Town 0-0 Bristol City - Half-Time Saturday, 26th Sep 2015 15:54 Town’s home game against Bristol City remains 0-0 at half-time, visiting defender Aden Flint coming closest to scoring when he almost diverted a corner past his own keeper. Having fielded an entirely different XI at Manchester United in midweek, Mick McCarthy made two changes from the team which drew 1-1 with Birmingham in the Blues’ previous Championship game a week ago yesterday. Daryl Murphy and Ryan Fraser started with Brett Pitman and Larsen Touré dropping to the bench. The visitors started on the front foot and would have gone in front in the fourth minute but for a superb instinctive Dean Gerken save. Bristol City left wing-back Derrick Williams, who trained with the Blues Academy as a schoolboy, played the ball into skipper Aaron Wilbraham’s feet just inside the area. The former Crystal Palace man back-heeled into the path of Jonathan Kodjia and Gerken showed quick reactions to block the Ivorian’s powerful shot with his right hand. The Robins went close again in the 10th minute when Luke Freeman’s corner from the right reached Nathan Baker at the back post but the on-loan Aston Villa couldn’t direct his header goalwards. Murphy nodded Town’s first chance goalwards two minutes later from Jonas Knudsen’s cross but failed to trouble Bristol City keeper Frank Fielding. The Robins threatened again a minute later, right wing-back Mark Little crossing and Kodjia turning a first-time effort just wide at the near post. But Town gradually started to get on top and in the 14th minute Fraser - like his right-sided counterpart Ainsley Maitland-Niles operating in a very narrow role - crossed deep towards Murphy but sent the ball out for a goalkick when perhaps he had better options. A minute later, Fraser crossed from the left but Freddie Sears glanced across the face and wide. The Blues began to put the visitors under pressure and on 19 Knudsen saw a strike blocked, Town having kept the ball for a long spell around the edge of the box. Town continued to press for the opening goal and in the 22nd minute following a corner Christophe Berra sent over a cross from the right but which was too close to Fielding. Robins defender Aden Flint almost put the Blues in front on the half hour when he headed Fraser’s right-wing corner towards his own goal when under pressure. Fortunately for the visitors keeper Fielding got across to his right to push the ball away and Smith was unable to get onto the rebound. On 35 Fraser burst into the area at pace on the left and cut the ball across to Murphy, whose back-heeled effort was blocked. Two minutes later Marlon Pack was booked for a late tackle on Fraser. Five minutes later, the visitors won a couple of corners, Berra doing well to head the second away under pressure. Knudsen’s 44th minute long throw from the left beat the City defenders at the front post but bounced over Murphy and fortunately fell safely for the visitors. Booking Town continued to press as the half moved into injury time, former Robin and boyhood Bristol City fan Cole Skuse seeing a shot blocked. Moments later, Murphy was found on the right of the area and his shot deflected wide off Baker. Seconds before the whistle Berra headed a Fraser corner from the right over the bar. Having started slowly - the Robins could have been in front but for Gerken’s excellent save from Kodjia - the Blues gradually took control and were in charge for most of the half, however, without creating any clear-cut opportunities. Town: Gerken, Chambers (c), Smith, Berra, Knudsen, Skuse, Douglas, Maitland-Niles, Fraser, Sears, Murphy. Subs: Bialkowski, Parr, Bru, Touré, Pitman, McGoldrick. Bristol City: Fielding, Little, Ayling, Flint, Baker, Williams, Bryan, Pack, Freeman, Wilbraham (c), Kodjia. Subs: O'Leary, Moore, Reid, Robinson, Burns, Agard. Referee: Peter Bankes (Liverpool).
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