Adebola and Sproule help Bristol City to three points

Full-time: Bristol City 2 Southampton 0. Dele Adebola and Ivan Sproule were the toast of Ashton Gate as City's play-off charge gained crucial momentum, writes Andy Stockhausen.

Veteran target man Adebola scored his eighth goal of an increasingly productive campaign to set the home side on their way against relegation-threatened Saints, who remain second from bottom of the Championship table.

And substitute Sproule ran half the length of the pitch to add a second deep into time added on to confirm City's rise to seventh.

This was City's seventh win in eight games and Gary Johnson's team are now just one place off the play-off positions after leapfrogging Swansea.

But they made hard work of it and were fortunate not to be embarrassed by opponents who had nothing to lose and threw caution to the wind.

Had Bradley Orr not missed from the penalty spot in the 15th minute, it might have been a different story. But Saints were always in with a chance while they trailed 1-0 and they twice hit the woodwork and saw another effort cleared off the line.

Although City gave as good as they got during the opening 45 minutes, they lost their way after the break and breathed a sigh of relief when Jason Euell missed a sitter 15 minutes from time.

City emerged for the second half seeking the security of a second goal, but Saints had been allowed time in which to reorganise and Wotte's team proved rather more obdurate.

Frustrated by a lack of opportunities, City fell foul of the referee when Liam Fontaine dispossessed Davis by illegal means to earn a yellow card.

Surman entered the book for Saints following a difference of opinion with Mr Oliver and the game was suddenly littered with fouls and interruptions.

One such came on the hour, McIndoe limping out of the action to be replaced by Ivan Sproule. And the Northern Ireland winger was immediately in the action, racing past Schneiderlin and persuading the Dutchman to bring him down and become the third Southampton player to earn a yellow card.

It was Schneiderlin's last involvement, Wotte withdrawing him and introducing Adam Lallana on 65 minutes.

Saints still posed a threat on the counter and Euell missed a heaven-sent opportunity to level matters with 15 minutes remaining. Basso failed to hold Skacel's angled shot and the big striker somehow contrived to shoot wide of a gaping target from six yards out to again let City off the hook.

The home side were proving their own worst enemies, failing to make the most of promising attacking situations and giving away possession far too easily to offer Saints encouragement.

City finally gave themselves breathing space in time added on at the end. Basso collected a corner kick two-handed and threw the ball out to Sproule, who ran 60 yards and out-stripped the covering defence to roll the ball into an unprotected net.