Anis Mehmeti was the hero for Bristol City, scoring both goals in a crucial 2-0 victory over Stoke City at Ashton Gate to keep the Robins within touching distance of the Championship play-off spots.
The Albanian attacker opened the scoring early in the first half, finishing off a flowing move, before sealing the win with a stunning strike in the second period.
Stoke had their moments, with Nathan Lowe’s attempted cross clipping the crossbar, but Bristol City controlled much of the contest and deservedly took all three points.
Mehmeti at the double as Robins take control
The home side started brightly, with Mehmeti immediately causing problems for the Stoke defence. His clever link-up play with Scott Twine created an early opportunity, but goalkeeper Viktor Johansson dealt with the latter’s curling effort.
It didn’t take long for the breakthrough to come. A slick passing move saw Twine play in Mark Sykes down the right, and his pinpoint cross was met by Mehmeti, who made no mistake from close range in the 11th minute.
Stoke nearly responded straight away as Lowe’s looping cross struck the woodwork, giving Bristol City a scare. The Robins, however, continued to push forward and could have doubled their lead before half-time when Max Bird’s low-driven shot narrowly missed the far post.
After the break, Liam Manning’s side remained in control, creating further chances. Rob Dickie connected with a Twine set-piece but sent his header just wide.
The decisive moment came in the 73rd minute when Mehmeti latched onto a loose ball following Dickie’s header and rifled an unstoppable shot into the top corner, leaving Johansson with no chance.
Late on, substitute Yu Hirakawa was denied a third by a sharp save from Johansson, who also kept out a Nahki Wells effort in stoppage time.
“There are goals in this group of players, as we can see,” said Robins boss Liam Manning. “There was some top play, not only in our goals, but other chances. We got into some good areas and if you keep doing that you will score eventually.
We had an honest meeting yesterday about what we can do better, how we can improve. We need to be tough on ourselves, not hide away, and the players were open to that.”
The result leaves Bristol City on 45 points, just two shy of the play-off places, while Stoke remain in 19th, nervously looking over their shoulder at the relegation zone.
Writer’s View
This was a statement performance from Bristol City, showing both attacking flair and defensive resilience. Mehmeti’s composure in front of goal was the difference, and with the play-off race heating up, the Robins will need more displays like this. For Stoke, the lack of cutting edge was evident, and with the bottom three looming, they must find consistency fast.
