All too often this season, when Gary Johnson’s Bristol City side have reached top spot of the Championship, we have been knocked off it within a few hours. But on Saturday, after our 2-1 success at home to Hull City, we stayed top. Before the game, Johnson described the match as a ‘must win’ game as we face a tough March with an away trip to promotion chasers Charlton, and host Watford on 11 March. The match was important and there was big crowd waiting in anticipation, although it was not a sell out and I can’t understand why not.
We are in a fantastic position, the highest the club has been for 28 years yet we still have not had a 19,000 plus crowd cheering on the lads. I know I have mentioned this before but there are few home games remaining and we are on course to achieve the biggest feat this season. To be fair to City fans, the 15,859 spectators present were mostly made up of home supporters with Hull City bringing probably less than 1,000 supporters. With Watford and Plymouth likely to bring support in the region of 3,000 fans, I am sure Ashton Gate will be sold out for some games this season.
Back to Saturday, and Phil Brown’s Hull City side made life very difficult for City and could have easily taken the lead after just 50 seconds when an unmarked Caleb Folan found his way into the box, only to slice his shot wide of Adriano Basso’s left hand post. The miss proved crucial on 14 minutes when a Jamie McAllister long ball forward was misjudged by defender Neil Clement and Dele Adebola lashed the ball on the half volley into the top corner of the net from 15 yards.
It was a fantastic finish from a player many City fans questioned the signing of when Gary made a bid for him in the January transfer window. But three goals in six appearances speaks for itself and this may prove to be one of the smartest signings of Gary’s reign if his goals send us into the Premiership. Personally, when we signed him, I looked at his record at Coventry City, which revealed he had scored six goals this season, and I was unconvinced. Many friends, one a Coventry fan, couldn’t speak highly enough of him, while others believed he was too old. But I think all his doubters can agree they were wrong.
After the first goal, as has been the case so often this season, we struggled to score a second and the visitors equalised on the stroke of half time through a Liam Fontaine own goal. The goal did not come as a surprise as Hull gained in confidence as the half progressed and City seemed to sit on their one goal advantage. I’m sure Gary gave the players a roasting at half time as their performance was not up their usual high standards. His team talk worked again, as it has on so many other occasions this season, as defender Jamie McCombe scored with an over head kick which any striker would have been happy with. From then on the team grew in confidence and could have scored more with Adebola going close and David Noble shooting over the bar.
The atmosphere inside the stadium was fantastic, one of the best all season, as fans began singing and dreaming of promotion as we headed to the top of the league. With Stoke City losing to QPR on Sunday, we are still top and there is now a real belief that we can achieve promotion and with just six more wins needed from 11 games according to Johnson, it is certainly achievable.
ANDY DAVIES
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