Defeat should fortify Bristol City’s resolve

This comment article is written by Bristol City fan Steve Coombes

Neat build-up play, an incisive through ball, quick feet and a decisive finish. Swindon’s Michael Smith delightful goal was fit to settle any game. Regrettable, then, that it should grace such a tarnished tie, remorselessly slaying City’s 22-game league unbeaten streak.

With both clubs performing well in the league, the M4 derby was always likely to be a fractious affair, pity then that the spectacle was damaged within the first three minutes.

“Top against third – they are the sort of games that you want to be involved in” captain Wade Elliott told www.bcfc.co.uk this week. “So far we’ve been good at finding the answers to the different problems we’ve been posed.”

Unfortunately for Elliott, unfortunately for City, the influential midfielder would barely be involved, a third-minute clash with Swindon defender Jack Stephens prematurely ending the skipper’s day with an early bath and, with it, any realistic hope of maintaining their unbeaten start. This was a problem too far.

Labelling the sending off an “absolute disgrace”, manager Steve Cotterill’s post-match interview left little to be desired.

“If anything it’s our foul – Stephens grabs hold of Wade Elliott by his shoulders and pulls him back, then he goes down.”

Video evidence appears to indicate an initial elbow, prior to the pull, from the fallen Swindon man. Of course neither of which condones the counter accusation from County Ground boss Mark Cooper that his players saw a “backwards head butt”.

It’s all rather messy, as you can tell, a shame that a contest which deserved so much more will be remembered for the image of the home side’s Harry Toffolo’s embarrassing and unprofessional celebration of his opponent’s red card.

“It looked a bit like that was what they wanted because they had looked for a few free kicks early on,” Cotterill seethed.

A 1-0 defeat to both a local and promotion rival is hard to take, especially given the ambiguous nature of how the game unravelled. But it could just be, through the paradoxical telescope, that the events of Saturday do greater benefit to the losers, than the victors.

“Everybody at Bristol City should be really proud of the build up to the game, how we’ve dealt with an injustice on the field and how we were after it,” the canny gaffer spins, the message no doubt being that we remain undefeated as an XI, the perceived wrongdoing tossed like kerosene onto already glowing embers.

For though this defeat will hit hard, it should resonate more than damage. Even with a man advantage the home side found it difficult to break down their stubborn, bonded opposition. With little more than counter punches coming their way there can be no argument that the Robins from Wiltshire were the better side and warranted their ascension into the automatic promotion places, where they now accompany their West Country rivals.

Yet heart will be taken, egos massaged and provoked for the visitors who competed against the odds.

Omens, you ask? How about this. Before Saturday, the last time Bristol City lost a game was March 29, away, thanks in part to a controversial refereeing decision. Their next game, the start of their unbeaten stretch, was Preston at home.

Preston visit on Saturday. Here we go again?