Bristol City Boss Steve Cotterill: Brilliant Jonathan Kodjia Deserved Goal

04 November 2015 11:23

Steve Cotterill paid tribute to match-winner Jonathan Kodjia after the £2million French import sunk Wolves with a first-half header.

City's manager described the striker's performance as "brilliant", but admitted surprise over the goal, which came when Kodjia rose above his marker to nod home Elliott Bennett's right-wing cross with the interval just moments away.

Cotterill said: "We have been giving Jonathan a bit of stick over his heading, so fair play to him. It was a superb cross, but not the sort of goal I expect him to score.

"The lad still only understands one word in three of what we say to him and will find things much easier when his English improves.

"But he is doing a great job for us. It was a really pleasing all-round team performance tonight, but he deserved his goal because he was brilliant.

"Our supporters were great in keeping behind the lads when we lost 4-1 at home on Saturday, so I am delighted we were able to send them home happy tonight.

"We defended so well that Frank Fielding has only had one save to make. I thought we showed patience on the ball and could just have done with a bit more zip at times in the final third."

The best early chance fell to City's Derrick Williams in the 10th minute, but he miscued a left-footed shot with only Emiliano Martinez to beat and saw the effort cleared to safety.

Manager Kenny Jackett responded to a sterile Wolves display with two half-time changes, sending on Grant Holt and Adam Le Fondre for Nathan Byrne and Benik Afobe.

The move almost paid dividends when Le Fondre's low 48th-minute shot was parried by Fielding. Dave Edwards netted from the rebound, but was ruled offside.

Martinez saved well from Kieran Agard as City responded and the Wolves keeper did even better to stop Kodjia's fierce angled shot on his line with an outstretched right hand.

Jackett had no complaints about the outcome on the balance of play, but felt his side should have had an injury-time penalty.

"Matt Doherty was clearly fouled. I have seen the incident again and there is no doubt in my mind it was a foul," he said.

"That is the only complaint we can have. We didn't work City's goalkeeper anywhere near as much as they worked ours in either half.

"I didn't see any of my attacking players go past defenders or try to roll them in the way Kodjia did to ours.

"It was a flat performance. I changed things at half-time to try and get two players up front to get the goal back, but we still couldn't get going.

"Bristol City proved very difficult to break down. We had very good travelling support and we didn't give them enough to sing about.

"In forward areas we just couldn't affect their defenders in the way Kodjia, Kieran Agard and Elliott Bennett did for City."

Source: PA-WIRE