The day fit-again Murray inspired the Robins to victory over Bournemouth
RICHARD LATHAM, former Bristol City reporter for the Bristol Evening Post, recalls a Robins victory against Bournemouth in the 2001-02 season. The sides meet again in a Championship game at the Vitality Stadium tomorrow
SCOTT Murray’s bubbly personality and infectious enthusiasm first lit up Ashton Gate nearly a quarter-of-acentury ago.
It was in December 1997 that City manager John Ward signed the then 23-year-old Scot for £150,000 from Aston Villa.
Who could have predicted then that Ward had recruited, not only a versatile player, capable of operating as a striker as well as a wingback or orthodox winger, but a man who would become a fantastic ambassador for the club on and off the pitch?
More than 24 years later, fans still flock around Scott in his role as kitman, assured of a warm greeting from an unfailingly cheerful character, who lives and breathes Bristol City Football Club.
Many, myself included, believe Murray is overdue a testimonial for his long service, which includes being one of only 13 players to have made more than 400 appearances for the Robins.
His tally of 426 City games, either side of a short spell with Reading, who paid £600,000 to sign him in the summer of 2003, included a typical contribution to a 3-1 win at this weekend’s opponents Bournemouth.
The date was Saturday, March 23, 2002. Scott had missed the previous eight games through injury, a run which had seen Danny Wilson’s team beaten five times as their Division Two promotion hopes wilted.
Never was his value to the side better demonstrated. Without their flying Scotsman marauding down the right flank, City had scored just four goals and went into the Bournemouth game on the back of successive defeats at Notts County and Chesterfield.
Murray had fractured on eye socket in a 3-0 home win over Oldham Athletic and only returned to full training with the first team 24 hours before the visit to Dean Court.
There were concerns that another facial impact might lead to the injury being aggravated, but typically Scott brushed them aside.
“I headed a few balls in training on Friday and had no problems whatsoever,” he insisted.
Wilson was only too happy to see a player he described as “a fantastic weapon” back in the team as City looked to reignite hopes of finishing in the play-off zone.
The manager set his side up in a 3-5-2 formation, with Steve Phillips in goal, protected by a back-line of Louis Carey, Mark Lever and Matt Hill. Murray played at right wingback, with Mickey Bell doing the same job on the opposite flank. Steve Robinson, a recent loan signing from Preston North End, formed a midfield trio with Tommy Doherty and Brian Tinnion. Lee Peacock and Lee Matthews were named up front, with Joe Burnell and Tony Thorpe, both destined to play key roles in the match, on the bench alongside Mike Stowell, Robin Hulbert and Dani Rodrigues.
Travelling supporters gave Murray a special ovation to welcome him back when he took the field for the warm-up.
But they were soon living on their nerves as Bournemouth, with now Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe in their defence, threatened to run riot.
A series of early efforts flew high and wide of Phillips’ goal and the busy goalkeeper did well to save from midfielder Wade Elliott, who 13 years later would be part of a City promotion team under Steve Cotterill.
Wilson’s men gradually weathered the storm, and 11 minutes before the interval Murray gave a demonstration of what they had been missing.
A trademark mazy run after accepting a Robinson pass took him past two defenders before a third opponent, Jason Tindall, brought him down to concede a penalty.
Bell’s unerring left boot sent the spot-kick flying past goalkeeper Gareth Stewart into the roof of the net and out of the blue City had a spring in their step again.
There was still time before the break for Peacock to make it 2-0, with a close-range finish after Robinson’s shot had been blocked. For all their early efforts, Bournemouth had a mountain to climb in the second half.
The home side could not reproduce the same form in the second 45 minutes and the main threat to City winning was posed by injuries to defenders.
Hill had been forced off after only 16 minutes to be replaced by Burnell, who went on to give one of his best displays.
When Lever needed to depart to have stitches in an eye wound during the second period, Wilson had no other defensive replacement on the bench and ordered Peacock back from centre-forward as cover.
Still, City protected their lead with few alarms until the beginning of injury time when a header from Bournemouth substitute Brian Stock hit the crossbar and Kieran McAnespie scored from the rebound.
The hosts poured forward for an unlikely equaliser, only to be caught on the break as Peacock sent Thorpe, an 86th-minute replacement for Matthews, clear and he rounded Stewart to seal the points.
Murray was cock-a-hoop after the game. “I can’t believe I got through the 90 minutes after more than a month out of action,” he said.
“I’d have been more than happy with an hour. We were under the cosh a bit to begin with, but the boys dug in and were absolutely brilliant in the way they fought back.”
The win saw City move back into the play-off zone with only five games of the season remaining. Wilson boosted his squad by signing Christian Roberts from Exeter City for £100,000.
The Welsh striker started the last four matches of the season, but the Robins could win only one of them and ended up in seventh place, missing out on the top six by five points.