MX23RW : Monday, December 16 01:18:27| >> :600:162666:162666:
[monks data]
Swansea logo
Championship | Gameweek 45
Jul 18, 2020 at 3pm UK
Liberty Stadium
Bristol City

Swansea
1 - 0
Bristol City

Roberts (45+1')
FT(HT: 1-0)

Steve Cooper refusing to give up on Swansea playoff hopes

Nottingham Forest and Cardiff are favourites to take the final two play-off spots.

Swansea manager Steve Cooper is banking on the unpredictability of the Sky Bet Championship giving his side a play-off lifeline.

Barring a dramatic collapse from Nottingham Forest, who would have to lose their final two games by significant margins, the final play-off place is set to come down to a Welsh shoot-out between Cardiff and Swansea.

Cardiff are in pole position to claim sixth spot after winning 3-1 at Middlesbrough on Saturday, but Swansea refused to throw in the towel by beating Bristol City 1-0 at home.

Swansea are three points and one goal worse off than Cardiff heading into a final-day assignment at Reading on Wednesday.

The real problem for Swansea, however, seems to be that Cardiff's last game is at home to relegation-haunted Hull.

The Tigers have lost their last five games, including an 8-0 humiliation at Wigan, and have won only once since the first week of January.

"In the Championship, we know that anything can happen," Cooper said, assessing Swansea's play-off hopes.

"All we can do is take care of our business and try and win at Reading. Hopefully, we can play as well as we did here.

"We have really seen our younger players grow up in recent weeks. Even in the down moments – which you have to go through to be a first team player – they have come through well."

Wales defender Connor Roberts ended his 15-month goal drought to score a first-half stoppage time winner.

Bristol City had the chance to equalise from the penalty spot after 69 minutes but substitute Famara Diedhiou, who had only come on the pitch seconds earlier, hit the woodwork.

"It was a good game with two teams going for the win," Cooper said.

"It took us a time to settle down, but we played some really good football.

"I really liked the look of us and then it was a good time to score just before half-time."

Bristol City caretaker boss Dean Holden said it was painful to accept that the Robins' play-off hopes were over.

"It's a major disappointment, it's raw at the moment," Holden said.

"The play-offs were the target at the start of the season. There is plenty still to play for and we have to finish the season on a high."

Cardiff's win at Middlesbrough would have made a Bristol City victory irrelevant anyway.

"I didn't see Cardiff's result until the end," Holden said.

"I told the players if the teams above us didn't win and we didn't do the business that would have been a tough one to take.

"The game is won and lost on fine margins. Who knows what would have happened had we put the penalty away?"

ID:407090: cacheID:407090:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:4228:
Written by
P A
No Data Analysis info
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Brentford's Ethan Pinnock celebrates with teammates after his winning goal against Charlton on July 7, 2020
Read Next:
Saturday's Championship predictions including Stoke vs. Brentford
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd21145230111945
2Leeds UnitedLeeds21126337152242
3Burnley2111822681841
4Sunderland21117332171540
5Blackburn RoversBlackburn2011452517837
6Middlesbrough21104735251034
7Watford2010462926334
8West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom2171132416832
9Sheffield WednesdaySheff Weds218582630-429
10Swansea CitySwansea217682322127
11Bristol City216962626027
12Norwich CityNorwich216873632426
13Millwall206772018225
14Derby CountyDerby216692626024
15Coventry CityCoventry216692730-324
16Preston North EndPreston2141162127-623
17Stoke CityStoke215792328-522
18Queens Park RangersQPR2141072127-622
19Luton TownLuton2164112337-1422
20Oxford UnitedOxford Utd2046102133-1218
21Cardiff CityCardiff2046101932-1318
22Portsmouth193882134-1317
23Plymouth ArgylePlymouth2045111942-2317
24Hull City2137111930-1116


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!