Jones praise for table-topping City

24 August 2009 07:46
Once Jamie McCombe's own goal had handed Cardiff the lead, there was only going to be one winner in the Welsh sunshine. The hosts, who began on the back foot, took a firm grip of the derby clash as further strikes from Michael Chopra and Gavin Rae sent them back to the summit. Jones said: "Everything we asked off them they did and more. "It was a hard battle, but we controlled the game after a few early scares. "The running off the ball and picking out the pass was top class. Every single player here did their job. "They've got some very quick players and we dealt with that admirably. To a man it was a great performance. "At the moment the fans are enjoying it and we are enjoying it. But there's a lot of games to go. It's nice to be top though. "Michael Chopra is on fire, he's scored seven goals already and he's shown he will get the goals if he gets the supply." Bristol City began the better of the two teams with Nicky Maynard blazing just over. But moments after Chris Burke had run out of room after rounding goalkeeper Dean Gerken, Cardiff took a 36th-minute lead. Teenage full-back Adam Matthews crossed and an outstretched McCombe could only divert the ball into an empty net. Marvin Elliott saw his shot crash back off the bar before the break, and the visitors were punished when Chopra took his season's tally to seven goals in just four games. Burke's surging run and pass saw the striker loft the ball over the advancing Gerken on the stroke of half-time. Bristol City huffed and puffed in search of a way back into the game, but it was all over as a contest when Rae collected Burke's threaded pass to complete the scoring in the 66th minute. Robins boss Gary Johnson said: "It was one of our poor away days. We have them now and then. "We are an honest group and credit to Cardiff they deserved to win the day. "It's important to us that we believe we are better than what we produced here. It's what you do in disappointment and adversity which is the biggest test. We are not in a bad position in the league. "There are games you are going to get beat. We came to a new stadium and it was never going to be easy. "We had a couple of half chances. We missed a great chance with Marvin Elliott, but we couldn't get anywhere near them to get back in the game after that. It's not doom and gloom for us."

Source: Team_Talk