Kenyan defender Zak Vyner played the entire match as Bristol City secured a 2-1 victory over Blackburn Rovers in an exciting Sky Bet Championship clash at Ashton Gate.
The win marked the Robins’ fourth consecutive league triumph and moved them up to eighth place in the table.
The match kicked off with an early bang, as Scott Twine opened the scoring for Bristol City just 12 minutes in. Sinclair Armstrong was fouled as he sprinted into the box, earning a free kick in a dangerous position. Twine made no mistake, curling a sublime shot into the top corner, his third goal in four games at Ashton Gate.
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Blackburn responded well and, just before halftime, former Bristol City forward Andi Weimann brought the visitors level. Weimann found himself in the right place at the right time, heading home from close range to silence the home crowd. The equalizer came five minutes before the break, following a period of sustained pressure from Rovers.
Bristol City almost regained the lead immediately after Weimann’s goal, with Haydon Roberts delivering a pinpoint cross into the box for Anis Mehmeti. Mehmeti’s header was well saved by Blackburn goalkeeper Aynsley Pears, and Armstrong was unable to capitalize on the rebound.
The Robins came out strong in the second half, and a brilliant through ball from Roberts found Mehmeti in the penalty area. However, Pears was again alert to make the save. The pressure on the Rovers defense mounted, and manager Liam Manning made a tactical change in the 59th minute, bringing on Mark Sykes and Nahki Wells for Armstrong and George Tanner. The substitution paid off almost instantly, with Wells coming close to scoring after a delicate chip over the goalkeeper, only for Blackburn’s defense to clear the ball off the line.
As the game entered its final quarter, Manning made another pair of changes, replacing Mehmeti and Max Bird with Joe Williams and George Earthy. Williams’ clever through ball in the 77th minute set up Wells for the winning goal. Wells made no mistake, calmly finishing past Pears to put City 2-1 ahead.
With the clock ticking down, Roberts made way for Ross McCrorie in the 89th minute, and Bristol City held firm during four minutes of injury time to secure all three points.
Zak Vyner, who featured in every minute of the match, was a solid presence in defense, helping Bristol City weather Blackburn’s attacks and maintain their advantage as the match drew to a close. The victory gives the Robins renewed confidence as they look to build on this momentum in the coming weeks.
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