The 90-plus minutes against Rotherham United proved somewhat of a microcosm of our season. We dominated the play, looked really comfortable in the first-half, and saw some really good attacking moments. However, we didn’t put the game to bed, got a little sloppy and once again witnessed an unbelievable penalty decision against us.
Following the Sheffield United defeat on Tuesday, Nigel Pearson had questioned the impact of his substitutes. When asked whether there were lessons to take forward, he responded with: "There better be. It's up to them whether they learn or not. If they don't, life will be harder for them, I don't care who they are."
The obvious conclusion was that Pearson’s comments were directed at Alex Scott and Tommy Conway in particular, with Mark Sykes the third substitute on Tuesday night.
It’s not the first time that Pearson has come out in this way to the media. Fans will have their own views on it. Personally, I prefer such comments to be kept in-house but what can’t be denied is that the manager always seems to get the reaction that he wants and so it’s hard to disagree with his methods.
We have seen it with Cameron Pring and Rob Atkinson this season. It was interesting therefore that after their substitute appearances and Pearson’s post-match comments, both Scott and Conway were recalled to the starting XI against Rotherham United.
Kal Naismith also started his first game since injury. Jay Dasilva, Andi Weimann and Nahki Wells, moved to the bench. It was also great to see Joe Williams back in the match day squad, when it looked like his season was over.
Straight from kick-off, we witnessed what Naismith brings to the side. The ball was played back to the Scot who took a touch before hitting a forward pass, spotting Sam Bell’s run and Belly’s touch inside beat the defender, but he saw his shot well saved.
Naismith’s return saw Pring return to his more natural left-back role and what a performance it was, both in terms of an attacking threat but also defensively.
Pring was the architect of the opening goal, and it was a thing of beauty. Matty James won the ball and fed his full-back who sent in a wicked cross, right on the money, and Conway timed his run and his leap to perfection, heading into the net and giving the keeper no chance. I’ve been critical of our crossing this season but the ball from Pring was brilliant.
We should have gone two up and only Harry Cornick will know how he failed to find the back of the net after a brilliant run and cross from the impressive Bell. Experienced full-back Lee Peltier won’t have had many more difficult games as he did up against Belly. Cornick got his run right but couldn’t sort his feet out and unbelievably managed to send the ball over the bar when it seemed far easier to score.
Conway was denied a penalty when he was challenged running into the box and on first viewing at the opposite end of the ground, I thought it was a spot-kick. However, having seen a replay I think it was a little soft and whilst there was contact, I don’t think it was enough for a penalty.
But if Conway’s wasn’t a penalty then there is absolutely no way on God’s green earth that the penalty awarded to the Millers following a challenge by Zak Vyner on striker Jordan Hugill should have been given.
Vyner mis controlled a cross and Hugill got in front of him and then threw his body across Zak to instigate contact. Hugill is a big powerful striker and the referee embarrassed himself in awarding the spot kick. There was nowhere near the contact for Hugill to fall to the floor like he did. It will surely be another email to Nige from the PGMOL apologising for the ridiculous decision.
Thankfully it wasn’t the deciding factor in the game with Andi Weimann claiming City’s winner in injury time. Once again, Wells demonstrated his crossing prowess with a ball into the box and when it fell to the captain he made no mistake smashing it into the net for his 50th Bristol City goal.
Last word to Pearson, who said after the game: “The reaction we've had today from players who have been questioned has been good. I would also make it very clear that I fully recognise and appreciate the fact that the players who have come in for criticism this week have also been some of our best performers this year.
"So look, when you talk about young players or talk about players in their first season at our club, who were really talked about by me were Mark Sykes, Alex Scott and Tommy Conway - they've all responded in a very positive way. I don't do it in a frivolous way, I don't do it to be confrontational, it's more about a disappointment about what the team needs is contributions off the bench which are positive.” You can’t argue with that.
Our 3 Peaps In A Podcast Bonus show ratings were: Max O’Leary 6, George Tanner 6, Zak Vyner 6, Cameron Pring 8 *MotM, Kal Naismith 6, Matty James 7, Andy King 6, Alex Scott 6, Sam Bell 8, Harry Cornick 6, Tommy Conway 8 (subs have to have come onto the field before the 60th minute). A game average of 6.64, and a season average of 6.33. For Nigel it was a 7; a win is win and there were some very good performances.
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