The players have been working their socks off

Last updated : 04 May 2009 By Tony Scholes
Bristol City boss Gary Johnson went to shake hands with Owen Coyle around five minutes before the end of the game yesterday, knowing that there would be little chance at the final whistle, and whilst condemning his own team's performance was quick to point out that he thought we deserved our play off place.

"When you get beaten 4-0 then there's no other way to describe it other than poor. We don't want to lose 4-0 anywhere," he said.

"We did well to survive the first five minutes, then had a good twenty minute spell. However, we weren't as potent as them. They got on the end of a lot of corners, had shots and plenty of chances.

"We didn't want to be cannon fodder for a team heading into the play offs, but they showed on the day why they're in the top six and we aren't. It's been our consistency that's cost us. We've had long spells of poor form, then we had a run into the top four where everyone started talking about automatic promotion.

"Another run of poor form near the end of the season shows that in this league, if you're below par, for whatever reason, you get beaten. I've said in the dressing room that we're embarrassed. I kept looking over at the away fans who made a long trip today and we just couldn't provide anything to lift them.

"We're tenth and deserve to be around that place. We've done well against the teams in the lower half of the table, but we haven't won near enough games against teams at the top.

"What it means is we have to up the quality within the group ready for next season. We need a stronger team and stronger squad."

Owen Coyle had said it would go to the final day, and that's exactly what happened. He said after steering the Clarets into the play offs: "It's great to get the result today that puts you in the play offs, but it's not just been about today, it's been a culmination of a whole season, when it kicked off ten months ago.

"The players have been working their socks off on a daily basis, and they've given themselves a shot at it. We now have two tough games against quality opposition, but to be fair I think Reading will be saying the same about us because they've come here and know we can play a little bit."

He continued: "I think we are two very good footballing sides. We've been in terrific form, I believe, we have got a bit of momentum as well. We've only had two defeats in seventeen games, so our level of performance has been outstanding.

"We've used the fewest number of players in the Championship, played more games than anybody apart from Manchester United, and even that will be close.

"They've given everything they've got, and considering it was such a tense occasion, some of the football I thought was all the things that we're good at, passing with precision and moving with pace. If we can carry that momentum and replicate it in the two games, we've got as good a chance as anybody."

It was our second biggest win of the season and on the game he said: "In terms of the game itself I thought the way we started the game we probably should have been 2-0 up in the first ten minutes.

"We hit the bar and had a couple of missed chances by the post and you think it is never going to go in. Then in the run up to half time Wade Elliott, who I thought was outstanding all day, got into the box and looked set to score and we got a penalty kick.

"There have been enough adjectives and superlatives used about Graham Alexander, but the level of composure he shows in that environment is why he's been a top player all his days. He's put us in front and we've got the second one just before half time, and it has put us in a relatively comfortable position.

"But the nature of this league is such that you know if you switch off at any given moment you've got a chance of being punished. I don't think we particularly started the second half well and I think we were maybe protecting what we had when I asked them not to. I asked us to go and replicate the first half and really be on the front foot trying to get the third goal.

"As it was, I think the third goal settled everybody's nerves, because we knew it was obviously going to be a bit tense."