Bristol City 0-1 West Bromwich Albion: Baggies win boosts survival hopes

Bristol City struggled to pose many questions of Albion’s back line in the first half and, in fact, the visitors might have doubled their advantage before the break when Jayson Molumby fired a low drive just wide of Radek Vitek’s post when a long throw-in was only half cleared.

Robins boss Gerhard Struber, clearly bemused by his side’s first-half showing, made a triple substitution at half-time in the hope of gathering some momentum and introduced Sinclair Armstrong, Max Bird and Cameron Pring.

They carved out the first notable opportunity of the second period, too, when Bird and Emil Riis combined to create a chance for McCrorie, who lost the attentions of Styles but whose stinging drive was beaten away by Josh Griffiths in the visiting goal.

West Brom responded to the home side’s initial improvement by fashioning more openings of their own; Crystal Palace loanee Danny Imray forced a decent save, when shooting from distance, from Vitek, who then afforded Albion another chance with a poor pass out from the back and he had to deny Isaac Price’s goal-bound effort.

Still, while the scoreline remained precarious, Bristol City remained very much in the game. When Armstrong’s low cross evaded fellow substitute Delano Burgzorg, Griffiths was called into action to prevent Styles, his own team-mate, from turning the ball into his own net.

Albion saw the closing stages out in relative comfort, meaning they have now won two successive league matches for the first time since the opening weekends of the season.

The play-offs for Bristol City – at one stage very much a realistic target – would now appear to be out of reach.