Forever Bristol City Podcast

Adam Randell's stunning opener is a genuine candidate for goal of the season and when Mehmeti made it two Pompey were as good as beaten then. The atmosphere went flat and the match took on the air of a training game. The crucial third goal as scored by Twine and then either side of the brace Armstrong actually scored there were enough chances for him to have walked away with the match ball.Randell & Knight bossed the midfield, Vyner showed his passing ability on numerous occasions and Max dealt confidently with what little attacking threat Pompey offered.To criticize any aspect of City's performance would be churlish and as the fans swarmed out of the ground at the final whistle many might be thinking that this is our time.

Millwall completed the double over City in a scrappy game to dampen a sense of optimism that was beginning to build after the wins over Boro & WBA.Both Millwall goals, either side of an Adam Randell strike, could have been better defended and I don't believe it is harsh to say Max O'Leary does not inspire confidence in the back line the way that Vitek does.Struber got his subs wrong at the New Den and the fans are wondering what's the point of Yu Hirakawa and when will Stokes get some minutes on the grass.Dave Tovey hosts the debate with Dave Fevs, Tom [The Robins Nest] and Ant Banks.

The old adage that things even themselves out over the course of a season came true as two marginal decisions went in City's favour and bucked a trend we seem so often to be on the wrong end of. Mehmeti's opening goal came from a relatively soft shot from outside the box that went under the clearly offside Riis's foot - if you have VAR that is chalked off! The Albanian was then lucky to stay on the field for his forearm smash into the face of the Styles. He got a yellow but again, with VAR , that's a sending off.Max O'Leary produced two reflex saves in the crucial first half with City's other goal coming from McCrorie but the keeper again didn't dominate his area in the way Vitek has made us accustomed to. Max, along with Tanner did not defend the goal well enough for the home side's strike which meant for a nervous finale, even more dramatic as Grant hit the bar with the very last kick of the game.

This was as open a game of football as you could ever wish to see as City beat 2nd placed Boro for a much needed 3 points.Former City player Tommy Conway played his part in Boro's early threats but City took the lead with another powerful strike from Riis. Boro started the second half at a pace but City sub Rob Atkinson stooped to head home City's points clincher on the hour.Vitek's training ground injury meant a first start of the season in goal for Max O'Leary. His lack of match practice was evident but he did what he had to do in keeping a clean sheet amidst some hair raising moments. DaveP debates the action and more with Neil & Tom Sutton plus Dave Tovey

City came away with nothing from the CBS Arena and were left to reflect on a disallowed goal that with VAR probably would have stood, a defensive lapse which cost what proved to be the winning goal and a goalkeeper producing a string of saves to deny the point they deserved,A tough game home to inform Boro next weekend is the curtain raiser to a sequence of 5 games in 16 days which will define City's season and, in the panel's view, influence transfer window activity.

Two down at half-time City fought back to level in an entertaining game at Ashton Gate.City were poor in the opening 45 minutes and Struber must have given them a rollicking at half time as they scored a minute after the restart which signalled a level of performance as good as anything we have seen this season.With 20 games gone we're sat in 10th but it is such a congested league we have every chances of going into the new year in the play off spots if we can achieve a level of consistency.