FAN’S VIEW: 2025/26 – BRISTOL CITY AWAY

BRISTOL CITY 1 OXFORD UNITED 3

The trains might have been crowded and there was a dash at Didcot, but I managed to grab a seat for each leg of the journey, arriving at Temple Meads in good time to do a bit of tourism.

I set off in search of a couple of Banksy’s with my mate Ian. Street art fascinates me as does graffiti in general.

The City Council provides a strategic role in the development of art in the public spaces. Public Art in Bristol is funded through planning gain as a result of Bristol’s Local Plan Core Strategy Policy BCS21 to ensure high quality urban design.

“Well Hung Lover” was painted 19 years ago. It’s a bit tatty now having been defaced a number of times. Why vandals feel the need to behave in this way is beyond me. It’s something that’s there for all to enjoy and free to view too. If you don’t like it then just walk on by.

Better viewed from the College Green than where we first attempted to get a glimpse in Frogmore Street, I was surprised at how small it was and a little underwhelmed to be honest.

Even more underwhelming “You don’t need planning permission to build castles in the sky”. Just words, but what words they are. Planning permission, now there’s a thing. Castles in the sky. Now there’s another thing. We can dream and why not dream big.

It looks like some brickwork was removed after the original in 2011 with a bit of re-stencilling required.

Still a huge fan and hope to track down some more on future visits.

But next, time for a pub. Being a Sunday because egg chasing had trumped the round ball game, most drinking establishments were shown as opening at noon. We had though walked past a few that appeared to already be serving.

Our destination was the Lime Kiln, a new one for us. Due to open at 12:00 but happy to serve at about 10 to. It’s a free house. From the outside it looks more like a micro pub. It isn’t. Once inside I would have been happy not to have moved on. Good choice of beer. The best bitter was excellent. Baxter Durie was playing in the background and the landlord seemed very much into it. I’d definitely go back.

But we did head for another. The Llandoger Trow which we always get to now on visits to this city. Plus, we were meeting mates there. Only a couple of beer hand pumps but the Broadoak “Pear and chilli cider” (okay it’s actually a perry) was too tempting to ignore. It was lovely with a nice little kick and only 4% abv.

No time for any drinks in Bedminster.

As I walked into the away seated area I looked at my ticket to be told by a cheery steward that it was, as I’d expected all along, sit anywhere.

Wow. I thought we looked like a proper proper Championship team. So impressed I’ve felt the need to say “proper” twice. I’d come round to this way of thinking even before we’d scored our first.

Looking at our side I thought, these are big lads. Not long ago I’d have said the opposite when compared to many of our opponents. They had a physical presence about them, and of the starters I thought none of these are even “a little bit crap” whereas in the past that might not have been the case.

We took the lead in the 20^th minute. Nik Prelec got on the end of a wickedly delivered Brian De Keersmaecker free-kick. It was a powerful diving header giving keeper Radek Vitek no chance. Prelec had also won the kick. Top work young man. He’d snuck through a gap in the line of markers who mostly had more eyes for Michal Helik as he ran parallel to them.

Home supporters will probably think poor defending. I’m going with very good attacking play.

It was noticeable that we didn’t attempt to play out from the back much. When Jamie Cumming hit it long, we had the size to make sure that the ball didn’t just come back.

The xG stats make for informative reading. Ours was 1.52, theirs 1.18. Broken down they’re even more telling. From open play ours was only 0.17, theirs 0.64 but from set plays we were up to 1.34 and they were only 0.54.

A Jack Currie long throw was hooked behind him by Helik even though he was being tightly hugged by Zak Vyner at his rear. Will Lankshear met it with a first-time side footed volley which Vitek did well to keep out. So much intelligent movement in the box. The final count of touches in that area was 21 to us and 24 to them.

Bristol would have been level if not for an absolutely phenomenal Brodie Spenser overhead kick clearance running back towards his own goal line to prevent a beautifully hit corner going directly in. 

City were unbeaten in third going into this game, having only conceded four goals in five games, whilst being the second highest scorers with 12. A point would have taken them second. From this it would be reasonable to conclude that they were a very good outfit. You can only beat the opposition you’re facing but closer inspection shows that the Robins had not yet faced the best the Championship has to offer this season. Of the three teams they’ve beaten two of them are the bottom two, that’s both Sheffields. Their other victory was against Hull, currently 13^th. They only drew with Derby who are now third from bottom. Their other draw was against 11^th placed Charlton. They’re yet to play any top 10 team.

They obviously posed some threat though. Emil Riis should have done better when he was played through on a rare occasion when our back line wasn’t properly set after we’d been playing in their half. Overall though I’d like to think it was our set up and the way we were going about our business that would have been a match for most teams.

In time added on at the end of the first period we doubled our lead. Placheta had a shot from an angle which resulted in a corner. I thought he had one of his best games for us, if not the best. He seemed to be passing the ball better and properly fitting in to the overall team play. This may have been because of the way we were attacking when we had the ball. Much more direct and nothing at all going backwards and nowhere. My son who watched on Sky however thought that he was still slightly lacking in final product (ball and finishing).

The finish he did produce was lacking in absolutely nothing. Jason Knight only half cleared the bang average dead ball from De Keersmaecker. Placheta stepped back, stopped it and with his second touch hammered an absolute pearler of a shot into the top corner from over 20 yards out. Is any goal keeper in the world stopping that?

One Bristol fan commented on social media that he thought Placheta was the best player on the pitch.

Doesn’t need to pull his socks up on this performance

Of all the players currently available I think this starting XI is the one to go for. Until recently I would have gone Stan Mills over Shemmy but not now. Also need to bear in mind the obvious that having certain players on the bench to come on is all part of the tactics to win football matches.

If Ciaron Brown wasn’t injured he would surely either have a starting place or be very close to one. Matt Phillips had his best game for us against Leicester until succumbing to injury but he wasn’t missed here. As he departed a fan in front of me, only half-jokingly, offered the opinion that it would be the last we would see of him this season. Not his fault – and you have to have sympathy – but he does spend a lot of time on the sidelines. It would be pushing it to say we’re getting value for money.

Bristol came at us more in the second half but I didn’t think their fans truly got behind them in the way say the masses at Fratton Park would have done. Perhaps they didn’t believe, not even when they’d pulled one back as early as eight minutes after the restart. Anis Mehmeti did what Placheta had done a little earlier. Also from a corner but they had to work the ball a bit more than we did to get the shooting opportunity.

It was one of those things, a wonder shot you can’t do much about. Just accept it and get on with it. I wasn’t panicking but obviously not as confident as I had been. This is football after all and it has a habit of kicking you in the whatsits.

No panic on the pitch from the men in black. We went for more. When the time was right, we sent men forward in numbers. Sam Long headed against the post from a corner. Mills hit one which was pushed out by Vitek that Will Lankshear was nearly able to put away.

In the last minute of regulation time Siriki Dembele was fouled by Rob Dickie. Another dead ball, another goal. Taken by De Keersmaecker as per. Greg Leigh got the faintest of touches on it apparently and now has his first goal of the season.

Even though there were a lot of added minutes Bristol were never going to come back.

First win of the season.  In 24/25 it took us until New Years Day before we picked up our first three points on our travels.  Now what’s required is a home victory after a defeat and two draws. We won our opener last season. But it’s Chris Wilder back in charge of the Blades. Can’t see them remaining bottom for long under him but they did lose to Charlton and are still pointless, having not scored in five.

In the last couple of years with promotion and remaining in the Championship there has been so much elation. Leaving the ground after this win the high I was on felt right up there with the very best moments.

Joy however can turn to despair quite quickly. I asked a policeman which was the quickest way back to Temple Meads station as I saw people cutting across a park which wasn’t the way I’d walked to the ground. He said across that park. For some reason I then decided to check my pockets for my phone. I couldn’t find it. No matter, I’ve done that before and not found it. Counting all my pockets, jeans and coats, there were eleven in total. I just needed to stop and go through them all again. Which I did whilst leaning up against a wall. But it wasn’t there. I checked again. No, it wasn’t. Shit. So, no train ticket. Can’t get texts of codes to access bank accounts etc.

I walked back against the flow and went back into the ground. There was a steward stood by the exit/entrance. I explained my dilemma. “Can you remember where you were sat?”  Yes, I could. They went back in with me. I checked. No phone. There were a lot of other stewards in there who were helpful but they’d not had a phone handed in. That is except for one who held up a screw and said “I’ve found this screw”.  In a banterish sort of way I said “that’s no ****ing good to me.”  Didn’t want to upset anyone but obviously not a happy chap.

When I left the ground for the second time barriers had been put up to stop people going back in. The only way out would have been to climb over them. So, I approached a female steward stood the other side telling her I’d had to go back in because I’d lost my phone. She said “Oh, I think we’ve got it”.  She let me out and took me to another steward. My initial relief quickly turned to pessimism. Bet he’ll produce a mobile that’s nothing like mine. But no, he handed me my phone. A low back to another incredible high. There were still lots of Oxford fans drinking in the Fan’s Zone. I offered to buy these kind stewards a drink. They declined and said you’re welcome.  Made my day, on top of it already having been made once. Unlike some stewards these were top top people. I won’t forget.

(Not got round to Bits and Pieces part 2 yet)