1986-87 Season - March
Summary
At the start of the month United were in dire trouble after nine games without a League win. Bottom of the table, four points behind 21st placed Aston Villa and five points behind 19th placed safety.
Games against fellow strugglers Villa, Southampton and Manchester City meant that it was a crucial month in which we simply had to win some games.
Two victories and two draws lifted us up to 21st; there was now only one point separating the bottom four teams. Villa, Man City and Charlton were the main teams in trouble with a 5 point gap to 18th placed Leicester
Diary
| 1986/87 | 7th Mar | Div 1 | A Villa [H] | Won | 2-1 [1-1] | 21,224 |
- Thomas M
- McDonald
- Wharton
- McCreery
- Jackson P
- Anderson
- Stephenson
- Allon [s]
- Cunningham [1]
- Beardsley [1]
- Craig A
- Jackson D [s8]
Villa were one place, but four points above United at the start of play; it was a must win game if United were to preserve their First Division status
With Goddard unavailable Cunningham and Allon formed a new partnership up front with Beardsley operating on the left hand side.
Cunningham scored his first goal in 5 months to give United an early lead [9th], but it was a tense, scrappy affair and they couldn't capitalise on their good start. Just before the break Tony Daley grabbed an equaliser.
The Magpies were more fired up in the second period and they gained their reward when Peter Beardsley scored a brilliant second just before the hour. It was his second home goal of the season.
| 1986/87 | 14th Mar | Div 1 | Man C [A] | Drew | 0-0 [0-0] | 23,060 |
- Thomas M
- McDonald
- Wharton
- McCreery
- Jackson P
- Roeder
- Stephenson
- Goddard [s]
- Cunningham
- Beardsley
- Anderson
- Jackson D [s8]
Both Roeder and Goddard were available again a fortnight later when United were involved in another relegation dogfight at Maine Road
Their were precious few chances for either side but both Tony Cunningham and former United favourite Imre Varadi were guilty of missing some gilt edged chances.
| 1986/87 | 25th Mar | Div 1 | Spurs [H] | Drew | 1-1 [0-1] | 30,782 |
- Thomas M
- McDonald
- Wharton
- McCreery
- Jackson P
- Roeder
- Stephenson
- Gascoigne
- Goddard [1]
- Beardsley
- Anderson
- Cunningham
The home game against Spurs saw Gazza returning to the side for the first time in four months; it was to prove a timely boost.
Spurs had won five games in a row and were in tremendous form and it was no surprise that Glen Hoddle gave them an early lead.
But United hung in there and after a much improved second half performance Paul Goddard scored to give United a precious point. Despite the result United were still rooted to the bottom.
| 1986/87 | 25th Mar | Div 1 | Southampton [H] | Won | 2-0 [1-0] | 22,717 |
- Thomas M
- McDonald
- Wharton
- McCreery
- Jackson P
- Roeder
- Stephenson
- Gascoigne [1]
- Goddard [1]
- Beardsley
- Anderson
- Cunningham
By now Southampton had pulled away from the relegation zone after recording a couple of notable victories; but they had lost eight away games in a row. McFaul had the rare luxury of naming an unchanged team.
The visitors started the brighter but it was United who took the lead through a Goddard header [22m]. Twelve minutes later the Londoner was incensed when Gazza shot into the side netting when a pass to him would have left him with an open goal. He rushed up to The Mars Bar kid and gave him a hefty push; at one stage it looked as though he was going to hit him.
But Gazza was tormenting The Saints too and it was he who blasted the second [62nd] into the roof of the net. From them on United coasted to victory.
We were off the bottom for the first time since the turn of the year.