TRICKY DICKIE LIFTS LIAM Manning praises secret weapon Rob
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RICHARD LATHAM
LIAM MANNING hailed Rob Dickie’s scoring prowess after the centre-back’s fifth Championship goal of the season had secured a precious win.
Dickie netted with a glancing header from Joe Williams’ 73rdminute chip into a crowded box (below) to open a nine-point gap between the hosts and the relegation zone.
Swansea have no such security, with only five points between them and the bottom three, having paid for failing to turn the lion’s share of possession into a single effort on target.
Bristol City coach Manning hugged members of staff at the final whistle and later admitted relief at ending a run of four losses on the spin.
He said: “Rob Dickie is a huge player for us in both boxes. He is like a magnet for the ball when those crosses come in.
“Being massive helps, but Rob also has the ability to hold off his marker and take up dangerous positions in front of goal.
“We had to stop our poor run and we were never going to do that with flowing attractive football.
“I was very pleased with our patience after a cagey first half and from then on it was a really solid team performance from what I saw.”
Przemyslaw Placheta wasted Swansea’s best chance on 57 minutes, shooting badly wide at the far post from a Ronald cross.
But it was a rare moment of anxiety for Bristol City goalkeeper Max O’leary, who ended the 90 minutes without having made a save.
Swans coach Luke Williams insisted he was not looking down at the bottom positions in the table. “I just didn’t see a team out there who are drifting or in any way dropping into trouble,” he said.
“I saw a side who controlled the game for much of the time and if the players can add better decision-making and greater coolness in front of goal we can finish the season really strongly.”
Bristol City were poor in the first half, failing to register a single attempt on goal. But, while Swansea dominated the ball, they couldn’t summon up the killer final pass. and finish
The hosts improved after Mark Sykes took over on the right flank as a substitute for Harry Cornick and Jason Knight should have made it 2-0, heading wide following a Tommy Conway cross.
The massed ranks of Swans fans behind the goal made it seem more like a home game for their men, while the vast number of empty seats at the other end spoke volumes for the damage done by Bristol City’s losing run. But in the end those home fans who stuck faithfully with their team were celebrating the virtual guarantee of Championship football next season.