underneath Walker for his second of the afternoon.

Spurs were back in the contest shortly after the interval. Klinsmann back-heeled to Dumitrescu whose 20-yard strike took a wicked deflection beyond the hapless Dibble.

But Walsh continued to terrorise his former club, and after a mazy dribble, he left Beagrie wonderfully placed on the left wing. The ex-Everton winger danced around David Kerslake before crossing for Lomas to thud a header home.

The Blues and Walsh were not finished, and the forward completed a torrid afternoon for the young Campbell by pulling him from pillar to post and squaring for Gary Flitcroft to complete a comprehensive 5-2 victory.

The following midweek, a humiliating 3-0 League Cup defeat to Notts County left Ardiles out of work.

City continued their impressive form and were dreaming of a European place. But a collapse after Christmas plunged Horton's side into a relegation battle.

Memorable Easter triumphs over Liverpool and champions-elect Blackburn secured top-flight football for another season, but could not save Horton from an encounter with his P45.

Rob Manford, MCFCfans