View from the South – Bristol City v Birmingham City 19 August 2023

As I’ve got older I seem to wake up early regardless of whether I need to or not. At 06.30 with Mrs Bazza slumbering deeply, I arose, shaved, showered etc and went downstairs to get outside a cup of coffee and gaze across at my garden which I’ve just laid new lawn on. The recent heavy rai has made it as lush as Wembley Stadium. How long that will last remains to be seen. It promised to be a sunny day although a shower did intervene around 07.30 but it wasn’t for long. I sat quietly doing the crossword and contemplated the day ahead. The Bristol game was sold out for away supporters and I hadn’t got a ticket but on the off chance I sent an email into the ticket office requesting a return if one happened along and the following day a ticket became available. So like Cinders, I was going to the ball!

I was soon off to the station to catch my train to Reading and from there to Bristol Temple Meads. I caught an earlier train at Reading than expected caused by a delay which meant I arrived in Bristol about 12.45 in plenty of time to grab a pint before catching a short bus ride to Ashton Gate. Bristol have got off to a similar start to us with a win and a draw in their first two games. Although Ashton Gate is a tough place to go, we do seem to have done alright there in recent times and it was to be hoped that that form could continue. However, it was to be hoped that we played a bit better than in January this year when we got a bit of a pasting 4-2. According to a statistic I came across, Blues have lost only four of twenty-five meeting against the Robins but two have been in the last five (we have won three). We have won seventeen of the last twenty-five!

I arrived at Temple Meads and caught a bus to the ground immediately. There was very little resembling a suitable hostelry providing much needed refreshment near the station but there was plenty on offer at the ground. I must say having not been to Ashton Gate for a while I was pleasantly surprised by the new Ashton Gate Village where there were beers, lagers, ciders etc at the kiosks along with good quality burgers, fish and chips, Greek fare and pulled pork and stuffing in a nice bap which is what I settled for. Fortified by some food and a couple of pints, I wandered round the area outside the ground where there was a rock band playing on a stage, a sports bar for those who wanted to watch the early game over their vittles and all in all I was very impressed by the general buzz about the place and the feeling of community. Bristol City and Bristol Bears RFC who share the ground have got it right here and it is the sort of thing Blues should try and emulate to improve the fan experience.

I walked up to the away turnstiles and got talking to John, a long suffering fan who like me, has been following the lads since the early sixties and his son Oscar. I also spoke to Sharon, husband Alan and son Jake and everyone agreed it was so good to feel a bit of positivity at a Blues game for the first time in ages. People are clearly genuinely excited by the new era that is unfolding and we all hoped that the boys in blue would put in a performance to be proud of. Well they did! Blues started on the front foot with an unchanged side from last week and never really relinquished control of the game throughout the afternoon. Birmingham were the better side for the whole match and apart from a brief spell around the 25 minutes mark where Bristol had a series of corners and from one chance from Nakhi Wells with minutes to go that slid past the post in the second half, Bristol were never in it. The energetic pressing from Blues kept Bristol pinned back and the home side simply couldn’t make forward inroads. They did have a little more possession but it was spent on backwards and square passes between their back four to be fair. They struggled to cope with the guile, speed and trickery of Siriki Dembele, Juniho Bacuna, Keshi Anderson and Koji Myoshi.

The first half was an attritional midfield battle where there weren’t a lot of clear chances created but Blues clearly had the edge. The only thing missing from Blues’ command and control was a goal and as what had been an absorbing first period drew to a close it looked as if the teams would have to settle for parity at the break. Kojo Myoshi who had not long come on for injured Ethan Laird almost opened the scoring from close range only to be thwarted by an excellent save by Bristol keeper Max O’Leary. Within a couple of minutes however, from a corner, the Japanese international made amends with a glorious volley from a partial clearance from about ten yards. The sort of chance that can so easily be blazed over the bar was dispatched into the top corner of the net with three of the four minutes added on, on the clock. The roar from our contingent was tangible and it is so good to feel that passion and energy back in our fan base again. It has been absent for too long. 1-0 and all was well with the world!

The second half was more of the same with Blues threatening to grab a second in transition and Bristol probing down the flanks only to be pressed back or forced into hopeful deep crosses that either drifted out behind, out for throw ins or were fielded competently by John Ruddy who barely had to break sweat; his kit was pristine at the end. Blues dominance was reinforced by the unfortunate sending off of Bristol defender, Rob Dickie who had been booked in the first half. He was a bit late to an aerial challenge on 76 minutes and I have to say the decision looked a little harsh to me. Any hope Bristol City had of salvaging a point probably evaporated at that stage. The Nahki Wells chance caused the heart to flutter somewhat but barely a couple of minutes later, Sunjic ran into space down the right flank and delivered a low cross that seemed to be destined for substitute, Jordan James. The chance seemed to have gone as the ball evaded him but there was Lukas Jutkiewicz running in at the far post to tap home the clincher. The Blues fans went wild and the noise was deafening. This is twice running now people; you know what? We look a decent side! How long has it been since we’ve been able to say that? Look I don’t want to get carried away; we’ve played three league games but the signs are encouraging. Keep it up lads. Put in performances like this and Brummies will follow you and so will I.

The Good: There was so much that was good about today. Of course the performance, the result and two cracking goals but for me the fan experience at Ashton Gate Village with the food, quick service for ale and the friendly community spirit. Well done Bristol. Not your day today but clearly a club on the up. Thank you for contributing to a great day.

The Bad: British Rail cancelling my return train.

The Ugly: Bristol Temple Meads station when you have to wait 45 minutes for the next one!

Bristol City: Max O’Leary 7, George Tanner 6 (Ephraim Yeboah 79, 6) Zak Vyner 7, Rob Dickie 5, Cam Pring 6 (Haydon Roberts 45, 6) Matty James Joe Williams 7 (Kal Naismith 59, 6) Jason Knight 7 Harry Cornick  6 (Mark Sykes 45, 6) Anis Mehmeti 6 (Nakhi Wells 58, 6) Sam Bell 6.

Subs not used: Andy King, Stefan Bajic, Jamie Knight-Lebel, Raphael Araoye.

Goals: None

Yellow cards: Dickie 38, 76 = RED<

Birmingham City: John Ruddy 7, Ethan Laird 6 (Kojo Miyoshi 40, 8) Dion Sanderson 9, Kevin Long 8, Lee Buchanan 8, Krystian Bielik 7, Ivan Sunjic 8, Juninho Bacuna 8 (Jordan James 46, 8) Siriki Dembele 7 (Jordan James 45, 7) Keshi Anderson 7 (Lukas Jutkiewicz 74, 8) Scott Hogan 6 (Emmanuel Longelo 86, N/A)

Subs not used:Neil Etheridge, Gary Gardner, Alfie Chang, Brandon Khela, Sam Cosgrove.

Goals: Miyoshi 45+3, Jutkiewicz 84.

Yellow cards: Sunjic 20, Buchanan 52.

Referee: Sam Barrott: 7; solid enough performance. I don’t remember too many “you must be blind ref!” comments but I thought Rob Dickie’s sending off may have been a bit harsh but that’s the danger of getting booked early in the game I suppose.

Attendance: 22,397

KRO Bazza

PS Can’t go to the Plymouth game next week so you are spared my drivel!