Kenyan defender Zak Vyner played the full minutes in a solid three-man defence as Bristol City returned to winning ways with a 2-0 victory over Stoke City in the Sky Bet Championship on Wednesday night.
Anis Mehmeti was the star of the night, netting twice to take his season tally to 11 goals. City started brightly and nearly took the lead in the eighth minute when Mehmeti’s quick footwork set up Scott Twine in the penalty area, but Stoke goalkeeper Viktor Johansson produced a fine save. Three minutes later, Mehmeti capitalized on a pinpoint cross from Mark Sykes, calmly slotting in his 10th goal of the season to put City ahead.
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Sinclair Armstrong came close to doubling the lead on the half-hour mark after being picked out by Twine, but Johansson once again kept Stoke in the game. Early in the second half, Rob Dickie threatened with a header from a Twine free-kick, but the effort went just wide.
Head coach Liam Manning made a triple substitution just after the hour mark, introducing Nahki Wells, Yu Hirakawa, and George Earthy for Armstrong, Sykes, and Twine. The changes injected fresh energy into City’s attack, and in the 74th minute, Mehmeti produced a stunning volley into the top corner after chaos in the box from a Bird corner, sealing the win.
Late substitutions saw Marcus McGuane replace Bird in the 80th minute, while George Tanner came on for Ross McCrorie in the 86th. Bristol City held firm through five minutes of added time to secure all three points, finishing the night in seventh place in the Championship table. For Vyner alongside Dickie and McCrorie, it was another impressive performance at the heart of City’s defence, with the trio showcasing composure and defensive solidity throughout the match keeping a clean sheet.
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