Stoke boss Alex Neil says he “didn’t enjoy any part” of his side’s 3-2 come-from-behind win at Bristol City.
A late strike from 18-year-old substitute Nathan Lowe capped a stirring Stoke fightback at Ashton Gate.
Bristol City looked to be on course for a comfortable win when Sam Bell fired them ahead from a near post corner after five minutes and Nahki Wells doubled the advantage 10 minutes later after intercepting a poor back pass from Ki-Jana Hoever.
But Mehdi Leris gave Stoke hope with a brilliant long-range strike after 25 minutes and two minutes after the break Sead Haksabanovic equalised with a low finish from a Hoever cross.
Lowe completed the fightback with a tap-in at the far post in the 89th minute, but Neil was in no mood to get carried away.
He said: “To be honest, I didn’t enjoy any part of that game. We have played miles better in virtually every other match this season. That’s the crazy nature of football and the Championship in particular.
“We couldn’t have made a poorer start, conceding from the sort of set-piece we had talked about defending and for the rest of the first half we played scared football.
“My half-time message was that we had to play without fear. What the players did show from then on was a collective spirit and determination, which ended up winning the game.
“What we can take encouragement from is the character shown. When things are going against you, it’s easy to start feeling sorry for yourself.
“There is no room for that sort of attitude and we got our rewards today because we didn’t let it happen. Hard work, grit and determination got us the win.
“Nathan Lowe has merited getting on the pitch and there is nothing nicer than when you throw one of your kids in and they get a goal.
“That certainly applies with Lowy, who loves the club. You don’t get a better feeling in football than seeing someone like that score a goal.”
Bristol City assistant Curtis Fleming admitted his side let Stoke back into the contest.
“In a way, we feel like we have been mugged,” he said. “If any team was going to win it in the second half, I always felt it would be us because we were on the front foot.
“But the truth is we haven’t defended well enough and that’s why we have suffered a kick in the teeth. We conceded weak goals, which is a problem we felt we had overcome.
“At Leicester in our previous game, players were throwing themselves in front of shots and putting their bodies on the line.
“That didn’t happen today. There is a lot of frustration in our dressing room and no one is happy.
“From 2-0 up we took our foot off the pedal a bit. It was all a little too comfortable, rather than playing with our usual intensity.
“It’s the sort of thing that was happening to us at times last season. Now we are in a better place to handle it and it’s all about how we react.
“You can’t afford to dwell on setbacks in the Championship because more tough games are just around the corner.”
[(Racing Club de Avellaneda) Strength]: 1. Racing Club de Avellaneda lost their first encounter 0-1, so they cannot afford any loss this time and must go all out to win, fully motivated.2. In the last domestic league game, Adrian Balboa performed well and scored the first goal to put the team ahead.3. Racing Club de Avellaneda scored 5 goals and conceded 5 in the last 5 games with good performance...
[(Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors) Strength]: 1. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors performed stably across all competitions this season. Since April, the team have remained unbeaten in the last 20 matches.2. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors scored at halftime in 4 consecutive games, getting into form quickly on offense.3. Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors scored at least 2 goals per game in 5 consecutive matches, showing strong attack.4....
[(Velez Sarsfield) Strength]: 1. During their first encounter, Velez Sarsfield played a goalless draw. In this home game, they vow to grab a win and advance, with full motivation.2. Braian Romero withstood the pressure in the last game and scored a penalty in the final moment, helping the team seal a last-gasp victory.3. Velez Sarsfield defeated Club Atletico Independiente 2-1 in the last game, wh...
[(Ferencvaros) Strength]: 1. Ferencvaros are motivated to win this home game and take the lead in advancing.2. Cadu scored a goal in the last game, once helping the team tie the game.3. Ferencvaros received 3 wins and 1 loss in the last 4 home games, revealing outstanding home performances.4. Ferencvaros scored 11 goals and conceded 3 in the last 5 games, boasting excellent attack and solid defens...
[(Gwangju FC) Strength]: 1. The first leg of the Semi-finals will see Gwangju FC play at home first. They hope to grab the advantage, with full motivation.2. Gwangju FC forward Reis scored twice in the last game, being in good form.3. Gwangju FC performed well and scored a 2-0 win over Daejeon Hana Citizen in hte last game, thus getting back on the winning ways.4. AH market provided home team a -1...
[(FC Machida Zelvia) Strength]: 1. In the last league game, Korean internationals Oh Se Hun and Na Sang Ho both scored in open play, showing decent performances.2. This game is FC Machida Zelvia's fourth consecutive home game, which is in favor of them.3. FC Machida Zelvia won 3-0 over Cerezo Osaka in the last league game, securing a 10-game winning streak across all competitions.4. FC Machida Zel...
[(Crvena Zvezda) Strength]: 1. Crvena Zvezda vow to win this home game in order to grab the advancing advantage, with full motivation.2. Aleksandar Katai performed very well in the last domestic league game. He scored a hat-trick in a win for the team.3. Crvena Zvezda defeated Mladost Lucani 4-1 in the last domestic league game. They achieved 7 wins and 1 draw in the last 8 games, being in red-hot...
[(Sao Paulo FC) Strength]: 1. Sao Paulo FC drew with Atletico Nacional in the first leg on the road. They will advance to the next round if they win this round at home, indicating full motivation to win.2. Sao Paulo FC signed Serie A team Atalanta BC captain Rafael Toloi recently. He is expected to make his debut in this match.3. Sao Paulo FC drew 2-2 with Sport Club do Recife in the last league g...
[(Chengdu Rongcheng FC) Strength]: 1. Chengdu Rongcheng FC drew 0-0 with Qingdao Hainiu F.C. in the last Chinese Super League, ending their winning streak. However, the team were unbeaten with 5 wins and 1 draw in the last 6 games, showing commendable performances.2. Chengdu Rongcheng FC scored 12 goals in the last 5 home games, revealing outstanding attack at home.3. Chengdu Rongcheng FC are now ...
[(Sanfrecce Hiroshima) Strength]: 1. Sanfrecce Hiroshima have achieved 14 wins, 4 draws and 8 losses in the league so far this season. They have scored 30 goals and conceded 18 goals in 26 league matches, and currently rank 5th in the league standings. The team will play at home in this game and have a strong desire to win.2. Naoto Arai, the main defender of Sanfrecce Hiroshima, has performed stea...
- 1 Brentford Agree Deal to Sign Dango Ouattara From Bournemouth
- 2 TIPS - Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas VS Liga Deportiva Universitaria
- 3 TIPS - Villarreal VS Real Oviedo
- 4 ngland cricket legend’s granddaughter stuns in bikini
- 5 Lamela explains retirement decision: It started 11 years ago...
- 6 Estevao Willian set for 'key' Chelsea role after debut vs Palace
- 7 TIPS - Club Necaxa VS Club Leon
- 8 Emotional Arne Slot admits he had wanted to bring late Diogo Jota on as a substitute in Liverpool's dramatic victory over Bournemouth
- 9 Benjamin Sesko vs Viktor Gyokeres: Man Utd-Arsenal showdown sets early stage for big-money No.9s to show the Premier League what they can offer
- 10 TIPS - Cambuur Leeuwarden VS FC Oss