Liam Manning has challenged his squad to deliver more consistently in front of goal, insisting everyone is "playing for their futures" following the Robins' frustrating 1-1 draw with QPR.

The Reds looked to have secured a first Championship win in three matches when Scott Twine's second-half free-kick broke the deadlock midway through the second half, after a first half of one-way traffic in South Bristol on Saturday afternoon.

But Paul Smyth's 40-yard strike ensured that the points would be shared between the two sides as the 27-year-old beat Max O'Leary to a loose ball before curling into the back of the net from long range.

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Although City couldn't produce the moment of quality to secure all three points, Manning's side had several chances to double their advantage with Anis Mehmeti, Nahki Wells and Cam Pring all unable to find the back of the net.

While Manning was quick to credit his side for carving out a number of scoring opportunities, he admits that he is growing frustrated with discussing a lack of cutting edge in the final third week after week already this season.

"That’s the bit I can’t do, unfortunately," Manning explained in his post-match press conference. "If you look at the performances, that’s probably the frustration because it’s quite clear that we have an identity, we press really well, we’re aggressive in duels, and then have good control with the ball.

"It’s not the first time I’ve sat here saying this or a similar thing. We had 17 shots, only five or six on target, but we missed three clear-cut chances, for me, there’s only so much work I can do.

"It’s then about executing and the final actions, and we’ll keep working away, but at the same time, if we want to shift away from being a mid-table championship side you need people to step up and execute, and deliver."

In their win over Plymouth Argyle at the end of November, Bristol City looked as though they had turned a corner as they flexed their attacking muscles to put four unanswered goals past Wayne Rooney's side to send the Ashton Gate crowd into delirium.

However, in their last three matches against QPR, Sunderland and Portsmouth, the Reds have only managed to score two goals from a combined 35 shots, nine of which have hit the target. Although they've managed to find the net on 26 occasions in their first 21 games of the campaign, Manning feels his side need to do more in the final third to really mount a challenge for the play-off positions.

"If you look over the course of a season, it’s not good enough to do it only 85% of the time," insisted the City boss. "If you want to get where we want to get to as a club, you need people to step up and deliver 95% of the time.

"People are going to have bad games here and there, but what we can’t do is be sat here so many times after all the draws like Swansea away, and losing at Watford, so many times saying the same thing. Everyone has to understand they’re playing for their futures and I know the lads are ambitious and driven, but it’s ultimately about turning up and delivering and not talking about it all the time."

The Robins have a chance to pick up a first win in four Championship matches before Christmas when they travel to The Hawthorns to face West Brom next Sunday.

Although Manning has been critical of his side's end product in the penalty box in recent weeks, the 39-year-old remains confident in his side's ability to convert those chances over the busy festive period.

"I don’t have a crystal ball," admitted Manning. "But I see the work that they do. It’s just transferring that into games in high-pressure moments.

"With the lads, it’s not through a lack of work or desire or effort to make it happen, it comes down to how you handle pressure in those key moments. It’s what you’re like technically, if your focus is there, if you are in the right positions.

"There were a couple of crosses where I thought people could have been in better areas, but I think on a whole we asked enough questions, and got into enough areas to score goals, we just didn’t."

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