Nigel Pearson may not have exuded satisfaction as he conducted his post-match media duties at Ashton Gate, but even at his most miserly, the Bristol City manager knew inside that Wednesday’s win over Preston North End was an achievement beyond just the three points.
The Robins had gone into the fixture with confidence a little broken, egos a little battered and the squad very much humbled by the fate they endured at Birmingham City: think you’re a play-off contender? Well, welcome to St Andrew’s.
As Rob Atkinson noted, the Championship likes nothing more than to kick you when you’re up, constantly reminding everyone without the luxury of parachute payments to mitigate such a relentless schedule against teams all with similar budgets, of the parity that exists in the competition.
