Source: Team_Talk
City boss laments Velicka blow
City's joy at Nicky Maynard's late winner against Rangers in the Championship clash at Ashton Gate was tempered by sympathy for Velicka after he suffered what manager Johnson admits could be a "pretty serious" injury.
The club's new season-long loan signing from Scottish champions Rangers was taken off on a stretcher after being introduced as a 64th-minute substitute.
An early diagnosis is that the striker has damaged knee ligaments and could face a lengthy lay-off.
But seven points from three games and a third goal for £2.25million striker Maynard still had manager Gary Johnson smiling at his post-match press conference.
He said: "While we are delighted with the win and Nicky's fantastic late strike, our thoughts are with Andrius.
"It's a bad break for us but even worse for the lad himself.
"There was no contact involved when he went down, which is always a worry, and it looks pretty serious.
"I thought our first-half display was outstanding and just lacked the finishing touches to some great moves.
"In the end, Nicky has come up with a special winning goal and we held on as Rangers threw everything at us during seven minutes of injury time."
Maynard's rocket shot from the edge of the box on 78 minutes followed his last gasp winner against Crystal Palace on Saturday.
It left Rangers boss Jim Magilton disappointed, but far from down-hearted after three Championship games without a win.
He said: "If we keep playing like that, a victory will come and that's all we need to get us going.
"There is such a fine line between success and failure in this league and at the moment we aren't quite getting the breaks.
"The bad injury to their player actually came at a time when we were on top and the stoppage allowed them to draw breath and regroup.
"We had a great chance when we hit a post in the second half and that is the difference for us at the moment."
The culprit for Rangers' miss was Moroccan striker Adel Taarabt, on loan from Tottenham.
He some how contrived to hit the woodwork with a volley after Wayne Routledge's run and cross had set up a clear opening.
City had missed the best first-half chances through their nippy attacked Danny Haynes, who blazed over on six minutes and shot wide when clear on 23.
Rangers keeper Radek Cerny saved well from Maynard and Akos Buzsaky cleared off the line from a Lewin Nyatanga header as Rangers came under pressure.
But the visitors stepped up the pace in the second half and were looking the more likely winners when Maynard's strike came out of the blue.
Both goalkeepers made fine saves in the seven minutes of stoppage time, Bristol City's Dean Gerken from Mikele Leigertwood and Cerny from Haynes.
