ROMAINE SAVES BEST FOR LAST
CITY boss Steve Cotterill concedes accidents will happen this season – and the strike that denied the leaders all three points at Walsall was certainly one to take the breath away.
The Saddlers became only the fourth team this season to take points off the table-topping Robins as Romaine Sawyers’ stunning late strike earned improving Walsall a deserved draw.
And Cotterill was honest enough to admit it was a fair result after his City side failed to build on Joe Bryan’s early opener.
Cotterill said: “We’re disappointed because they scored in the 85th minute but if we are realistic and giving an honest assessment, it was a fair result.
“Not being ruthless enough with our chances enabled them to keep their chins up and they scored a fantastic goal. They had almost ran out of ideas but it was a wonderful strike.
“But if we can go another 11 games doing what we’ve just done I’ll be absolutely delighted and that’s what we’ll be looking to do.
“I’ve said from day one to the players and everybody else that I want to win the league and that’s not going to change.
“We’ll get some hiccups along the way – like conceding an equaliser in the 85th minute – but we will deal with it.”
City were ahead on 11 minutes, punishing Walsall youngster Reece Flanagan’s misplaced pass with a swift break that ended with Bryan drilling home at the near post.
Defences were mostly on top but City keeper Frank Fielding showed his agility to tip Anthony Forde’s 25-yard curler over the bar.
In the second half, Kieran Agard drilled City’s best chance wide early on but a Robins rearguard superbly led by Luke Ayling and Aden Flint looked like holding out with ease.
However, a spark of inspiration earned the Saddlers a point as Sawyers played a couple of onetwos before arrowing an unstoppable strike into the top corner from the edge of the box.
Both sides pressed for a winner in a frenetic finale, City coming closest as Aden Flint bulleted wide a header that should have bulged the net.
Saddlers boss Dean Smith said: “We were excellent, we controlled the game and I thought we had them on the back foot for the majority of the second half.
“And I think we’ve got a Goal of the Season contender there. It summed up how we want to play.
“It was a great finish, a great build-up from one side to the other – we said that was what we had to do to open them up because they are well drilled at the back.”
Smith’s only beef was with an over-the-top first-half lunge from City’s Derrick Williams on Flanagan that went unpunished.
He said:“It was the worst tackle I’ve seen all season and what’s worrying is that all four of the officials didn’t see it – if Reece doesn’t see it, he’s in hospital now. “He’s gone over the top. Steve Cotterill has apologised to me but they should have been down to ten men.”