Scott Parker shares Bristol City penalty verdict and makes relieved admission after Burnley win

Burnley manager Scott Parker has admitted he was relieved to get out of Ashton Gate with all three points after the Clarets managed to get the better of Bristol City on Saturday.

Jaidon Anthony's first-half strike proved to be the difference between the two sides with the winger slotting home to secure the 1-0 win from close range after Max O'Leary did well to stop former City midfielder Josh Brownhill's effort.

Liam Manning's side came close to levelling things up in the second half however, with Yu Hirakawa seeing a close-range effort well saved by Burnley 'keeper James Trafford after a heavy touch from the Japanese winger put him under immediate pressure. The Robins also felt they should have been awarded a penalty in the second half when the ball appeared to bounce up and hit Brownhill's arm midway through the second period.

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Although Manning was surprised to see play waved on by referee Bobby Madley, Parker was quick to suggest the officials got the decision spot-on, despite his restricted view from the visitor's technical area.

"I’ve not really seen it to be quite honest with you so live when I’m watching it on the touchline, I didn’t think it was," Parker said in his post-match press conference. "I didn’t really see it to make a judgment on it."

The final exchanges of the second half saw City dominate possession of the ball and slowly mount pressure on the Clarets backline without ever quite managing to produce the moment of quality required to secure a late equaliser. Even with several enticing balls played into the away side's penalty area, City didn't really give Trafford a save to make after Hirakawa's second-half effort.

Although Parker was quick to praise his side's determination to secure yet another clean sheet this season, he did admit he was relieved when the full-time whistle was blown as all the momentum was with the home side.

"The last 15 to 20 minutes we were camped in and couldn’t get out," the Burnley boss admitted. "It happens in sport, momentum always swings and when we had the momentum in the second half we probably needed to put the ball away. If you score the chance we had or the one big chance that comes to mind, it’s probably a bit of an easier game for us and we’d have some oxygen.

"That wasn’t the case and momentum swung. They committed so many bodies to the top line and the ball is just coming into our box and it just comes down to one’s beliefs and not really a lot tactical at that moment. It’s just defending the goal like your life depends on it and let’s get out of here. With those traits that this team has got, it gives you a chance and they showed me every bit of that.

"A relief because obviously, it’s three points away from home in a 12:30pm kick-off after an international break where three or four are travelling all around the world.

"An early kick-off, a difficult place and conditions come into that so of course there was relief and certainly with how the game was at the back end, it was one we just needed to get out of."

Saturday's defeat to Burnley leaves Bristol City sitting 10th in the Championship, four points adrift of West Brom, who occupy the final playoff position currently and seven points clear of the relegation zone.

A win over Watford at Vicarage Road on Tuesday night would see the Robins move a single point behind Tom Cleverly's side, who currently sit seventh in the table. Although there is still an awful lot of football to be played this season, Parker thinks the Reds have what it takes to challenge for the play-offs under Manning's management.

"They’re a good side, definitely a really good side," the former England international admitted. "Like I said, I don’t know exactly what the numbers are, what the stats are, but that’s one of the first games they’ve lost here at home.

"They’ve played some really good sides here, Leeds come to mind, so this will be a tough case for a lot of teams to come. So a really good side, massive appreciation for what Liam’s doing really."

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