BRISTOL CITY MANAGER Lee Johnson said his team looked like the Premier League side in their stunning win over EFL Cup champions Manchester United.
United’s title defence came to an end in dramatic circumstances when Korey Smith’s stoppage-time winner lifted Championship outfit City to an unlikely 2-1 quarter-final victory on Wednesday.
Smith struck in the 93rd minute to secure a semi-final berth with Premier League leaders Manchester City after Zlatan Ibrahimovic had cancelled out Joe Bryan’s 51st-minute opener at Ashton Gate midweek.
“I thought at times tonight we looked like the Premier League side,” Johnson told Sky Sports.
“The way we passed and moved and the speed on the counter attack. Our goalkeeper had to make two or three fantastic saves but that was always going to happen.
“I don’t think many fans will be turning up for work in the morning – they’ll be on the cider. Even the scenes at the end with the pitch invasion – you don’t want to see it, but I’m sure everyone understands the passion that went with the result.”
Johnson added: “I’m feeling unbelievably proud for the players.
“To beat Manchester United is outstanding. It hasn’t quite sunk in but I’m so proud of my players – they are a special group – and for the supporters too. It’s a while since we had a result like that at Ashton Gate.”
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No Wayne Barnes thankfully !!!
Dont speak so soon. Have the quarter final refs been announced yet? I have a feeling we will win our group and get Barnes as ref for our quarter final which would probably be against Argentina. Winner would probably play England. This is the game I do not want Barnes any where near.
Don’t want Barnes on any game!!! Lol
He’s assistant ref 1 for the French match so he’ll go out of his way to interfere in some way…sans doute..!!!
I’m also glad we’ve avoided Barnes – far too fussy a ref, makes himself central to the match, usually to the detriment of the spectacle. Having said all of that, he’s not the worst.
The worst referee – by some distance – in world rugby right now is Romain Poite. That guy is just bonkers – no consistency at all, and clueless at scrum time. There is no pattern to his refereeing except that it is always unpredictable. We have managed to avoid him for all of our group games (he is an assistant to Joubert in the Romania game, but that shouldn’t prove too bothersome).
No Wayne Barnes!!!! Happy bloody days!!!!! Go wan the Owens!!!! Delighted with Owens in the French game!!!! :)
Not bad at all
barnes wouldn’t be allowed ref an England, and he shouldn’t be allowed ref an irish game
Fantastic! Best ref in the world. Had a dreadful feeling opening the article I’d be reading the name we’ve all come to dread…
Decent refs to be fair. All set up nicely…
What a shocker. Shows how corrupt rugby is these days. Sad stuff.
Huh??
Quite predictable, that the Irish get their favourite referee (i.e. – the only one that doesn’t like to penalise Irish sides). The Irish run rugby in the Northern Hemisphere.
In Owens’ last 2 6N matchs between France and Ireland, he didn’t penalise the Irish in 153 minutes (yes, 153, that’s over 2 and a half hours.)
Ya gotta love our Nige..!! :)
The only dodgy ref is Barnes I’m afraid!!!
Don’t forget… Nigel f*cked us over against the all blacks
Interesting, and odd, to note that there is not one Australian referee taking charge of any of the 40 group matches. Their two guys are assistants and TMO only. By contrast, the two Irish fellas have 6 games between them.
FFR 11 (including 4 for Poite!)
IRFU 6
NZR 6
RFU 6
SARU 8
WRU 3
No referees from Argentina, Australia, Italy or Scotland
Best ref for our biggest game and no Barnes, I’m very happy!