Fleming hails show of character after fourth away win
We’re just working our socks off and that’s showing, I think character got us that win today
BRISTOL City head into the second international break on the back of another great win on the road, after they came from behind to record a 3-2 win at London Road on Saturday. Their fourth away win of the campaign, from six journeys.
A Nathan Thompson own goal, George Tanner’s first strike for the club and a composed late finish with six minutes to go from Chris Martin saw the points heading back to the West Country, after former Robin Sam Szmodics scored twice against his former side.
Curtis Fleming was again standing in for the ill Nigel Pearson, who it is hoped will be back in the dugout after the international break, and following the victory he gave his reaction and an update on the manager.
“I haven’t spoken to him just yet,” said Fleming. “There’s no doubt that it wll have cheered him up a lot. He’s had a rough couple of days.
“It’s a tough thing. He’s had it (Covid) before but like us all we all feel a bit better with the three points.
“As I’ve said he’s the manager, I’m only the assistant. And the manager will be happy tonight,” said Fleming, adding that he hopes Pearson will be back at Ashton Gate for the Bournemouth game, in part because his voice is suffering from all the shouting, he joked.
The former Middlesbrough defender added that he was delighted to get the win after a pulsating Championship game.
It was important to get a good result after the loss at Millwall in midweek.
“Really happy. I think we needed to bounce back after Milwall, a game that we were well in. I’ve already spoken about the fine margins, intensity, work rate and a couple of finishes in final third and we got a lot of that today,” he said.
“It’s very important for us and we’re still a work in progress, but we’re just working our socks off and that’s showing, I think character got us that win today.”
The match was locked at 2-2 at the break after Szmodics had scored a rocket from the edge of the box and a looping header. But there was no need for the Robins ranks to panic. City focused on themselves and knew that further chances would come their way.
“I think it’s the Championship and when you have the experience of what the Championship is all
about, we spoke at half-time about how we could go and win the game, not how to protect an away point and I don’t think we could have done that, so it’s important we
stuck to our beliefs, our team shape and what we were trying to do in the game and I think we succeeded in that,” said Fleming. “At the end of the day it’s fine margins, it’s quality from Chris (Martin) isn’t it, and then some great defending because I thought Peterborough were very good today and they asked us a lot of questions.”