GARY JOHNSON has launched a vigorous defence of Bristol City

record signing Nicky Maynard.

City’s manager is backing his £2.25 million capture from Crewe

to rediscover his scoring touch sooner rather than later

despite seeing him struggle in front of goal at Blackpool on

Saturday.

Maynard netted a hat-trick on his debut in a friendly against

Belgian side Royal Antwerp the previous week and was the focus

of attention at Bloomfield Road.

But the 21-year-old’s first League appearance in a City shirt

ended in disappointment

after he squandered a golden

opportunity in the 65th minute to open his account.

Johnson afterwards leapt to Maynard’s defence, backing the

striker to be a success in English football’s second tier.

“Nicky Maynard will be in double figures for goals come the

end of the season,” said Johnson. “I don’t doubt that for one

moment.

“I want my strikers to get themselves in dangerous positions

and to pose a threat in the penalty area. Although he had a bit

of a quiet game, Nicky still did that and, on another day,

could easily have had a couple of goals.”

Substitute Steve Brooker saved Maynard’s blushes, rifling in a

superb last-minute winner to deliver what Johnson described as

the “perfect start” to the campaign.

City’s margin of victory would have been wider had the new

arrival not missed an open goal midway through the second

half.  But Maynard is determined not let his opening-day

disappointment get the better of him.

“It was disappointing not to get on the scoresheet, but we got

the win and that’s the main thing,” said 

Maynard. 

Of the 65th-minute chance that got away, the striker said: “I

saw a defender on the line and tried to be a little too clever

by putting the ball the other side of him.”

Maynard was relieved to see Brooker’s  left-foot volley

fly into the far corner of the net in the dying seconds. He

said: “I was just made up, to be honest.”

On the down side, City lost first-choice goalkeeper Adriano

Basso to a thigh strain at half-time, to be replaced by Chris

Weale for the second period.

If Basso fails to recover in time, Weale will deputise in

tomorrow’s Carling Cup first-round tie against Peterborough

United at Ashton Gate (7.45pm).Marvin Elliott missed Saturday’s

game with a knee injury. Johnson will hope he  is ready

to  face Derby County next weekend at Ashton Gate.