- English Football League - Championship
- Saturday, February 2nd 2019
- Ashton Gate
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Bristol City | 2 |
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Swansea City | 0 |
Match Report
James Crawley reports from Ashton Gate
Report: Bristol City 2-0 Swansea City
Saturday, February 2nd 2019
City struck with two second-half goals to beat Swansea City at Ashton Gate.
Andreas Weimann’s first goal since August got the Robins up and running just 42 second after the restart, while Callum O’Dowda’s fourth goal of the season completed the 2-0 scoreline.
Frank Fielding produced a fine save to tip a George Byers effort on to the woodwork, while O’Dowda could have made it three, but for a close-range save from Erwin Mulder.
Lee Johnson’s men have now won each of their last five games in the Championship, for the first time since the double-winning 2014/15 season in League One.
It didn’t take long for the game to burst into life, the only difference from the fixture back in South Wales would be no early goal. Matt Grimes tried his luck from distance but Fielding was behind it, before City caused danger of their own when Paterson burst forward only for his teasing cross to be hooked away for a corner. Famara Diédhiou did well to skip past two challenges in the box before firing wide of Erwin Mulder’s goal just moments later.
It would soon be a battle of whose fans could sing the loudest as the Gate filled up to near capacity, and the home fans roared when City had the ball in the back of the net in the 24th minute, only for Weimann’s header to be met by the raised offside flag.
While the Swans were displaying their possession-based game, they were struggling to convert going forward and it was City who almost played the perfect counter-attack. It involved Jay Dasilva who brought the ball out from defence before he spotted the advancing Weimann. The forward spread the play to Paterson, who found Brownhill unmarked to his right in the box but the onrushing Mulder made a vital block when the City number eight got his shot away.
The score remained goalless at the break but City were quick out of the traps to stun the Swans just 42 seconds after the restart. Dasilva picked out the advanced Paterson who drove towards the byline before standing up a cross towards Weimann and the Austrian forward’s header left the diving Mulder with no chance as he picked out the bottom corner.
Bersant Celina managed to turn but shoot just wide as the Swans looked for a response, while the fingertips of Fielding turned Byers’ long-range drive on to the post.
Niclas Eliasson, whose goal secured City’s place in the Emirates FA Cup Fifth Round last week, soon replaced Paterson as Head Coach Johnson looked to freshen up the attack, and just moments later Diédhiou saw a glancing header wide.
But they made no mistake when Weimann turned provider, picking out the run of O’Dowda, whose was just able to tuck the ball under the body of Mulder to double City’s lead.
O’Dowda could have scored a brace but placed his close-range shot into the arms of the Swans keeper, as City looked for more goals with the introductions of Matty Taylor and Kasey Palmer late on.
The full-time whistle would soon follow though, extending City’s unbeaten run to 13 games in all competitions - their seventh win in a row in both the league and FA Cup - lifting them to sixth in the Championship on goal difference.
Johnson’s side travel to face Blackburn Rovers away next Saturday (February 9th, 3pm KO).
Photography by JMPUK.
Bristol City
- Goals
- Weimann (46') , O'Dowda (74')
- Substitutions
- Callum O'Dowda, Jamie Paterson, Famara Diedhiou
Swansea City
- Goals
- Substitutions
- Connor Roberts, George Byers, Nathan Dyer
