Saville pounces on error to grab Boro’s winner
GEORGE SAVILLE’S 73rd- minute strike proved decisive as Middlesbrough ended Bristol City’s unbeaten start to the Sky Bet Championship season with a 1- 0 victory at Ashton Gate.
The goal resulted from a nightmare moment for defender Taylor Moore, who allowed Saville to rob him on the edge of the box as City tried to play out from the back. Saville was left with only goalkeeper Dan Bentley to beat and did so with an assured low left- footed finish.
The home side were quick off the blocks and Andreas Weimann should have done better when racing onto a third- minute pass from Nahki Wells only to chip tamely wide.
Boro’s best opportunities fell to Chuba Akpom, the first coming on five minutes when his closerange shot was deflected wide.
Jamie Paterson shot wide from 20 yards for City before Akpom’s cross- shot from the left was tipped over by Bentley.
A better chance fell to Akpom on 29 minutes, but he miskicked with the goal at his mercy from a Saville cross.
Paterson had another effort blocked for a corner, while at the other end Saville and Dael Fry moved in threateningly on a Paddy McNair free- kick only for the ball to fly well wide.
The second half began quietly, but City suffered a blow on 55 minutes when Alfie Mawson, who had excelled at the back, was carried off after stretching to make an important tackle inside the box.
Soon afterwards Wells wasted a decent opening, shooting high over the Boro crossbar from 15 yards.
Fry received the first yellow card of what had been a cleanly fought contest on 67 minutes for a late challenge on Weimann.
Boro were finding it hard to fashion openings until Moore’s costly error. Tyreeq Bakinson looked to be through inside the box when challenged from behind by McNair, but referee Tim Robinson ignored City’s penalty appeal.
Bristol City: Bentley, Vyner, Moore, Mawson ( Kalas 58), Hunt, Weimann, Bakinson, Paterson, Rowe, Martin ( Diedhiou 70), Wells ( Semenyo 71). Unused substitutes: O’Dowda, O’Leary, Brunt, Sessegnon. Middlesbrough: Bettinelli, Dijksteel, Fry, McNair, Howson, Spence ( Tavernier 74), Morsy, Saville, Johnson, Roberts ( Browne 78), Akpom ( Wood- Gordon 90). Unused substitutes: Wing, Bola, Stojanovic, Coulson.
Referee: T Robinson ( West Sussex).