LEE’S ROBINS END IDEAL WEEK IN FLYING FORM
Flint nets winner as Bogle sees red
LEE Johnson was able to look back on a perfect week after Aden Flint’s second-half goal earned Bristol City the bragging rights from an all-action Severnside derby.
After the impressive Callum O’Dowda put the hosts in front, Omar Bogle levelled before halftime, only for Aden Flint to restore the Robins’ lead on 66 minutes.
The winner came after Cardiff were reduced to ten men following the sending-off of striker Bogle on 55 minutes, but nothing could detract from Johnson’s delight over his team’s performance.
After going onto the pitch to lead the celebrations with fans, Johnson said: “I am beaming with pride over the efforts of my players.
“That’s nine points in a week, which included away games at Sunderland and Fulham. After those matches, to go 12 rounds with a very strong Cardiff side and come out on top showed fantastic energy levels.
“We deserved to win. Every stat will tell you that. We are still unfancied in the Championship by a lot of people, but everyone is playing for the cause, not the applause. To be honest, we can do with the international break now because we have a few injuries and the lads can have a few welldeserved days off.”
Bristol took a 20th-minute lead when O’Dowda collected a Joe Bryan pass on the right of the box and cut inside onto his left foot to find the far corner with a quality finish.
But four minutes before the break the lead was wiped out as Bogle fired through the legs of goalkeeper Frank Fielding after good work by Junior Hoilett on the byline.
Bogle then blotted his copybook with a late 55th-minute challenge on Marlon Pack in the centre of the pitch, which brought a straight red card from referee Mike Jones.
Bristol capitalised on their man advantage seven minutes later when Flint rose to power home an unstoppable header from Hordur Magnusson’s soaring long throw from the right.
Cardiff boss Neil Warnock said: “I have no complaints whatsoever about the sending-off. It was a two-footed tackle, which cost us the game, and Omar knows there are no excuses.
“What upset me was the inconsistency shown by a good Premier League referee. Pack should have been shown a second yellow card for a foul earlier in the second half. I felt very few 50-50 decisions were given in our favour. I shall be speaking to the referee because I think he is better than that.
“We have let a lad have a free header for the winning goal, but otherwise I thought we were the better team.
“The performance gave me a lot of confidence and showed me how far we have come. I still think we can step up a gear, but to be where we are in the league in November is fantastic.”
Johnson withdrew Pack midway through the second half, admitting the midfielder had been on a last warning from the referee.
“I can understand Neil Warnock’s thought process when he claimed Marlon should have had a second yellow,” he added. “He queried it at the time with the fourth official and it came back down the microphone that the ref thought Marlon took a fair chunk of the ball, as well as the man.”
Bristol might have had a third goal late on when the impressive Josh Brownhill sent a swerving shot against a post.
But Cardiff never threw in the towel and former Bristol attacker Lee Tomlin, on as a substitute, wasted a couple of promising free-kick positions in the closing minutes.
With O’Dowda outstanding, Bristol just edged a full-blooded clash.