Jason Knight is confident Bristol City will soon find a consistent goalscoring punch under Liam Manning but admits the Robins need to find a more ruthless edge to their game in the final third.
City somehow left Ashton Gate on Sunday pointless, having controlled the game against Norwich City for large portions only to be undone by two defensive errors; one slightly unfortunate in the form of George Tanner’s own goal – albeit with the full-back perhaps guilty of not closing down his man – and the second wholly avoidable, as Zak Vyner was skinned by goalscorer Adam Idah.
Both came in the second-half in BS3 after the Robins had moved the ball with increasing authority, but after a flurry of chances after Knight’s opener on 34 minutes, were unable to find what would have been a decisive second goal.
Their failure to beat Angus Gunn again, meant that Norwich, for all their flaws were never out of the game and possessed the necessary individual attacking talent and options off the bench to launch what had seemed an improbable comeback.
City struck 15 shots over the course of the encounter, their second highest figure in a Championship fixture since the 4-1 win over Plymouth Argyle (they managed 17 in the victory over Sheffield Wednesday) with six on target – a healthy number considering their average this season (under Nigel Pearson and Manning) is 3.73.
And for the second straight fixture, while collectively accepting of the defensive errors that led to defeat, players and staff were left rueing another match in which missed chances ultimately decided the destiny of the points.
Knight was able to celebrate in the first half, as he finished sharply from inside the area, bursting onto Mark Sykes’ cross that was parried into the air by Gunn, but even he acknowledges that having waited 19 games until scoring his first league goal, he needs to do more himself in the final third.
“It’s definitely part of my game, getting box to box and things dropping,” Knight said.
“I’m delighted to get my first league goal, it’s been a few games coming but I need to contribute more – goals and assists as well as good performances – but frustrating it’s not come on the back of a good result.
