Just out of Reach
STEVE BRUCE could not disguise his disappointment despite the last-gasp
Adam Reach goal that earned his play-off chasing West Brom side a point.
Reach had only been on the pitch for a couple of minutes when he capped a neat passing move by volleying his first Albion goal from close range with almost the last kick of the game.
Boss Bruce admitted: “We are reaching the stage when we have to win games to achieve our objective, and our first-half display was nowhere near good enough.
“The second half was much better, but one thing we have to sort out is our consistency. We are up one minute and down the next.
“After beating Fulham, I expected better. “Conditions were difficult, with a swirling wind and a pitch that rugby had been played on the night before.
“But we can’t use those things as excuses. We conceded two very poor goals.”
Nahki Wells, an early replacement for the injured Antoine Semenyo, shot Bristol City in front from Andreas Weimann’s 29th-minute cross.
But Karlan Grant levelled with a 68th-minute penalty after home keeper Dan Bentley fouled Kyle Bartley.
And Weimann looked to have won it with a thumping 85th-minute volley into the roof of the net for his 18th goal of the season, but Reach had other ideas.
Robins boss Nigel Pearson said: “We had the ball 10 yards from their corner flag in the dying moments and then made a mess of a throw-in.
“You can’t make decisions for players and some poor ones have cost us again.
“We have a problem with consistency. But all credit to Andi Weimann, who is a manager’s delight.”
BRISTOL CITY: Bentley 6; Cundy 8, Klose 8, Atkinson 7; Dasilva 7, Massengo 7, James 7, Pring 7; Weimann 8; Semenyo 5 (Wells 6, 7), Martin 7.
Subs not used: O’Leary, Vyner, Bell, Conway, Benarous, Owers. WEST BROM: Johnstone 6; Ajayi 7, Bartley 7 (Reach 90), Clarke 7; Furlong 6, Gardner-Hickman 6, Livermore 7, Mowatt 6, Townsend 6 (Diangana 83); Grant 7, Robinson 6.
Subs not used: Button, O’Shea, Molumby, Kipre, Fellows.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Andreas Weimann. The City attacker created one of his side’s goals and scored the other.
REFEREE: Leigh Doughty 7.