When you’ve had a poor run of form and results and if you need to get your season going again, it doesn’t really matter how you win so long as you do and this victory was just what we needed.
It was massive in the sense that it keeps us in contention with the play-off spots and it was a real six pointer with Bristol City being above us before the game kicked off. It’s important to win against those around you.
I was pleased to see Jay Simpson back at the top end of the pitch and he showed why he should be there. When you don’t play that welll and don’t have the lions share of possession, you need people who in a flash can pinch in and get you a goal. And he did just that…it was an exquisite instinctive reaction and finish, albeit with a touch of luck too.
The game swung into our favour from there on as it deflated Bristol City a little bit and gave us a kick up the backside. Mikele Leigertwood’s goal also had a touch of fortune about it because he stumbled before he shot, and that worked in our favour as it opened his body properly and gave him just the right amount of time and space to rifle it home. It was a great finish.
The irony is we came out and looked dangerous on the break in the second period, which suits us and our players, but out of nowhere Nicky Maynard came up with a stunning goal. Great technique and control, but the problem remains for us where a team can just pump the ball forward in hope and get something rather than build up any sort of pressure and pry us open. Take nothing away from the boy though, that was a fabulous strike.
Yes we’re still a little bit shaky and vulnerable, and yes there’s definitely still a lot to work on and do, but winning games breeds confidence, especially if you win when you’re not at your best. Bristol City will be frustrated that they didn’t take their chances when they came to them, but we took ours and that’s all that matters.
I really hope we can push on from here now and start getting a little more consistency in terms of performances and results. It’s a step in the right direction, although I was disappointed to hear the fans chanting “You don’t know what you’re doing” to Paul Hart when he made a double substitution. It’s important we give him a chance and a fair crack at the whip and when you have a lead at home, it’s not really fair. Sure, we might be at home and want to go on the attack all the time, but we need to keep in mind the context of what’s happened over the past few weeks and realise that we first need to get back to winning ways, which was a job well done today.
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