Sportsmanship? Neil Warnock is one of the games colourful characters and I'm sure there is a part of him that actually enjoys being berated at pretty much every away ground within the football league but for me he once again crossed the line with his verbal attack on Gary Johnson and his players at the end of this game.

As TV footage has shown and as I thought at the time, Palace forward Freddie Sears effort in the 33rd minute did cross the line but referee Rob Shoebridge didn't see it and neither seemingly did his assistants and yet the Palace manager blamed City for the goal not being given.

Warnock says that he felt sorry for the referee because he didn't get any help and that Gary Johnson and his players could have shown more sportsmanship because they knew it was a goal.

Warnock went on to say that they were cheated, and that he wasn't saying that against the referee because he didn't mean to get it wrong.

In some respects I think Warnock has a point but what would he have been saying if in the fifth minute when Clint Hill wrestled Bradley Orr to the ground and the referee had waived play on, his defender had turned to the ref and said that he had got it wrong and that it was a penalty?

Would Warnock have been applauding his centre half for his sportsmanship? No of course he wouldn't. Players can't referee the game.

Warnock continued his childish display and that's what it was, at the end of the game by refusing to shake hands with Gary or any of his players. That was not right. Warnock could have told Gary how he felt in the privacy of his office or in the tunnel not by his dramatics on the pitch.

The referee was poor and there is little doubt if the boot was on the other foot we would have been enraged but watching Warnock sarcastically clapping the ref off at the end of the game was disappointing and sums the man up.

The game itself was short on quality with Palace adopting their usual in-your-face style and looking to play it long and to the height of Alan Lee upfront.

It doesn't make for a pretty game and City struggled to break Palace down.

Gerken was competent in goal and stopped everything that Palace threw at him (Sears goal the exception). Nyatanga played well at the back and there is I'm sure more to come. Clarkson was quiet and was the man Johnson chose to take off at half time when he changing the sides formation and tactics.

Hartley was perhaps the most impressive of the quartet with most of City's quality coming through him and he rightly received a standing ovation just before the end of the game.

If Hartley can stay fit there is no doubt he will be a real asset to the side.

John Akinde changed the pattern of the game and caused Palace all sorts of problems and the finish from Nicky Maynard was a moment of class.

Tuesday night's Carling Cup success at Brentford gave fans the first glimpse of full back Andre Blackman who showed some nice touches and looks to be one for the future.

The game itself was end-to-end with both keepers pulling off some great saves.

In all honesty Brentford deserved more for their efforts and City could consider themselves fortunate to win in 90 minutes.

A large City following made the relatively short trip up the M4 and were in good voice. Being stood on the terracing I had a feeling of déjà vu with the City faithful chanting for players from the past.

There were renditions of past chants for the likes of Jackie Dzieknowski, Bob Taylor, Wayne Allison, Tommy Doherty and Billy Wedlock to name a few.

Not quite the Old Trafford chants of Cantona but fun all the same.

I wonder if referee Rob Shoebridge will get his own Ashton Gate chant?

If he does can't see Mr Warnock singing it.