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AFCB’s First Visit To Ashton Gate Since 2006

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Written by billythekid

Our team got back to winning ways on Saturday against a Watford side who had won their last four games. A solitary goal from Arnaut Danjuma was enough to win the game with only four shots on target, three from the Cherries. The pleasing thing to watch was our team actually looking like a team and worked for each other. AFCB now needs to continue that on in their next game which is away and yet again we are playing a team with another new manager appointed this year.

Our opponents are Bristol City (the Robins) at Ashton Gate on Wednesday night 7.45 pm. Their new manager appointed on 22nd February is the experienced Nigel Pearson, initially in charge until the end of the season. He replaces Dean Holden who was originally assistant manager to Lee Johnson who was sacked last July. Their results at Ashton Gate since the game at Dean Court under Holden, Won 5, Drew 1, Lost 6. Away, Won 3, Drew 0, Lost 8.

Bristol City had their second away win in a row and both by 1-3 score lines under the watch of Pearson, the first win was at Middlesbrough. Pearson only took hold of his first game in charge for the Swansea game last Saturday. The score didn’t tell the full story in a game dominated by Swansea City with 70% possession and 21 shots and 8 on target against Bristol City’s 9 shots and 4 on target. In the first half, it was 13 shots to 0 and 0-0 at half-time. Pearson had started with a 5-3-2 formation but changed in the second period to a 4-5-1. The Swans scored first but the Robins equalised and two goal-keeping errors by the Swansea City keeper were punished by Bristol City.

The last time the Cherries visited Ashton Gate was in League 1 in December 2006. In the Bristol City team, that day in midfield was Lee Johnson, who was the Bristol City manager from February 2016 until July 2020. The game ended in a 2-2 draw, scorers for AFCB were Brett Pitman, who four years later joined Bristol City before coming back to AFCB again and the other scorer was Marcus Browning who was born in Bristol and started his career with the blue side of the City, at Rovers.

Our record at Ashton gate is not the best over the years.

In our league matches away at Bristol City, AFCB have W 4, D 8, L 25.
All competitions, AFCB have W 27, D 24, L 37.

Bristol City v AFCB

Bristol City Win

Bristol City Win

Draw

Draw

AFCB Win

AFCB Win

Bristol C Team News
They have had a number of players out injured, they include Chris Martin, hamstring, Jamie Paterson, groin, Henri Lansbury, Achilles and Joe Williams, hamstring which needs surgery.

Bristol C Player To Watch
Nikki Wells, joint leading scorer with 8 goals and has scored in their last two games and has 3 assists to his name.

AFCB Team News
Jack Stacey and David Brooks will probably miss this game. Now we have Sam Surridge with an injury to his big toe and he is to have an x-ray on it. According to a report in the Echo, he couldn’t get a boot on. Jack Wilshere starts a one-game suspension after picking up two yellow cards against Watford.

AFCB Player To Watch
Ben Pearson was given MOM by Sky and was really dominant in our midfield, but towards the end of the game, he suffered from cramp. If he plays, he again could be important for us. We now have our leading scorer back in Dominic Solanke and hopefully, both Junior Stanislas and Arnaut Danjuma also start again against the Robins.

Your say…

Garbo wrote…

Unfortunately, we are facing them in the middle of a resurge in their form, and under the guidance of Nigel Pearson who I really wanted us to employ as someone who knows his way around this league and has proven success.

However, it will be a true test of whether we have come through our little sticky patch and I am optimistic of a good showing given the confidence that beating Watford should have instilled in our belief that we are worthy of a top-six finish at least.

I would hope that Woodgate goes with the same starting XI as last Saturday which was solid in that test of character.

If Solanke came through unscathed then it will be a big boost (and he is due a goal!)

Hopefully, Lewis Cook, Jefferson Lerma, and Ben Pearson will form the solid midfield that we will require, with Junior Stanislas wide right and Arnaut Danjuma wide left.

I would quite like to continue with the moving the ball quicker from back to front tactic we used v Watford.

Bristol City’s last two wins have been very much them scoring on the break having conceded most of the possession, it will interesting if we can use what might be the lion’s share of the ball to good effect….? – Join the conversation, click here.

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Up The Cherries!

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