Town 2-2 Bristol City - Match Report Saturday, 26th Sep 2015 17:18 Ryan Fraser netted an 86th minute equaliser as the Blues drew 2-2 at home to Bristol City. Skipper Luke Chambers headed Town in front a minute after the break but quick-fire goals from Luke Freeman and Jonathan Kodjia gave the Robins the lead before Fraser’s late goal. Prior to kick-off, Blues legends Arnold Muhren and Frans Thijssen were warmly applauded by the Portman Road faithful on their return to the club. Having fielded an entirely different XI at Manchester United in midweek, Mick McCarthy made two changes from the team which drew 1-1 with Birmingham in the Blues’ previous Championship game a week ago yesterday. Daryl Murphy and Ryan Fraser started with Brett Pitman and Larsen Touré dropping to the bench. The visitors started on the front foot and would have gone in front in the fourth minute but for a superb instinctive Dean Gerken save. Bristol City left wing-back Derrick Williams, who trained with the Blues Academy as a schoolboy, played the ball into skipper Aaron Wilbraham’s feet just inside the area. The former Crystal Palace man back-heeled into the path of Jonathan Kodjia and on-time Bristol City keeper Gerken showed quick reactions to block the Ivorian’s powerful shot with his right hand. The Robins went close again in the 10th minute when Luke Freeman’s corner from the right reached Nathan Baker at the back post but the on-loan Aston Villa couldn’t direct his header goalwards. Murphy nodded Town’s first chance goalwards two minutes later from Jonas Knudsen’s cross but failed to trouble Bristol City keeper Frank Fielding. The Robins threatened again a minute later, right wing-back Mark Little crossing and Kodjia turning a first-time effort just wide at the near post. But Town gradually started to get on top and in the 14th minute Fraser - like his right-sided counterpart Ainsley Maitland-Niles operating in a very narrow role - crossed deep towards Murphy but sent the ball out for a goalkick when perhaps he had better options. A minute later, Fraser crossed from the left but Freddie Sears glanced across the face and wide. The Blues began to put the visitors under pressure and on 19 Knudsen saw a strike blocked, Town having kept the ball for a long spell around the edge of the box. Town continued to press for the opening goal and in the 22nd minute following a corner Christophe Berra sent over a cross from the right but which was too close to Fielding. Robins defender Aden Flint almost put the Blues in front on the half hour when he headed Fraser’s right-wing corner towards his own goal when under pressure. Fortunately for the visitors keeper Fielding got across to his right to push the ball away and Smith was unable to get onto the rebound. On 35 Fraser burst into the area at pace on the left and cut the ball across to Murphy, whose back-heeled effort was blocked. Two minutes later Marlon Pack was booked for a late tackle on Fraser. Five minutes later, the visitors won a couple of corners, Berra doing well to head the second away under pressure. Knudsen’s 44th minute long throw from the left beat the City defenders at the front post but bounced over Murphy and fortunately fell safely for the visitors. Booking Town continued to press as the half moved into injury time, former Robin and boyhood Bristol City fan Cole Skuse seeing a shot blocked. Moments later, Murphy was found on the right of the area and his shot deflected wide off Baker. Seconds before the whistle Berra headed a Fraser corner from the right over the bar. Having started slowly - the Robins could have been in front but for Gerken’s save from Kodjia - the Blues gradually took control and were in charge for most of the half, however, without creating any clear-cut opportunities. But it took only a minute of the second half for Town to claim the lead. The ball was played back to Knudsen following a long throw on the left, the Danish international whipped over a cross and skipper Luke Chambers headed home his first goal of the season off Flint as he tried in vain to clear the ball off the line. Freeman smashed well wide for the Robins then on 52 Murphy wasn’t far away from his first of the season when hit a powerful strike just past Fielding’s right post. The Blues lead would only last for another minute with the visitors getting back on terms in somewhat fortunate circumstances. Freeman brought the ball into the area unchallenged before hitting a shot which looked easy for Gerken until it struck Tommy Smith’s heel, beat the wrong-footed keeper and trickled over the line. And three minutes later the visitors were in front. Kodija skipped away from Berra, who was caught on his heels, as he received a pass from Wilbraham the left, broke into the area and beat Gerken with covering defender Knudsen unable to get back. The Blues reacted well to the double blow, however, and on 59 Sears half-volleyed Knudsen’s long throw from the left just over. Two minutes later, Maitland-Niles crossed from the right and Fraser headed straight at Fielding. A foot or so either side of the keeper and the Blues would have been on terms. On 64 Fraser’s cross from the left deflected off defender Luke Ayling’s head and Fielding was forced to tip over with the looping ball set to dip under his bar. From the corner, a Maitland-Niles strike deflected wide. David McGoldrick replaced Murphy on 67. Williams made an important header on 71, nodding Maitland-Niles’s cross from the left over ahead of McGoldrick. That was the on-loan Arsenal man’s last involvement, one-time Robin Brett Pitman replaced him moments later. As the game moved into its final quarter of an hour the Blues were camped in the Bristol City half but without being able to carve out many opportunities. And when they did create a chance the visitors’ backline remained resolute. On 76 McGoldrick broke into the area on the right but saw his shot blocked. Jonny Parr replaced goalscorer Chambers for the final six scheduled minutes, the Town skipper having received treatment on the pitch shortly beforehand. With four minutes left on the clock, the Blues got back on terms. Jonathan Douglas played the ball down the right to Pitman, who laid it back to Sears. The former Colchester man crossed first time and Fraser slammed home from close range. Town went looking for the winner and in the 89th minute Fraser curled a strike fro distance into Fielding’s arms. In injury time Baker rose highest to meet Freeman’s right-wing corner but was unable to direct towards goal. Deep in injury time, McGoldrick’s 25-yard freekick was blocked but Sears returned the ball to the Blues number 10. The Irish international curled a shot towards goal and Pitman nodded just past the post. Seconds before the final whistle, Pitman nodded down Knudsen’s ball down the left and Fraser lost his footing as he hit a shot deep into the Sir Bobby Robson Stand. While the visitors - who drop to the bottom of the table with Rotherham beating Birmingham - will believe they deserved the point, Town will feel it was a game they should have won having had so much of the ball and after going ahead straight after the break. The first Bristol City goal owed much to the unfortunate deflection, although Freeman was given too much time, while the Blues backline will be more disappointed with the second. Having gone behind, Town dominated but huffed and puffed and had created few significant chances against a resolute Robins backline until Fraser’s well-worked equaliser. The Blues, who have now won just once in their last six games in all competitions and are without a home victory in three matches, have dropped to seventh and next face Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park next Saturday. Town: Gerken, Chambers (c) (Parr 84), Smith, Berra, Knudsen, Skuse, Douglas, Maitland-Niles (Pitman 71), Fraser, Sears, Murphy (McGoldrick 67). Subs: Bialkowski, Parr, Bru, Touré. Bristol City: Fielding, Little, Ayling, Flint, Baker, Williams, Bryan, Pack, Freeman, Wilbraham (c), Kodjia (Burns 90). Subs: O'Leary, Moore, Reid, Robinson, Agard. Referee: Peter Bankes (Liverpool). Att: 20,347 (Bristol City: 487).
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