Bristol City pay dearly for stupid mistakes

BRISTOL CITY 2 SHEFFIELD UNITED 3: Bristol City captain Louis Carey admitted he and his teammates were their own worst enemies after "gifting" Sheffield United the points in this tumultuous Coca-Cola Championship encounter.

Sat in the dressing room after the dust had finally settled, Bristol City's players must have wondered how on earth they contrived to throw away a game they dominated for such long periods.

Called upon to atone for last week's 4-1 defeat at West Bromwich Albion, Gary Johnson's team produced a much-improved performance, only to fall foul of the kind of individual mistakes no manager can legislate for.

Just as they did at The Hawthorns seven days earlier, City proved architects of their own downfall, handing their opponents a two-goal lead in the first half.

Darius Henderson punishing schoolboy errors from keeper Dean Gerken and centre-back Jamie McCombe in the space of three minutes to steal a two-goal advantage which his team's display scarcely warranted.

On this occasion, the Robins demonstrated the determination to recover and Carey himself launched the fight-back when heading in Paul Hartley's 52nd minute free kick to register his first goal since he scored against Peterborough United in a Carling Cup tie at Ashton Gate in August last year.

And Carey and Co believed they had salvaged a precious point when substitute Alvaro Saborio shot through a congested goal-mouth to restore parity in the fifth minute of time added on.

But City had not reckoned on their own propensity to self-destruct and Henderson completed the first hat-trick of his career a minute later, shooting from the narrowest of angles to beat Gerken at his near post after Kyel Reid's effort had been deflected into his path.

"To pull back level and then let them score again with the last kick of the game was soul destroying," confided Carey, who now faces the not inconsiderable task of raising spirits ahead of next Saturday's Ashton Gate showdown against Roy Keane's Ipswich Town.

"Of course, we were disappointed to give away two goals one after another like that, but we still felt we could get ourselves back into the game.

"We knew that if we scored early on in the second half, we could still go on to win.

"When we equalised, it looked as though there was only going to be one winner.

"But we've switched off. We knew they were going to pass back to the keeper from the kick off and that he was going to kick it long.

"We challenged for the first header and didn't win it, we missed a tackle and then the lad's shot has been deflected into the path of their striker.

"It wasn't that they were the better side, we just gifted them their goals."

Had City made more of the chances which came their way, they would surely have blown away a Blades side which betrayed their limited ambition by putting men behind the ball and adopting a physical approach in a bid to render themselves difficult to beat.

It must have made awkward viewing for supporters who, for a second week in succession, were left to rue their team's shortcomings in both penalty areas.

Carey's assessment was brutally honest when he said: "I thought we played as well as we have for some time, but we couldn't take our chances.

"Goals change games and influence people's opinions, but I felt we were the better side, had more possession, controlled things and created a lot of chances.

"But that counts for nothing when you end up losing the game.

"I felt we would have gone on to dominate had we scored first, but we couldn't finish. We've only ourselves to blame, because we gifted them their goals.

"Losing like this hurts and we'll have to work hard over the next week to pick the lads up and then try to put things right when we play Ipswich next Saturday."

Having not had to make a single save of note, Gerken was at fault for the opening goal, failing to achieve distance with a fisted clearance and delivering the ball at the feet of Henderson, who returned it with interest.

City's players claimed Lee Williamson was in an offside position and the linesman seemed inclined to agree when raising his flag, only to be overruled by referee Andy Hall.

The home side were unable to claim any such mitigating circumstances when, three minutes later, McCombe needlessly gave the ball away to the impressive Jamie Ward, who presented Henderson with the simplest of finishes from eight yards out.

Danny Haynes, Lee Johnson and Nicky Maynard were all guilty of wasting goal-scoring opportunities before Carey gave City renewed hope. Loan signing Saborio thought he had salvaged a point, but Henderson had one more trick up his sleeve.

His dramatic last-gasp winner, one of a worrying number of late goals conceded by City this season, ended an unbeaten home record in the Championship stretching back to December 20, 2008.

Bristol City captain Carey added: "Obviously, it's disappointing to lose the record, but all records have to come to an end some time. It will be difficult to lift the lads after this and we have to try and stay bright, put a win on the board next week and make Ashton Gate a fortress once again."