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Bristol City Preview

By: Richard Hubbert
Date: 28/08/2003

TOWN travel to Bristol City on Saturday, looking to make it three wins on the bounce after two successive Bank Holiday victories against Luton and Wycombe Wanderers, against a Bristol City side who are among the bookies favourites for promotion.

Home > 2003-2004 Season > Previews > Bristol City (a)


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TownBristol City
WWycombe(a)3-1
WLuton(a)2-1
LPort Vale(h)1-2
LDoncaster(a)2-3
DPlymouth(a)2-2
LColchester(a)1-2
DHartlepool(h)1-1
DChesterfield(a)1-1
WSwansea (cup)(h)4-1
WNotts Co(h)5-0

The Robins had a dream start to the new season when they thrashed Notts County 5-0 at Ashton Gate. However, since then, they have found league victories hard to come by and two 1-1 draws with Hartlepool and Chesterfield were followed by a loss on Tuesday night to Colchester United, who recorded their first victory of the season. Therefore, Bristol City will be keen to get back on track with a home victory against the Mariners.

Bristol City Facts

Last Season
3rd in Division Two. 3rd in Division Two. After a hugely successful season, in which the Robins won the LDV Vans Trophy (formerly the Auto Windscreens) and finished 3rd, Danny Wilson’s side were bitterly unlucky to bow out of the play-off stages through a single goal scored by Cardiff City in the second leg. Their great form last season has made them early favourites for the Division Two title.

Manager
Danny Wilson. Ex-Sheffield Wednesday and Barnsley manager who is in his third season with the club. Has guided the Ashton gate team to finish in and around the play offs in his every season, but now needs to deliver much wanted first division football.

Top Players
Lee Peacock (left). Former Mansfield Town and Manchester City forward who was bought by Bristol City for a record £600,000. Has endured some niggling back problems over the past few seasons that have prevented him playing a full season. However, Peacock has shown that he is a dangerous forward he does not find it hard to hit the net. He has 6 goals already this season.

Luke Wilkshire (left). The Robins' new No. 7 after the departure of last years top scorer, Scott Murray, to Reading. Wilkshire is an Australian youth interantional who cost the club £250,000 from Middlesbrough in the summer. Equally at home on the right wing or in the centre of midfield.

Brian Tinnion. Left-footed midfielder who is now in his 10th season with the club. He joined the Robins in 1993 when they paid Bradford £180,000 for his services. A Bristol City legend, Tinnion has been inspirational in Danny Wilson’s reign where he has occupied a berth in the centre of midfield.

Team News

 

TownBristol City

  • Town will certainly be without the services of the suspended Marcel Cas, Iain Anderson and Des Hamilton. Hamilton and Anderson both serve three match bans, while Cas will return for next week’s game against Peterborough.

  • To further Town’s woes, it is expected that midfield dynamo Iain Anderson could be out for two months with a cartilage problem.

  • This means that John McDermott will return to the side at right back with the recently impressive Jason Crowe being given an advanced role in the midfield. In the centre, Chris Bolder will replace Hamilton, who will be joined by Paul Groves and Stuart Campbell.

  • Also definitely out is young striker Darren Mansaram who could be sidelined for quite a long while after tearing a muscle in Monday’s game with Wycombe.
  • Danny Wilson’s side have not had the start they’d have wanted, so changes could be rung for their side. He will have to decide whether to stick to a 4-4-2 formation or a 3-5-2.

  • Back in the squad after a huge seven match ban is Aaron Brown who could go straight into the starting lineup in the midfield. He will at worst, however, receive a place on the bench.

  • Veteran Brian Tinnion could also be handed a start after only making a substitute appearance in the midweek loss to Colchester. Should City play 3-5-2, then both Brown and Tinnion will be starting at the two wing-backs.
  • Probable Starting XI's

     

    TownBristol City
    Aidan Davison
    John McDermott
    Darren Barnard
    Tony Crane
    Simon Ford
    Jason Crowe
    Chris Bolder
    Paul Groves
    Stuart Campbell
    Michael Boulding
    Jonathan Rowan
    Steve Phillips
    Matthew Hill
    Louis Carey
    Daniel Coles
    Aaron Brown
    Brian Tinnion
    Joe Burnell
    Tommy Doherty
    Luke Wilkshire
    Lee Miller
    Lee Peacock

    Subs

     

    TownBristol City
    Mike Edwards
    Graham Hockless
    Laurens Ten Heuvel
    Iain Ward
    Andy Pettinger (GK)
    Mike Stowell (GK)
    Mickey Bell
    Tony Butler
    Aaron Brown
    Lee Matthews

    On This Day

    30th August 1986

  • The Mariners drew 0-0 at home to Bradford City in their first home game of the league campaign. Mick Lyons was in charge of the Mariners, in a season when Town infamously plummeted from 8th in the middle of March to the third division by the beginning of May after loosing nearly all of their last ten games. In the 0-0 draw, Town fielded Gary Hobson and Ian Walsh up front. Don O’Riordan was the Mariners top scorer from midfield that season with 8 goals.
  • Meanwhile, visitors Bristol City, in the third division, drew 1-1 away at Gillingham with Gary Hamson netting their only goal in front of 4,029 spectators. That season, the Robins finished in 6th place under the stewardship of Terry Cooper.

  • Last Time Out

    Town will want to avoid a repeat of the last time they visited Ashton Gate. It was the 1998/99 season when Town finished 11th, and they got thrashed 4-1 by City, who ended up being relegated. Similarly, the season before that when Town gained promotion, they also got a whipping – loosing 4-1 yet again! The scorer for Town on that day in the April 1999 was Lee Ashcroft, while it was a brace from Adi Akinbiyi and one from both Brian Tinnion and now Scunny forward Steve Torpey that gave City the points.

    Town Team: Love, McDermott, Gallimore, Livingstone, Lever, Burnett, Coldicott, Black, Ashcroft, Lester, Groves.
    Subs: Nogan, Clare, Butterfield

    Bristol City Team: Andersen, Brennan, Sebok, Locke, Taylor, Carey, Howells, Brown, Akinbiyi, Torpey, Tinnion.
    Subs: Goodridge, Andersen, Shail

    Attendance: 11,116

    Bristol City Head-to-Head (59th on The Opposition Ladder).

    Prediction

    Fishy prediction: 1-0 to Town Reader's POMs

    Directions

    Click on the link for directions to Ashton Gate (left).

    Food and Drink

    Click on the link for eating and drinking places around Ashton Gate.




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