BLUEBIRDS WIN SEVERNSIDE DERBY
Match Reports
5th March
MATCH REPORT | CITY SEAL DERBY-DAY VICTORY
Lex Immers and Stuart O'Keefe strike at Ashton Gate to give City a 2-0 victory in the Severnside Derby.
LEX AND THE CITY
In front of a sell-out crowd at Ashton Gate, the Bluebirds started on the front foot. They created the first chance of the match when Anthony Pilkington’s lofted cross found Tom Lawrence at the back post. The Welsh international put it back into the middle, where Lex Immers fired a powerful effort wide of the goal.
After twenty-one minutes, City then got the breakthrough they deserved after some patient build-up around the Robins’ box. Joe Ralls drilled a low cross across the area to find Immers on the six yard box, and the Dutchman made no mistake with his finish to give City the advantage.
Bristol City created a chance of their own when Jonathan Kodjia stung Marshall’s palms from a tight angle, but City looked slick on the counter-attack, with Pilkington and Ralls both testing Richard O’Donnell after dangerous breakaways.
ROBINS RALLY FOR REPLY
Bristol City came out of the traps quickly in the second half as they looked to claw their way back into the derby match. The home side put City under some pressure in the final third and went close when Lee Tomlin broke free in midfield and tested David Marshall with a deflected effort.
Marshall had to be on hand with a sublime save minutes later, keeping out Tomlin’s free-kick, which had looked destined for the bottom corner. Meanwhile, left-back Scott Golbourne also went close to a leveler with his low drive from thirty yards, which went wide of Marshall’s post.
CITY SEAL BRAGGING RIGHTS
Craig Noone returned from injury to replace Whittingham for City, and added further counter-attacking options following a period of consistent pressure from the Robins.
Manga, Connolly and Sean Morrison, who was introduced at half-time for the injured Peltier, did well to keep out a flurry of dangerous Bristol City crosses as an equaliser began to look ever more likely.
However, with just seven minutes remaining, Lawrence drove inside from his new position on the left flank and let fly at goal. His rasping effort cannoned off the cross bar, only for the marauding StuartO’Keefe to get there first and head in the rebound, to the delight of the visiting City fans.
FINAL SCORE: BRISTOL CITY 0-2 CARDIFF CITY
Bristol City: O'Donnell, Little (Ayling 65), Flint, Baker, Golbourne, Pack, Reid (Wilbraham 65), Tomlin, Bryan, Freeman, Kodjia (Agard 80).
Subs not used: Fielding, Pearce, Williams, Wagstaff.
Cardiff City: Marshall, Peltier (Morrison 46), Malone, Connolly, Manga, Ralls, O'Keefe, Whittingham (Noone 70), Lawrence, Immers (Dikgacoi 84), Pilkington.
Subs not used: Moore, Ameobi, Saadi, Zohore.
