ROBINSFLYING
Bristol City in play-off places after Josh screamer
JosH BroWnHIll earned high praise from Bristol City boss lee Johnson after guiding his club to a narrow severnside derby victory that saw the robins climb into the Championship play-off places. With 20 minutes to play, Brownhill fired home a stunning long-range effort that ended Cardiff City’s unbeaten home record this season and left neil Warnock’s side stranded in 14th, seven points adrift of sixth place. the hosts had plenty of chances, hitting the woodwork three times, but their lack of cutting edge proved fatal as they failed to win for the fifth time in six games. midfielder Brownhill, at 23 the youngest permanent captain in the division, shook off injury to star, with Johnson believing he ‘epitomises what I want my Bristol City’s identity to be’. Johnson added: ‘He is first in, last out, every day he comes to the training ground and tries to get better. He probably goes down as one of the value signings in Bristol City history.’ After a slow start in chilly south Wales conditions, Bristol City gradually took charge of the match but as the clock ticked past the half-hour mark the home side gained a foothold. A smart interchange between lee tomlin and omar Bogle ended with nathaniel mendez-laing side-footing wide, before Bogle nodded tomlin’s cross straight at keeper Daniel Bentley. the pressure was maintained after the break, leandro Bacuna this time clipping the woodwork from distance before Bogle was denied inside the box. Just as a
Cardiff opener looked inevitable, Brownhill stepped up to the mark, slamming home after tommy rowe had teed him up. the Bluebirds rallied well but after Aden Flint headed against the bar from a corner, a leveller looked unlikely. the result left neil Warnock bemoaning a a lack of killer instinct in his squad. ‘I’m disappointed we have not got three points, but that is football, that is the Championship, and it is fine margins,’ said the Cardiff manager. ‘they couldn’t have given me any more; there was just a lack of quality. there was a little bit of quality lacking in that front third of the pitch.’