Bristol City manager Lee Johnson has praised his side’s ‘warrior-like’ performance after a 1-0 win at Cardiff City in the Championship yesterday.

A goal from Josh Brownhill midway through the second-half was enough for the Robins to claim the points in the Severnside derby, the skipper with his third of the season to keep Bristol in 6th for the international break.

Now with just one defeat in their last 15 games in the Championship fixtures, Johnson said after the game yesterday:

“It’s a great day and the boys are buzzing. It gives them a four-day rest now, though obviously the internationals go away, but they can all feel good about themselves for a warrior-like performance.”

The win was Bristol’s fourth away from home this season and takes their away tally to 16 points from nine away games in the Championship.

Cardiff isn’t an easy place to do that either - Neil Warnock’s side were unbeaten at home before yesterday.

“Was it a classic in terms of slick, champagne football?” asked Johnson. “Absolutely not, but we have come away to a difficult place and got the result and, as you can hear, the boys are very happy with that.”

It was a complete away performance from Britstol yesterday, who even kept their first clean sheet on the road.

“The clean sheet was a really important part of the performance today” explained Johnson. “When you come to Cardiff you have to defend a lot of entries into your box, whether that’s throw-ins, good plays, or deliveries where they have big target men in the starting XI but also to bring on.”

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Johnson’s side now have a two-point buffer between them and 7th-placed Fulham, with the same number separating all four teams in the play-offs.

The verdict

A win in South Wales yesterday could well prove a pivotal point in Bristol’s campaign. It secures their top-six spot for another day and the team can enjoy their break knowing their spot is safe.

With only a defeat in 15 games it bodes well for Johnson. A clean sheet yesterday will reinstate some confidence to the Bristol defence and against a good team in Cardiff too.

They next face play-off rivals Nottingham Forest who are level on points with Bristol and ahead on goal difference, and Johnson will want his side fit and firing for the trip to the City Ground in two weeks.