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James Crawley

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Posted Tuesday, December 26th 2017

Johnson hails "massive result"

Tuesday, December 26th 2017

Lee Johnson was full of post-Christmas cheer after seeing his side jump into the automatic promotion spot.

Jamie Paterson's first-time edge-of-the-area strike whistled into the top corner before Lloyd Kelly grabbed his first City goal to secure a 2-0 home win against Reading.

It is City's first double victory against a side in the Sky Bet Championship this season.

The match was played at a cold and wet Ashton Gate, where clear-cut chance were few and far between in the first half.

But the hosts cranked up the gears in the second period and their substitutes duly delivered the all-important goals.

Discussing the match, head coach Johnson told BCTV: "I think it was always going to be difficult because of the ridiculous congestion to the fixture list. Now the boys have got to get going again.

"The day was a bit damp, a bit dull, the ball on the pitch was a bit dead due to the conditions so it’s something we have to deal with.

"Reading are a good side who spent big in the summer, they’re a good footballing side who finished in the play-off final last year so it’s a massive result for us to win today.

"It’s the first double we have had the chance to complete this year which is important because for us to go 20 points clear of Reading at this stage is phenomenal."

WHAT HE SAID

"Reading are a good side who spent big in the summer...so it’s a massive result for us to win today."

Lee Johnson

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Video: Lee Johnson Post-Reading home thumbnail

CLIMBING THE TABLE

The result means it will be first v second in the Championship on Saturday, when City host table-toppers Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Johnson continued: "It’s brilliant but there’s a big game coming up on Saturday. It’s early days as far as league position goes - we’re half-way through - but we have to keep performing.

"Parts of our performance today were very good; it was great to get a clean sheet but Reading had a couple of chances and we have to understand why, so that on Saturday against Wolves we snuff those types of chances out because Wolves will take them."

VIEW ON THE PENALTY CLAIM

City could have scored earlier in the second half from 12 yards after Bobby Reid took a tumble in the Reading area. Referee Oliver Langford played on, despite the appeals from players and fans alike.

And Johnson thought it was a penalty too, based on first glance.

He continued: "I thought it was a definite penalty. Certainly from my angle it looked like one strong arm in the back just as Bobby was about to pull the trigger. We genuinely felt it was a penalty."

Kelly celebrates his goal

"DELIGHTED FOR LLOYDY"

But City did not have to wait much longer for the strikes which would mean another three points for City.

Johnson said: "I thought they were great goals. Paterson probably only had 20 minutes in him so it had to be a good 20 minutes and it was a fantastic finish.

"I’m delighted for Lloydy. I wasn’t expecting him to turn up and score but I felt we were getting pegged back a bit. Paterson at the time was getting caught in the left-back spot and I felt it was natural to put a left-back on.

"He wellies two balls away like a good old-fashioned ‘have it’ and then stuck one in the back of the net so it’s not a bad home league debut."

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