It's Round and It's White
Bristol City won for the first time in eight games as they narrowly defeated Leicester City in an exciting contest at Ashton Gate. Goals from Kalifa Cisse, Brett Pitman and Jon Stead were enough for the Robins to claim all three points over the Foxes.
The hosts made four changes from the team that was defeated 3-0 by Ipswich at Portman Road on Saturday, with Jamie McAllister, McMannus, Pitman and Bryan coming in for Lewin Nyatanga, Kilkenny, Sean Davis and Adomah.
Both Kilkenny and Adomah had to make do with places on the bench, with the latter recovering from a niggling knee injury. Nyatanga and Davis did not make the squad due to carrying slight injuries, and Bristol City boss Derick McInnes chose to rest the pair.
Joe Bryan, 18, was making his senior debut for the Robins starting on the left wing. The home team set up in a 4-4-2 formation, something which the Ashton Gate faithful have wanted to see for a while now, and it signalled McInnes’ intent to take all three points from the game.
The Robins, who have lost their last three games in a row and have notched only one point in their last seven outings, started brightly, with Pitman and Stead both having chances in the early exchanges, both of which were saved comfortably by Foxes keeper Schmeichel.
Jersey born striker Pitman also headed over from a McAllister corner before Stephen Pearson’s shot was blocked by Leicester defender Wes Morgan.
However, it was Leicester who took the lead, when winger Lloyd Dyer took advantage of Bristolian Carey’s slip and scored with a powerful shot from a tight angle to the top right of David James’ net.
City heads didn’t drop though, and the sides went in at the break level thanks to Cisse slotting past Schmeichel to find the bottom right following some great play by the youngster Bryan.
City started the second half the brightest of the two teams, and this paid off when the Robins took the lead for the first time in the game following Pitman’s close range goal in the 54th minute.
However, Leicester started to dictate play following manager Nigel Pearson’s double substitution, bringing on Drinkwater and Schlupp. The substitution seemed to settle the visitors and it soon paid off with Leicester levelling not long after through Neil Dann’s goal in the 77th minute.
Despite surrendering their lead, Bristol City came back fighting and were able to retake the lead when Jon Stead converted after strike partner Pitman’s shot came back off the upright, scoring to the bottom left of the goal only two minutes after City had conceded.
A nervy ending saw City hold on to win and claim a much needed three points, and complete the double over Leicester, having won the reverse fixture 2-1, for the first time since the 1914/1915 season.
