Bristol City snatch stoppage-time win at Rotherham

4 Oct 2023
Tommy Conway was making just his third appearance of the season for Bristol City

Bristol City substitute Tommy Conway spoiled Matt Taylor's first anniversary as Rotherham manager by scoring 81st and 95th-minute goals to give the Robins a dramatic win.

Bristol City - Figure 1
Photo BBC News

With the game drifting towards a goalless draw, Conway cut inside and superbly fired the visitors ahead before Tyler Blackett slotted the Millers level.

But Conway had not finished and was in the right place, with Blackett off the pitch because of injury, to flick home Andy King's left-wing cross as they repeated last season's away win in South Yorkshire.

Rotherham have now won just one of their opening 10 Championship matches and are languishing in 23rd, while Bristol City move to within a point of the top six.

Relive Wednesday's Championship action

The hosts started on the front foot with Cohen Bramall, Jordan Hugill and Andre Green all trying their luck inside the first 10 minutes.

And they should have gone in front when Hugill headed down, only for Green to somehow divert the ball wide from three yards.

There was a minute's applause just after the half-hour in memory of Laura Vickers, wife of former Millers player Josh Vickers, who died aged just 27 recently after battling cancer.

Rotherham continued to press before half-time, with Bramall proving a regular supply line from the left flank.

Kal Naismith's well-timed tackle denied Hugill - who scored four goals in his previous three games against City for three different clubs - and the striker had an effort ruled out for offside soon after the break.

Matt Taylor left Exeter to become Rotherham boss on 4 October 2022

Harry Cornick headed wide for City and Viktor Johansson saved well from Joe Williams before Conway, on for Jason Knight, opened the scoring just a couple of minutes after coming on.

Blackett's last goal was for Cincinnati in Major League Soccer in October 2021 but he finished Arvin Appiah's cross coolly as the Millers thought they had salvaged a point.

Johansson saved Andi Weimann's header to keep the scores level, but Conway was given too much space in the box to divert King's cross into the net and send City home with their third away win of the campaign.

Rotherham manager Matt Taylor told BBC Radio Sheffield:

"The second half was petering out really, (then) one mistake from us for the first goal, great character to get back in the game, and then we lose an important body and couldn't quite cover the space (for their winner).

"It's difficult with 11 men, let alone 10, but that's probably one of our stronger defensive displays, one of our stronger team displays, in the last couple of weeks.

Bristol City - Figure 2
Photo BBC News

"In fairness, we got some good quality balls into the box in that first half, something we demanded after the Preston game, but we just weren't quite on the end of them - you can say that's good defending or not quite committing to them.

"One moment of quality led to their first goal, then Arvin showed his ability to beat players one v one so he's moving in the right direction, and then things went against us (for the winner)."

Bristol City manager Nigel Pearson told BBC Radio Bristol:

"It was an ugly game, a poor game and we didn't play with much authority or rhythm for long periods.

"But we showed qualities we need, especially when we conceded a disappointing equaliser, with a few minutes to go.

"We just didn't start with a lot of sparkle, we made a lot of poor decisions but what the players continued to do was keep having the ball, they didn't shy away from having it, and they continued to work hard.

(On Conway) "He's a good finisher and enjoys scoring goals as most strikers do. The first goal was just brilliant, the second was very clever - and good technique too."

Line-ups
Rotherham

Formation 4-3-3

1Johansson2Lembikisa21PeltierSubstituted forHallat 62'minutes6Blackett3BramallSubstituted forRevanat 80'minutes27Tiéhi7Ribeiro DiasSubstituted forClucasat 62'minutes18RathboneBooked at 43mins11GreenSubstituted forAppiahat 80'minutes10HugillSubstituted forNombeat 74'minutes14OnyedinmaSubstitutes8Clucas9Eaves12Kelly20Hall26Phillips28Revan29Nombe30Appiah35McGuckin
Bristol City

Formation 4-3-3

1O'Leary22Gardner-Hickman16Dickie4Naismith3Pring12KnightSubstituted forConwayat 79'minutes6James8WilliamsSubstituted forKingat 79'minutes17SykesSubstituted forWeimannat 66'minutes9CornickSubstituted forWellsat 66'minutes20BellSubstituted forRobertsat 85'minutesBooked at 90minsSubstitutes10King11Mehmeti14Weimann15Conway21Wells23Bajic24Roberts29Yeboah30Nelson

Referee:Dean Whitestone

Attendance:9,221

Match Stats
Live Text

Match ends, Rotherham United 1, Bristol City 2.

Second Half ends, Rotherham United 1, Bristol City 2.

Attempt saved. Andreas Weimann (Bristol City) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.

Goal! Rotherham United 1, Bristol City 2. Tommy Conway (Bristol City) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Andy King with a cross.

Delay over. They are ready to continue.

Delay in match because of an injury Tyler Blackett (Rotherham United).

Attempt saved. Andreas Weimann (Bristol City) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Taylor Gardner-Hickman with a cross.

Haydon Roberts (Bristol City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

Foul by Haydon Roberts (Bristol City).

Dexter Lembikisa (Rotherham United) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Attempt blocked. Sam Nombe (Rotherham United) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Oliver Rathbone.

Offside, Bristol City. Haydon Roberts tries a through ball, but Nahki Wells is caught offside.

Goal! Rotherham United 1, Bristol City 1. Tyler Blackett (Rotherham United) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the high centre of the goal. Assisted by Arvin Appiah with a cross.

Corner, Rotherham United. Conceded by Rob Dickie.

Substitution, Bristol City. Haydon Roberts replaces Sam Bell.

Corner, Bristol City. Conceded by Grant Hall.

Offside, Rotherham United. Oliver Rathbone tries a through ball, but Sam Clucas is caught offside.

Goal! Rotherham United 0, Bristol City 1. Tommy Conway (Bristol City) right footed shot from the left side of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Kal Naismith.

Substitution, Rotherham United. Arvin Appiah replaces Andre Green.

Substitution, Rotherham United. Sebastian Revan replaces Cohen Bramall because of an injury.

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