Bristol City 2-0 Blackpool
Adam Baker reports from Ashton Gate

City got back to winning ways thanks to brilliant strikes from Nicky Maynard and Danny Haynes.

Maynard fluffed a good chance early on before netting an acrobatic seventh goal of the season midway through the first period.

Substitute Haynes rattled in the vital second goal to make the result safe, despite a late rally from the visitors, as City clinched a first win in five.

City came out of the traps flying and could netted on no fewer than seven occasions in the opening 22 minutes.

Early on Cole Skuse volleyed a Bradley Orr cross straight at Paul Rachubka, then Alvaro Saborio just failed to control Jamie McAllister's accurately-chipped pass into the penalty area.

Evander Sno failed to control the ball in the box from a Saborio pass on 11 minutes and allowed Rachubka the chance to gobble up the loose ball.

Rachubka also got his hands to Marvin Elliott's headed effort from Nicky Maynard's cross three minutes later.

Saborio should have scored when Maynard picked him out in the six-yard box but the Costa Rican fired over.

Worse was to follow for City on 20 minutes when Sno's pass over the top set Saborio away. The striker unselfishly cut the ball back for Maynard in the middle who looked to have a simple tap-in. However, the club's top scorer remarkably put the ball wide of the post when you'd have put your house on him to score.

Soon after Lee Johnson jinked his way into the box, leaving Stephen Crainey on his backside, but sliced his shot into the East End.

Nicky Maynard opens the scoring for City in superb style

At the other end Blackpool finally mounted an attack as Hameur Bouazza's cross was headed high over the top by Ben Burgess.

City finally had a deserved lead on 28 minutes and Maynard's earlier miss was quickly forgotten when he brilliantly opened the scoring. Charlie Adam's backward header dropped free in the penalty area and Maynard, with his back to goal, executed a superb overhead kick into the far corner of the net.

Adam almost hit back immediately for Pool with a 25-yard free kick attempt that flashed wide of the far post.

Suddenly Blackpool had found a route back into the game and were in the ascendancy.

Burgess' header forced Adriano Basso to tip over his own crossbar then David Vaughan and Keith Southern fired shots inches wide of the mark in quick succession.

Alvaro Saborio sports his new haircut against Blackpool

Saborio made way shortly after half-time for Haynes and it only took the replacement six minutes to give City that vital two-goal cushion.

Maynard neatly teed-up his new strike partner on the edge of the box and Haynes finished brilliantly with a left-foot strike driven into the bottom corner.

Rachubka kept Pool in it seconds later with a stunning fingertip save to keep out Elliott's curling effort from the edge of the box.

A clearly unimpressed Blackpool boss Ian Holloway made a triple substitution. Vociferous stick from the home crowd was only worsening the former Bristol Rovers player and manager's mood further.

Haynes was clearly relishing his return to the team and fired a cross-shot just past the far post before teeing up Sno in the middle moments later only for the ex-Celtic midfielder to mis-kick at the vital moment.

Danny Haynes lashes in a stunning second for City

As expected Blackpool rallied late on although Jason Euell, Billy Clarke and Brett Ormerod all missed chances around the penalty area.

In stoppage time Basso did brilliantly to deny Ormerod and Euell from close range in quick succession.

That proved all the visitors could muster as City confirmed a return to winning way with a clean sheet to boot.