JOSH’S SLICE OF FORTUNE DENIES ROBINS
FRUSTRATED Bristol City boss Lee Johnson rued conceding another soft goal as Aston Villa came from behind to salvage a point at Ashton Gate.
Tottenham loanee Josh Onomah’s shot took a wicked deflection past Frank Fielding in the City goal to cancel out Jamie Paterson’s opener on the hour mark.
It was Villa’s first away point of the season while City, who knocked Watford out of the Carabao Cup in midweek, have now drawn their last three league games.
And Johnson felt his side, in front of a vocal home crowd, had done enough to earn a first set of three points in the league since an opening day win over Barnsley.
“I’m disappointed not to get three points, but not too despondent given the lads’ performance,” he said.
“I’m just a little bit frustrated that we haven’t come away with a win.
“We got done by a deflection and that’s probably a bit spawny, but I thought the goal was poor defending from us.
“That’s what we’ve got to change, because there are too many goals being conceded from that sort of range. We need people to put bodies on their line.
“The lads worked their socks off, our pressing was great in the first half and we forced them into errors.
“We probably didn’t get enough chances for all our play, but we worked it into good areas and had them on the back foot. I thought our passing and moving was excellent.
“The pitch was slick and the atmosphere was fantastic – one of the best I’ve ever heard at Ashton Gate, so I really enjoyed that.”
Villa had the first opportunity of the game when Andre Green stung the hands of Fielding, before an effort from Paterson and then City’s Bobby Reid had a penalty claim turned down.
Visiting manager Steve Bruce brought Chris Samba off at halftime to switch to a 4-4-2 but it didn’t stop the Robins making the break through on the hour mark.
Paterson put the hosts ahead with his left foot from eight yards out as Villa failed to clear their lines following a Marlon Pack free-kick.
But the lead lasted just four minutes as Onomah struck a 25yard effort which hit Pack with the ball looping over the stranded Fielding and into the net.
Eros Pisano nearly won it late on with a cross that came back off the post while substitute Birkir Bjarnason blasted his effort wide late on.
It means Villa extend their unbeaten run to three games and Bruce was delighted at the impact of his new loan recruit.
“I was delighted for Josh. He’s walked in the door and he’s had a run of games in a matter of weeks. He’s going to be a very good player,” he said.
“It’s great experience for him and he will have enjoyed the goal today in front of the Villa supporters.
“It was probably a fair result. I was pleased with the reaction of the players because I thought we were harshly done by.
“I thought their No.9 was offside and I didn’t think it was a foul in the build-up.
“But then it’s about – can we have a response away from home?
“Thankfully we got it from the lads. The crowd were bang up for it. They were terrific.”