Robins Almost Out Of Their Misery.

Bolton came to Ashton Gate on Saturday and were rewarded with a place in the top six after beating Bristol City 2-1.

City put in the effort but Bolton looked more like the side that was now going to be pushing for a playoff place rather that bidding farewell to the division which City will be doing in a few weeks time.

Dougie Freedman’s team were boosted early in the game when a Liam Fontaine own goal put them into the lead with just two minutes on the clock.

In the second half City looked to be more settled than they were in the first and soon had the score level when Steven Davies got on the score sheet.

But it was Craig Davies who grabbed the headlines when he netted from the spot after David Ngog was felled in the box.

The City team, manager and fans knew that to have just that slim hope of avoiding the drop then this was a game that they really needed to win, but they did not get the start they wanted when the ball was in their net after just 84 seconds.

Darren Pratley sent in a cross that didn’t seem like it was going to cause the home side a problem but the ball took a decisive touch off Fontaine and it was past Tom Heaton in the City goal, much to the dismay of the crowd.

But City did not just give up, they made efforts to stay in the game and almost found an equaliser when Liam Kelly sliced a cross that looped into the air but landed narrowly wide much to the relief of goalkeeper Adam Bogdan.

Then Steve Pearson made himself some space in the box but could only fire his effort over the bar.

At the other end Jay Spearing saw a shot go wide of the upright after trying to beat Heaton on the half hour mark.

Albert Adomah wasted an effort to get City back into the game and then Davies forced a good save out of Bogdan, Davies had just tried to put the ball under the keeper.

Half Time: City 0 Bolton 1

Bolton started the second half strongly and Pratley saw Heaton parry his long range effort over the bar, but soon after that the Robins pulled level.

Adomah won the ball from Marcos Alonso and took the ball down to the by-line, from there he put a cross in from the right and Davies was on hand to head the ball downwards, finding the net for his 13th of the season.

The visitors then had a go back at the home side and were appealing for a penalty in the 73rd minute when Zat Knight headed the ball against Bates’ arm, but referee Mark Haywood was having none of it and waved away the appeals.

Then Bates brought down Ngog in the area and although the referee was happy to give nothing, the assistant waved his flag and a spot kick was awarded

Davies stepped up and blasted the ball straight down the middle of the goal and into the roof of the net.

The home side applied pressure to get level once again but it was too late in the game for them to recover and now look certainties for the dreaded drop into League One.

City: Heaton; Moloney (Taylor 85), Nyatanga, Fontaine (Bates 46), Cunningham; Adomah, Elliott, Kelly, Pearson (Anderson 31); Baldock, Davies.

Bolton: Bogdan; Knight, Ricketts, Dawson, Alonso; Eagles, Spearing (Medo 44), Pratley, Lee; Ngog, Sordell (C Davies 74).

Referee: Mark Haywood (West Yorkshire).

Attendance: 12,935.