Brooker gives Maynard a timely lesson

by Andy Sloan at Bloomfield Road

Steve Brooker hit a last-minute winner for Bristol City to bank three points at Blackpool in the opening match of their Championship campaign.

The second-half substitute’s half-turn and snap shot proved the difference between the two sides in an afternoon of missed opportunities.

Goal machine Nicky Maynard spurned an open net before substitute keeper Chris Weale was called upon to make two sensational saves at the other end but Johnson will feel his team deserved the result after a much improved second-half performance.

Maynard fired a hat-trick on his debut against Royal Antwerp and could have repeated the feat but missed three good chances, the pick of which was a free header in front of an open goal from five yards.

Brooker came on to show him how it’s done and steal the headlines as City got their season off to the perfect start.

For City fans the greatest sporting competition in the world kicked off in Blackpool, not Beijing, but the Robins failed to get out of the starting blocks in their first 45 minutes at Bloomfield Road.

The hosts had the chances to inflict a nasty welcome to Pleasure Beach on City boss Gary Johnson whose side were fortunate to make it to the break without conceding.

The Robins could have upset their hosts though when record signing Nicky Maynard latched onto a nod down from strike partner Dele Adebola in the 45^th minute, but blasted his shot straight at the Seasider’s keeper.

Fellow new boy Gavin Williams made his bow in a City side featuring six of the team who started at Wembley in May. Cole Skuse took the place of Marvin Elliott who failed a late fitness test.

Johnson kept faith with City’s player of the season Ivan Basso in goal ahead of Chris Weale, who started this fixture in August last year when City came from behind to draw courtesy of Scott Murray’s 75^th minute equaliser.

Blackpool, who lost Wes Hoolahan to Norwich and Captain Michael Jackson to Shrewsbury over the summer had brought in 12 new signings and handed starts to four of them, with another four on the bench.

City failed to create any chances in the opening exchanges and were forced to defend a number of attacks from the Tangerines, most of which came through Liverpool loan signing Adam Hammill and a couple of early mistakes by City captain Louis Carey.

Blackpool skipper Keith Southern tested Basso twice and on the second occasion should have scored, the Brazilian keeper only just managing to fumble the shot to safety.

Ben Burgess was granted two golden opportunities too in an unfruitful first 45 for City.

The Blackpool striker beat Jamie McCombe to Mo Camara’s cross but blazed over from five yards to cries of disbelief around Bloomfield Road and just before the half-hour mark he spurned another fine chance to give the hosts the lead, heading Hammill’s curling cross narrowly over Basso’s bar.

City’s first chance of note saw Adebola play in Williams whose flick found Johnson, but his half-volley was deflected over. Maynard could have given City the lead on the whistle but the first half ended 0-0.

In a repeat of City’s opening match last season Basso failed to emerge after the break with Chris Weale getting the chance he has been craving. It could have been short-lived though as the Yeovil-born keeper handled outside his area later in the half and was lucky Graham Laws deemed the infringement to warrant only a yellow card.

McIndoe set the tone for City’s second-half testing Blackpool keeper Paul Rachubka from a 25-yard free kick early on as the Robins upped the tempo.

Hammill was soon proving his worth once more though weaving his way through the City defence before eventually shooting just wide of Weale’s right-hand upright.

And McCombe allowed Burgess a third crack at goal from 18 yards before Blackpool centre-back Ian Evatt headed agonisingly wide from Danny Coid’s freekick with Weale wrong-footed.

Williams’ league debut ended on the hour-mark with a straight swap for Ivan Sproule in right midfield in a bid to add legs to a City midfield struggling to cope with Blackpool’s advances.

It was McIndoe though who whipped in a cross from the left to create a chance Maynard will have nightmares about.

Adebola beat the keeper to the ball and flicked it across to City’s new young gun who, with an open net at his mercy, somehow headed wide from five yards.

The 21-year-old signing from Crewe, had another chance ten minutes later, again courtesy of McIndoe, and shot narrowly over after a deft turn inside the box.

Adebola made way for Brooker but before he could send the 1,521 travelling fans into a frenzy of delight it was Skuse and Weale who drew the plaudits.

Skuse’s clearance off the line from Southern kept City in the game after a fine block from Weale.

Basso’s understudy last season rescued City again at the death with a finger tip save from man of the match Hammill.

But it was Brooker who made the breakthrough and banked the points for City in Blackpool, the home of National Savings and Investments.

A Johnson free-kick was half-cleared from the far edge of Blackpool’s six-yard box but only as far as Brooker who, unlike those before him, made no mistake and banged home his first goal since March.

Blackpool: Rachubka, Coid, Southern, Evatt, Hammill, Taylor-Fletcher (Vaughan 77), Jorgensen (Aluko 88), Wright, Camara, Edwards, Burgess. Subs not used: Gilks, Broomes, Fox,.

Bristol City: Basso (Weale 46), Orr, McAllister, McCombe, Carey, McIndoe, Williams (Sproule 62), Johnson Skuse, Adebola (Brooker 81), Maynard. Subs not used: Fontaine, Wilson.

Referee: Graham Laws

Attendance: 8,244 (1,521 away)

Yellows: Camara, Skuse, Orr, Weale