JIMMY LAWSON fired his fourth goal of the season to end a highly satisfactory first top-flight campaign in 15 years with a 1-0 win at West Ham.
A crowd of 24,983 at Upton Park saw Ian Greaves’ side follow up a 1-1 draw at Tottenham the previous Wednesday with a spirited show.
Youngsters Alan Jones, Mick Barry and Brian Mahoney were among the side which repelled fierce home pressure in the final quarter.
The closest call came when Trevor Cherry, pictured, headed clear after Bryan Robson’s shot smacked off the underside of the bar.
The captain needed treatment for a cut face while the Hammers claimed the ball had crossed the line, but referee Norman Burtenshaw, who had a close-up view, waved play on.
Having blocked a goalbound Jimmy Greaves effort in the first half, Cherry cleared Geoff Hurst’s looping header off the line late on to preserve the two-point haul.
Lawson’s goal was forced home from close range after Barry, put into space by Jimmy Nicholson’s free-kick, supplied a curling cross.
Defender Cherry had also been Town’s hero at White Hart Lane, where 18,959 watched him cancel out Martin Chivers’ 39th-minute header with a cheeky 86th-minute equaliser.
As experienced Northern Ireland goalkeeper Pat Jennings shaped to kick upfield and launch a quick home attack after a Town move broke down, Cherry stuck out a foot as he bounced the ball.
With Jennings frozen to the spot, Cherry rolled the ball home, and to rub salt into the Spurs wounds, came close to a winner a minute later, when he powered a header from Lawson’s corner just inches wide.
Town were forced to reshuffle after Steve Smith was forced off on 35 minutes by a gashed shin, sustained in a tackle with Steve Perryman.
Barry came on, and with Greaves’ men still finding their shape, Chivers pounced to head home from Alan Mullery’s free-kick.
Frank Worthington thought he had levelled a minute later, when he rifled the ball home after Jennings parried a Barry shot, but the effort was ruled out for a foul in the build-up.
In the second half, Mullery looked on in frustration as his shot was cleared off the line by Roy Ellam, and Chivers twice hit the woodwork.
The combined three-point haul from the capital left Town 15th in the table, with Crystal Palace still able to overtake them via their game in hand.
At the top, Leeds led the way from Arsenal by a point, but having finished their games, faced a nervous wait until the Gunners took on Spurs in their last match.
