Game of two halves for Johnson

The Bristol City head coach was pleased with what he saw in the first half, as City went in at the break 2-0 up courtesy of headed goals from Aden Flint and Jonathan Kodjia, but less impressed after the interval following a raft of substitutions from both teams.

Tom Eaves’ acrobatic volley halved the deficit ten minutes into the second period, but City never looked like surrendering victory.

“I thought it was a good game and I thought it was a tough game, because they worked their socks off and it’s a big pitch at Huish Park – I know that because I spent years running around it!” Johnson told Bristol City Player HD.

“In the first half we played some really good stuff – neat and tidy, and we were compact in and out of possession with a nice balance.

“I wasn’t too pleased with the second half. We were a bit spread out and people were playing their own individual games, so we were nowhere near as effective as in the first half.

“But overall it was a really good pre-season workout and it was great for me to come back to a club I spent so many years at and see so many nice faces.

“We go away to La Manga now having had two really good games, with two tough ones to come for different reasons.”

Johnson gave a debut to former Oxford United winger Callum O’Dowda on the right flank, but City’s newest recruit lasted only 35 minutes.

“Callum O’Dowda has had an illness,” the boss revealed. “He hasn’t been too well and he hasn’t had the luxury of training over the last week or ten days.

“I wanted to get him out there so the fans could see him, but I also wanted to be careful with him, so we just thought we’d give young Jonny (Smith) ten minutes because he’s been doing very well.”

Johnson also revealed he will be speaking to trialist Samuel Armenteros about the prospect of joining the squad in La Manga, but goalkeeper Ivan Lucic has now returned to Germany.

Hordur Magnusson was not involved at Yeovil but will definitely be with City in Spain, where he will meet up with his new team-mates for the first time.

Zak Vyner, Diego De Girolamo and Arnold Garita will also be on the trip, while Smith, Lloyd Kelly and George Dowling will head to Belfast with Jamie McAllister’s development group instead.