Bristol City battled to a potentially priceless 2-1 victory over Watford in a Sky Bet Championship relegation six-pointer at Ashton Gate. This victory increased their overall rank, putting them back in the league’s top six. The game was played on a chilly fall night. Each squad made major changes to the line-ups they put on the field just a week earlier.
Bristol City made four changes to the side, with Ross McCrorie, Joe Williams, George Earthy and Nahki Wells coming into the starting eleven. Watford too made four changes, including Kwadwo Baah, Abankwah, Jeremy Ngakia and Edo Kayemde. Despite the tactical changes and tremendous fightback on both sides, it was Bristol City who came out on top.
Key Moments of the Match
The first half saw Bristol City apply early pressure, resulting in a breakthrough goal by Nahki Wells in the 12th minute. Wells’ blistering pace created absolute panic in Watford’s backline. He then went on to score with almost scary accuracy. This goal created momentum for the rest of the match and got the home crowd excited.
Bristol City took full advantage just short of the halfway mark of the opening stanza. They punished Watford for defensive lapse by James Abankwah to the fullest extent. In the 24th minute, McCrorie took full advantage to fire home Bristol City’s second and double their lead.
Although they went down by two goals, Watford found themselves digging deep to respond in kind. They did manage to pull one back in the second half, but that barely dented the damage that Bristol City had done with their quick-fire start.
Reactions from Both Sides
After the game, Bristol City’s head coach Liam Manning spoke to us about his side’s display and development this season. He pointed to the passion and the determination that his players showed throughout the match.
“The ball has clearly gone out of play in the build-up to their second goal. The referee has the support of an assistant and the fourth official, but still got it wrong. There is no more I can say.” – Liam Manning
After the game, Manning was pleased with the team’s overall state. The Horseman wasn’t just upset with those horrible missed calls on what changed the tenor of the match.
Watford’s Tom Cleverley was understandably upset at the premature exit of Kwadwo Baah. Baah is out for at least the fifth time this season with a recurring thigh injury. He understood well what an impact Baah’s absence was going to have on their chances to perform well.
“It was a huge blow losing Kwadwo Baah so early after we had made a really good start to the game. He has suffered a recurrence of his recent thigh injury and faces another lay-off.” – Tom Cleverley
Cleverley saved his highest praise for the Watford crowd, who stuck with their team throughout a tricky afternoon. He implored them to reproduce that support in their next home matches.
Looking Ahead
Meanwhile, Bristol City remains overjoyed by their historic and hard-fought win. Now, they look to not only continue that momentum, but make it stick and fully entrench themselves in the playoff places. That win puts them squarely back into the chase for promotion, and one can hardly identify a more determined, relaxed and tactically flexible side this season.
On the home side, Watford will be keen to rediscover their focus fast, with their next match around the corner. The team faces mounting pressure to perform better and address their defensive frailties as they strive to climb up the Championship table.
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