It's like Groundhog Day at the moment

Last updated : 30 December 2007 By Tony Scholes
Johnson had seen his side start well but play second fiddle for much of the game and after the game said: "It's a great result, especially against a Burnley side who haven't won at home for a while. The law of averages says they are due a win, so we had to defend well.

"I thought we had our chances, more in the first half than the second and to score from a set piece was very nice and we saw the game out well. As a team we defended very well and there were a couple of times at the end where we took the ball into the corner when I would have preferred the lads to go for goal.

"Having said that it was a great team performance, both defensively and on the attack. I'm ecstatic with the result, it's a great three points. We needed to be a little more solid. At West Brom we were a little bit open and we didn't want that again. At the same time we didn't want to be negative, so we had to get on the ball and use our one and two touch football.

"From our point of view this was a tactical victory, but Burnley are a good team and will start winning games soon. Our boys have done well and it is always nice when we put out a tactic and it comes good."

Owen Coyle's wait to experience a home win goes on. It's six games now with three draws and three defeats. "It's like Groundhog Day at the moment and it's incredible that we are sat here today with no points," he said after seeing the Clarets go down 1-0. "Having said that you have to take your opportunities. There is no point in saying you should pick up points when you miss real goalscoring opportunities.

"In the end we have paid a heavy price for switching off at a set play. All credit to Bristol City because they were well organised, but I certainly feel we did enough to get a lot more from the game. I just think we can be more clinical and I would be more worried if we were not creating the chances. We are doing that, an abundance of them.

"The sooner we start getting a percentage, the better for everybody. If you continue giving that effort and application things have to come. I feel like I am repeating myself, but we just have to be brave and the goals will come.

"We went into the game minus so many players and Clarke Carlisle got injured in the first half with a recurrence of his hamstring, so it looks as though he will be out for a while. That adds to the suspensions and David Unsworth will not probably be up for one too.

"We had to get Adam Kay from the youth team registered on Friday to make up the sixteen for the bench and so I have nothing but credit for the players' application.

"We just have to look to get to January and then look to get one or two in to freshen things up and move on from there. Whether any talks come to fruition though, only time will tell.