Bristol City will be one team desperate to see this season draw to a normal conclusion as they look to make the play-offs and then the Premier League.

The Robins currently sit in seventh place with just nine games of the season remaining and just point separates themselves and sixth-placed Preston North End, so they will fancy their chances.

Here, though, we take a look at THREE players who have exceeded expectations at Ashton Gate this season...

Ashley Williams

The Welshman looked to be on a rapid decline with Stoke City last season so expectations were low when he arrived as a free agent at the end of August.

But he quickly became a crucial member of the backline following an injury to Tomas Kalas, leading his troops and dominating opponents in the air and on the ground.

He had fallen out of favour prior to the suspension but there is little doubt that he has still surpassed many expectations by some way.

QUIZ: Can you name the player who scored the first Bristol City goal in each of the last 16 seasons?

Tommy Rowe

He was expected to be a bit-part player when he was brought in from Doncaster Rovers in the summer but he has become so much more than that.

The 31-year-old's versatility has allowed Lee Johnson to experiment with different set-ups when he desires, playing as a left-back, wing-back and even central midfielder.

With Jay Dasilva returning from his lengthy injury, his services have been required less frequently but you cannot dispute the size of his impact compared to what was expected of him in the summer.

Jack Hunt

He has been a well-liked figure since arriving at Ashton Gate from Sheffield Wednesday but with Pedro Pereira, a flashy new right-back rival, joining in the summer, less was expected of him this time around.

But, like all good players, he used the added competition to improve himself and nailed down the right-back slot for the opening 12 matches and even 12 straight matches later in the season too.