UNDER-FIRE BRUCE ON THE DEFENSIVE
STEVE BRUCE defended his position after Aston Villa supporters called for his head after their draw at Ashton Gate made it just one win in nine games.
The visiting boss had to endure chants for his dismissal at the end of the game following cries of “you don’t know what you’re doing” when he substituted Tammy Abraham.
Of the fans’ reaction to a battling draw, Bruce said: “There is a certain element that think I can’t do the right thing about anything.
“Do they really think I wanted to take Tammy off four minutes from the end? I maybe should have taken him off 15 minutes before because he had signalled that he had a calf problem.
“I will get on with the job as always and do the best I can. I know with the squad of players I have that we will be there or thereabouts when it counts.
“I know that for some I will never be the answer. But the players were excellent and they are the ones I will always protect.”
The hosts took a 16th-minute lead when Andreas Weimann’s mazy dribble was halted on the edge of the Villa box and the ball broke to Josh Brownhill, who crashed home a low effort.
But Villa hit back in first-half stoppage-time when Callum O’Dowda was penalised for a needless foul and Conor Hourihane’s driven free-kick was nodded home by Birkir Bjarnason from the centre of the box.
City created the first chance when Weimann’s header from close range went wide, but Villa responded quickly and Jonathan Kodjia’s shot was blocked.
Tammy Abraham had the ball in City’s net after 10 minutes, but was penalised for fouling goalkeeper Niki Maenpaa.
Then came Brownhill’s goal and Matty Taylor might have made it 2-0 a minute later when his left-footed volley was directed straight at Orjan Nyland.
Hourihane fired wide from distance for Villa and in the 22nd minute Abraham’s strike forced a diving save from Maenpaa. The home side’s high-pressing game had caused Villa problems, but the visitors also threatened and Bjarnason’s equaliser put the outcome in the balance.
John McGinn’s volley brought a diving save from Maenpaa, before City defender Adam Webster headed over from a corner to the near post.
But Villa almost won it in the 89th minute when Hourihane’s 25-yard drive flew just wide with Maenpaa motionless.
City head coach Lee Johnson left the post-match press conference to one of his assistants, Jamie McAllister, who heaped praise on the team’s resilience.
“We wanted a response to what was a poor performance at Wigan and got it from every player,” said McAllister.
“It was a poor free-kick to concede just before the break and we should have defended it better.
“I thought we defended well as a team, with Adam Webster and Nathan Baker superb in snuffing out the threat of some of the best forwards in the division.”