Bristol City 1-2 Stoke City: Jacob Brown seals comeback win for Potters at Ashton Gate

Liam Delap scoresImage source, PA Media
Image caption,

Liam Delap scored for the second successive game for Stoke City

Stoke City came from behind to beat Bristol City and move above the Robins in the Championship.

After a tame opening Andreas Weimann hit the post for the hosts before Nahki Wells put City ahead from close range.

But Stoke's Manchester City loanee Liam Delap fortuitously levelled in first-half stoppage time before Jacob Brown pounced on a defensive mix-up to put Stoke ahead after the break.

The hosts had chances to equalise but Weimann, Andy King, Mark Sykes and Antoine Semenyo failed to find the net.

Victory sees Stoke move up to 17th in the Championship, while Bristol City drop to 18th.

Neither side created a chance until Alex Scott had a 23rd-minute shot saved by Jack Bonham, who also had to be quick to keep out Wells soon after.

Weimann hit the inside of the post after half an hour after a one-two with Wells, before Cameron Pring's excellent run to the left byeline ended with a low cross that Wells turned in to put Nigel Pearson's side in front.

Stoke levelled when Australia defender Harry Souttar's long ball from inside his own half hit Tyrese Campbell on the back and Delap was in the right place to fire home right-footed from 12 yards.

Campbell was the provider for the second, but this time he knew much more about it as he got past Kal Naismith and put in a low cross that led to confusion between King and Matty James, with the ball falling to Brown who finished clinically with his left foot.

The hosts had a penalty appeal turned down when they felt Semenyo was tripped in the box, while Weimann went close soon after as they chased an equaliser.

The Robins pushed for a leveller as King flicked a header wide of the far post from a Naismith free-kick with 12 minutes to go, Zak Vyner saw a header deflected wide by Souttar while Sykes and Semenyo were both thwarted in a frantic finish.

At the other end Campbell could have made it 3-1 when he broke from a cleared corner, but having sprinted up the pitch he blazed his effort from the edge of the box over the Bristol City bar.

Bristol City manager Nigel Pearson told BBC Radio Bristol:

"In the first half I think we ground them down and became in the ascendency.

"It was a game where two teams matched up formation-wise, and had to really work hard to find any advantage.

"I think we did do that in the first half and scored a good goal at a time when we were starting to get on top, and remained on top for the rest of the half until we conceded what is another poor goal.

"It's just a straight ball that we don't deal with and they've got back on equal terms right on the cusp of half-time. We didn't make them work hard enough."

Stoke City assistant manager Martin Canning told BBC Radio Stoke:

"It's a big three points. It's a difficult place to come - they make the pitch big, they're a good side.

"So to come here, go a goal down and come back and win the game was a big result for us.

"I didn't think there was much in the first half and had we gone in 1-0 down it was probably a little bit harsh, so to go in all-square I think was probably fair.

"Second half, again I don't think there was much in it. The manager spoke at half-time about coming out on the right side of the result. It was going to be that type of half, you were going to have to work hard and dig deep and try and come out on the right side - thankfully we have."

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