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Champions
in Europe ... A Tribute to the 1981 UEFA Cup Winners
Radio Orwell
commentator Pete Barroclough (dead centre of picture) prepares for live
2nd half coverage in the 2nd leg
WARK GETS
THE BALL ROLLING
Ipswich Town 5 Aris Salonika 1
The pattern of what developed into quite an ugly clash was set as early as the first 20 seconds when Eric Gates was hacked down by Balis. And it was an action packed a first half as Portman Road saw all season.
Three goals, a sending off and five bookings livened up the first 45 minutes and referee Antonio Garrido of Portugal was by far the busiest person on the field of play.
It took just 13 minutes for Town to forge ahead. Gates was chopped down in the box by Balis and Wark was his usual accurate self from the spot. Two minutes later the same player added a second after the Aris 'keeper had failed to hold a cross from Mills.
Town defender Terry Butcher was shown the yellow card after kicking the ball away and then, in the 29th minute, Wark completed his hattrick with a second penalty. This time Gates was fouled by Venos whose team mate Firos was booked for protesting.
There was still plenty of drama to come. First of all Firos took the long, lonely walk to the dressing rooms after a clumsy challenge on Gates. It happened right under the watchful eye of referee Garrido who had no hesitation in producing the red card.
Two more players were cautioned before the break, Paul Mariner for booting the ball away following a skirmish with a couple of Greek defenders and then Semertzidis who made no attempt to play the ball and seemed only interested in kicking Frans Thijssen.
The crowd hardly had time to recover their breath when Aris grabbed a goal within three minutes of the restart. Again it was a penalty, awarded for an alleged foul by Butcher on Zindros, and Paul Cooper had no chance of saving the kick by Pallas.
Mokalis was booked just before Town scored the best goal of the night. Osman's forward pass to Gates was the launching pad. The little striker who had caused Aris all sorts of problems pushed the ball into the path of George Burley, overlapping at full speed. When the full backs cross reached the danger area, there was Paul Mariner to complete the move with a brilliant finish.
Seventeen minutes from the end Town made a double substitution, Arnold Muhren and Alan Brazil making way for Kevin Beattie and Kevin O'Callaghan who both took up forward positions.
Five minutes later Wark was on the spot again after a fine O'Callaghan run had put Gates through. Just as he was about to control the ball , however, his legs were taken away from under him by Semertzidis.
Referee Garrido had the last word when he booked goalkeeper Pantziaras to signal the end of an incident packed evening. Town were worthy 5-1 winners while the Greeks went off with the jeers of the Portman Road crowd ringing in their ears.
Town: Paul Cooper, George Burley, Mick Mills (Captain), Frans Thijssen, Russell Osman, Terry Butcher, John Wark, Arnold Muhren (Kevin Beattie), Paul Mariner, Alan Brazil (Kevin O'Callaghan), Eric Gates
Aris Salonika: Pantziaras, Mokalis, Pallas, Veenos, Firos, Kouis, Kindros, Balis, Tsirimokos (Drambis), Semertzidis and Zelidis
Extract from Champions in Europe
GATES
SAVES A FEW BLUSHES
Aris Salonika 3 Ipswich Town 1
(Ipswich win 6-4 on aggregate)
Maybe he didn't think so at the time but the goal Eric Gates scored in Greece was just about the most important of his career.
Town had built up what looked like an unassailable 5-1 lead from the first leg. But with just over an hour gone in the return in Salonika, they were struggling to stay in the competition, and at 3 goals down looked dead and buried.
Gates however popped up in the 73rd minute with the goal that spared his side's blushes. Receiving a pass from Frans Thijssen, he struck home a crisp shot from the edge of the penalty area. The Greek goalkeeper had no chance and Town marched on to the second round.
It was not a match in which Town distinguished themselves at all and even Gates vital goal could not hide the fact that Ipswich had turned in a very disappointing performance.
The match was played in a very hostile atmosphere, with many of the Aris fans of the opinion that they had been cheated in the first leg when Portuguese referee Antonio Garrido had awarded Town a hattrick of penalties. Highlights of the game had been shown over and over again on Greek TV, and just to add fuel to the fire local newspapers were hinting that the match official might even have received a bribe.
Town's training session at the Salonika stadium on the day before the game had been gate crashed by some 200 fans, who hurled abuse at the Ipswich players for well over an hour. By kick-off time the following afternoon tempers in the home crowd were reaching boiling point and armed police, complete with riot shield, ringed the playing area.
Two goals by Aris in the first 22 minutes kept the home fans in good spirits, and when Zeleliolis grabbed a third in the 65th they were ecstatic.
Fortunately Gatesy's goal which rescued the tie for Town was a clear cut affair. Had it been disputed then it might easily have sparked trouble on the terracing.
At the end of the 90 minutes or torrid action, the giant scoreboard told the story of Town's progress to the next stage of the competition, and the bonfires set underneath it by the Aris fans, announced what they thought of proceedings over the two legs.
Aris Salonika: Pantziaras, Mokalis, Chatziantoniou (Zelidis), Michalitsos, Venos, Kuois, Zeleliolis, Balis (Tzifopoulos), Tsirimokos, Drambis, Semertzidis
Town: Paul Cooper, George Burley, Mick Mills (Captain), Frans Thijssen, Russell Osman, Terry Butcher, John Wark, Arnold Muhren (Kevin Beattie), Paul Mariner, Alan Brazil (Steve McCall), Eric Gates
Extract from Champions in Europe