Hands up, goal of the season from Bristol City as victory at Preston extends unbeaten run

I honestly cannot remember a time when we had what felt like such a convincing victory against Preston North End at Deepdale. Yes, it is true that the first goal following Yu Hirakawa’s handball should not have stood. However, even the most ardent of North End fans surely can’t deny that we deserved the victory at the end of the game.

There was a surprise when the teams were announced at 2pm with the recall of fit-again Rob Dickie and the inclusion on the substitutes bench of Haydon Roberts. Liam Manning opted for the experience of Kal Naismith on the bench over youngster Elijah Morrison. I will admit to being disappointed that Elijah was not included following his excellent substitute appearance against Leeds United in the last match.

Let’s get the elephant in the room out of the way first. The Yu Hirakawa opener. The goal was at our end of the pitch and directly in line with my seat in the away end. In my honest opinion, Yu deliberately handled the ball pushing it beyond Preston 'keeper Freddie Woodman and allowing him a free run at the goal.

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Yes, the defender challenged Yu and changed his body shape, but I think it was an instinctive reaction and the referee was not sure exactly what had happened. He held his hand to his ear, awaiting some kind of advice from the sidelines, whilst looking across the pitch to his assistant. With nothing forthcoming and from his vantage point he only had one option - to award the goal.

I absolutely agree with fans that say these things even themselves out over the course of a season. It was only a matter of weeks ago that Max O’Leary was clearly impeded for the Swansea City goal. However, I must also say that it didn’t sit right with me. In the same way that I don’t like players diving or pulling shirts at a corner, but all of this is part of the modern game.

I remember only too well how I felt after one of the world’s greatest ever footballers Diego Maradona dumped England out of the Mexico 1986 World Cup finals with his 'Hand of God' goal past Peter Shilton in the quarter-final. I am not taking the moral high ground, because, as I say, a lot of dark arts take place throughout the 90 minutes of football and the dark arts and general s***housery is something that I have often been critical of Bristol City sides not recognising and not being able to do themselves.

I just hope for all of those that say these things even themselves out that we feel as okay about it. If it happens to us in the play-off final at Wembley come the end of the season, I’m pretty sure we would be even more upset than the North End fans were on Saturday. I hope I haven’t jinxed it now...

I didn’t see it as blatant cheating, just instinctive but I always look at these things based on how I would feel if it went against us and I would have been livid.

Whether consciously or not, the referee seemed to want to even the game up and was perhaps being over fair to Preston in trying to balance his mistake. There was a challenge on Max Bird that not only went unpunished, when it was clearly a red card offence, but to add further ignominy the referee awarded the free-kick against Bird.

Lots has been said and written about this City side this season with some questioning whether there has been any progress. The performance in the second half against Paul Heckingbottom’s side should leave fans in little doubt that there has. The way that we controlled the second half despite conceding an equaliser before going onto score two fabulous goals showed that this team has a different mentality.

It would have been very easy to cave in when Sam Greenwood equalised, with the home fans still feeling a sense of injustice. Max will be disappointed that the free-kick went in on his side but I think it was the pace that beat him. The amazing away support, most of whom had endured a nightmare trip up following the road closure on the M5, encouraged their team throughout, never missing a beat despite the equaliser.

The City fans were rewarded when, after a swift throw out from O’Leary, Mark Sykes provided a pinpoint cross on the run for Nahki Wells to find the back of the net with a well-executed header. Wells fooled the defender into thinking he was going near post and instead pulled back and Sykes found him perfectly.

Wells is arguably playing some of the best football of his Bristol City career and at this moment in time is rightly starting ahead of his younger teammates Sinclair Armstrong and Fally Mayulu.

Sykes had to change positions following the injury substitution of George Tanner in the first half, switching to his more natural right side with Haydon Roberts playing on the left. There was also an impressive showing from substitute Marcus McGuane, who could consider himself slightly unfortunate not to have started the game.

Following an injury to Joe Williams that forced him from the field, McGuane came on and showed the qualities that Liam Manning is only two acutely aware of. McGuane’s positional play, his timing of an interception or tackle and the discipline that he showed alongside captain Jason Knight caught the eye.

There was one defensive interception in the first half that saved a certain goal. The partnership of McGuane and Knight afforded Bird greater offensive licence. The injuries to Tanner and Wiliams forced a change in shape, which worked in our favour.

The third and decisive City goal was a thing of absolute beauty. Had this goal had been scored by a Premier League side, it would have been talked about all weekend and well into the week. The movement, the one touch play, the clever instinctive drag back from Yu and the finish from Bird was fantastic. I have watched that goal over and over again and I would implore anyone who has not seen it, to seek a replay out as it is well worth the watch.

As Bristol City fans know travelling away to Deepdale and getting a result is never easy, to come away with a 1-3 victory against a side who were unbeaten in five in the league was impressive. That is three defeats in the last 21 games. As I said last week, to achieve that in the Championship is no easy thing.

Huge credit must go to Liam Manning, Chris Hogg and of course the players in achieving this run of form. As fans of course the results mean a huge amount, but it is also the manner of the result and the performance, and what we are witnessing at the moment is a committed Bristol City side who can also play an attractive brand of football. It is very enjoyable to watch at this moment in time and long may it continue.

Our 3 Peaps In A Podcast average player ratings were Max O’Leary 6, George Tanner 6, Zak Vyner 7, Luke McNally 7, Rob Dickie 7.5, Joe William 6, Max Bird 8.5, Jason Knight 8, Mark Sykes 8.5 *MotM, Yu Hirakawa 8.5 and Nahki Wells 8. For the substitutes who must play a minimum of 20 minutes (including injury time) we went Haydon Roberts 7 and Marcus McGuane 8. A game average player rating of 7.38, the highest of the season. That’s an overall season to date average player rating of 6.22.

For Liam Manning it was an 8. It was great to see Liam giving his three fist pump victory celebration at the end of the game.

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