Bristol City's search for a home goal goes on after a 1-0 defeat to Sheffield United at Ashton Gate. It was a second consecutive loss on their own turf without scoring, leaving supporters frustrated and the team 16th in the Championship table with 14 points from 11 games, having recorded four wins and two draws against five losses. Their goal difference stands at minus three, having scored 12 and conceded 15 this season.
Ollie Arblaster's early volley decided a match manager Michael Skubala later described as 'baffling'. The Sheffield United midfielder struck from just outside the box in the fifth minute, a minute after Bristol City's Yu Hirakawa had squandered a golden chance by shooting straight at goalkeeper Michael Cooper. Hirakawa saw a penalty appeal waved away in the 13th minute, and despite Skubala making two attacking changes at half-time, the hosts' predictable attacks were easily nullified.
Loud boos greeted the half-time whistle, a reaction to a toothless opening period where City failed to register a shot on target. The introduction of Elijah Adebayo and Jed Wallace provided more impetus, with Wallace having a shot blocked and Dom Ballard heading over from the resulting corner. But a clear equaliser never materialised, with Ryan One firing over a late rebound.
The result extends a worrying home trend. Following a 1-0 loss to Blackburn four days prior, where Oladapo Afolayan scored the only goal, City have now failed to score in 180 minutes of football at Ashton Gate. Their recent form over the last five matches is two wins, one draw, and two losses, but they have lost their last two. This leaves them nine points adrift of the automatic promotion places, a significant gap to the league leaders. The team must now regroup for their next fixture away to Stoke City on Saturday 24 October.
Background and full detail: sports.yahoo.com
