To come from behind again shows the character and belief

Last Updated : 22-Dec-2008 by
Johnson saw his side go in front early in the second half with a penalty from Nicky Maynard but then had to watch as first Martin Paterson, and then Steven Thompson, scored to give Burnley all three points.

"It's a horrible old game sometimes," Johnson said after City continued their disappointing home form. "One minute you're ecstatic, and the next minute you're down. I'm sure the supporters feel that way too.

"I felt we worked hard and deserved to go a goal up when we did. But, although we defended well up until that point, poor defending on our part led to two quality goals from a team that can catch you, and they have done that to better teams than us.

"The crowd were brilliant and got behind us, and credit to them for that. Unfortunately we are going through this spell when not a lot is going for us. That, coincided with a couple of bad bits of play, is costing us"

On the penalty, Johnson added: "We asked Nicky Maynard to take it because we know he can strike it quite hard. I was really willing that to be the start of a winning run, but it wasn't to be.

"That said, we are not creating many chances from open play. Burnley are a good, organised side. We didn't break them down too many times, but they didn't break us down too many times.

"We've got to keep going and work hard. We need to look at what is happening in people's minds when we are conceding these goals, like we did in the seven minutes at Ipswich and again in this game."

Owen Coyle meanwhile was surveying his team's position in fourth place in the Championship after seeing this fourth win in five league games.

He said: "I don't pinch myself because we are where we are on merit. The games we have won, we have won because we deserve to and I believe we should have even more points.

"It was a big ask again for the players today. Wade Elliott failed a fitness test on his ankle in the morning and Kevin McDonald has missed out. Probably last season, if we had lost two players of that quality we would have lost the game.

"I think we have continued to improve enormously, even though we are nowhere near the finished article. When you are winning games the expectation is high, but we will just go from game to game trying to win games."

Onto the game and Coyle admitted to not being over impressed with the first half performance. "I thought it was quite even in the first half and I was a little annoyed," he said. "We are very effective when we pass the ball very quickly and there was a tendency for people to try and over-elaborate with wee flicks and the likes.

"That's not what we are all about. We are about passing and moving and when we did it in the second half I felt we opened them up. They got a little impetus at the start of the second half and I'd have to see it again, although it possibly looked a penalty from where I was.

"A that point it would have been very easy to feel sorry for ourselves, but we always feel we have goals in us. We'd got into some good positions in the first half without maybe having the final ball.

"I decided to change it myself and although it wasn't about a change in personnel we started to make the right decisions and the two goals came from tremendous flowing moves. In the end I felt we could have had a few others, which is saying something because Bristol have some very good players as they showed last year when they came close to getting into the Premier League.

"So to come from behind again shows the character and belief we've got and it's pleasing in the run up to Christmas. I do place high demands on the players, but I don't ask them to do things I don't believe they are capable of doing. They are responding to that and long may it continue."

Coyle had a final word for the Burnley supporters who'd travelled down to Ashton Gate. "I am delighted for the fans," he said. "Again it was a big ask financially today, particularly in the run up to Christmas.

"It's very much part of that family we are trying to bring to the football club and you could see that by the way all the players ran to the fans at the end. They realise the expense and the trouble they have taken to come here and support them and I'm delighted for them.

"I just hope they all have a great Christmas."