Moore’s mistake proves costly as Robins slip off top of the table
SO is that that? Middlesbrough won at Ashton Gate for the first time since August 2018 to knock the Robins off their perch at the top of the Championship.
Bristol City were defeated 1-0 by Neil Warnock’s steadfast Boro side who showed real nous to keep the second highest scorers in the league at the start of play quiet.
Their dogged midfield was key and, indeed, George Saville proved the match-winner as a second former Robin pegged back Dean Holden’s side in the space of three days. The midfielder robbed Taylor Moore on the edge of the box, a catostrophic error from the 23-year-old centre-back summing up the night for City.
The home side failed to create throughout and finished the game without managing a shot on target, with Teesiders recording a first league away victory of the campaign.
City were looking for a third win in a row at Ashton Gate to get back to winning ways after that unfortunate denouement up at Oakwell on Saturday. They gained security at
the back as Daniel Bentley was restored to the side, though captain Tomas Kalas had to remain patient and was kept on the bench as Holden opted to stick with the other 10 who had played up in Yorkshire.
The game started in unremarkable fashion with few chances in the opening exchanges, bar the visitors going close as the diminutive Patrick Roberts wriggled free and pulled back to Chuba Akpom only for the former Arsenal man to have his stab at goal blocked by Zak
Vyner. Akpom missed a similar chance half-an-hour later as this time Saville pulled back, only for Akpom to not connect properly and glance his effort wide.
In between Jamie Paterson magnificently nutmegged Jonny Howson but dragged his shot wide, Andi Weimann chipped well wide when well placed and Chris Martin could not get a clean header in after a pearl of a cross from Jack Hunt.
Paterson was to shoot again ten minutes before the break but the effort was blocked following some good link-up play involving Tyreeq Bakinson and Tommy Rowe, but the effort was blocked and Alfie Mawson headed the resulting corner well wide.
Dael Fry then blazed off target following a low free-kick from Howson but neither side could get the breakthrough.
By half-time neither side had been able to register a genuine shot on target, and those unable to watch the game via the club’s stream had missed nothing, with the visitors shading the contest.
In the second period there was little between the teams initially before Mawson had to be carried off on a stretcher just before the hour-mark after a lunge inside the area to superbly win the ball from the athletic Djed Spence, who was racing in on goal.
Kalas replaced the former Fulham man, who looked in pain as he departed. Worse was to come when following a long-range shot from the impressive Roberts goalkeeper Dan Bentley played the ball to Moore on the edge of the area who was then robbed by Saville, with the midfielder making no mistake as Bentley raced from his line to salvage the situation.
Substitute Marcus Tavernier shot wide for Middlesbrough and Bakinson had a late penalty shout for City, who were done by a typically gritty Warnock masterclass.