Liam Manning paid tribute to Rob Dickie’s eye for goal after the centre-back’s 73rd-minute strike settled an undistinguished Anglo-Welsh derby.
The tall defender’s glancing header from a Joe Williams chip into a crowded penalty area ended a run of four successive defeats for Bristol City and created a nine-point gap between themselves and the Championship relegation zone.
For opponents Swansea, that gap is only five points and they will need to add a cutting edge in the final third of the pitch to avoid dropping into trouble after dominating possession in the first half.
Robins head coach Manning hugged members of his coaching staff at the final whistle, clearly relieved after his team had been booed off at the interval.
He said: “We had to stop our poor run and we were never going to do that with flowing attractive football.
“I was pleased enough with our patience after a cagey first half and from then on it was a really solid team performance.”
“Rob Dickie is a huge player for us in both boxes. He is like a magnet for the ball when crosses come in.
“Being massive helps, but he also has the ability to hold off his marker and take up dangerous positions in front of goal.
“The message to the players before the game was to live in the present and not worry about past results or the future.
“But of course four successive defeats leave a mark and it was important to get a result to boost confidence again.
“I’m pleased with the clean sheet, particularly after a game at Ipswich in midweek in which we did most things right only to concede twice in the closing stages.”
Przemyslaw Placheta wasted Swansea’s best chance on 57 minutes, shooting badly wide at the far post from a Ronald cross.
Head coach Luke Williams insisted he was not looking at the bottom positions in the table.
“I didn’t see a team out there who are drifting or in any way dropping into trouble,” he said.
“I saw a side who controlled the game for much of the time and if the players can add better decision-making and greater coolness in front of goal we can finish the season really strongly.
“We paid for switching off at a set-piece and it was one of a few key moments in the game that cost us.
“Placheta needed to show more composure with his chance and get the shot on target. If we had scored then, I’m sure the least we would have come away with was a point.
“We dominated possession because Bristol City dropped deep when we had the ball. That made them difficult to unlock at the back and we needed to be better with our final ball.”
Inter's 'leader' Inzaghi upping the standards, says assistant Farris
Simone Inzaghi has set and maintained high standards at Inter, so says his Nerazzurri assistant Massimiliano Farris.
Inter clinched their 20th Serie A title by beating fierce rivals Milan in Monday's derby.
That meant that Sunday's home meeting with Torino was something of a celebration for Inter and their fans, and the team delivered with a 2-0 victory.
Hakan Calhanoglu scored both of Inter's goals, and Farris, who spoke to the media instead of his boss, piled the praise on Inzaghi.
In quotes reported by Football Italia, Farris told DAZN: "We've tried to build a positive environment. We lost important players [last summer], but we welcomed important players who made themselves loved.
"Going to the pitch and working this season was a pleasure. We had a lot of fun and it's the players' merit.
"We are Inter, we have great value, and we couldn't afford to lose games like we used to. He's our leader, he kept a high bar in difficult moments.
"Today, we are repaid for everything, and we can enjoy more of what happened in the previous two years. In football, defeats [hurt] more than victories, but now we must enjoy this moment."
With victory over Milan, Inzaghi became the second-fastest coach to reach 600 points in Serie A, after Carlo Ancelotti.
Farris added: "Simone already said it in the previous interviews. We’ve been fighting for every target across the last three years. We have won cups, we reached a Champions League final.
"We are aware that in the first season, we missed something that we could have taken home [the title].
"Perhaps it was the price to pay, as staff members, when you get to a club like this, but I think this season's achievements give value to all other trophies.
"Today's atmosphere was incredible, so good. Ninety minutes and more of celebrations and it was fair to start those who have brought the team here. This doesn't mean the others didn't contribute. On the contrary, everyone was helpful, I should name them all. I wouldn't even call them reserves."
Dundee 1-2 Celtic: Forrest brace restores Hoops' three-point lead at SPL summit
James Forrest scored twice as Celtic regained their three-point cushion at the Scottish Premiership summit with a narrow 2-1 victory over Dundee.
Rangers had applied the pressure earlier in the day with a 2-1 win at St Mirren, moving Philippe Clement's side level on points with the Hoops.
Although, Celtic did not twitch with Forrest volleying them ahead on the half-hour mark, before doubling their lead in the 67th minute.
Antonio Portales pulled a goal back for Dundee seven minutes later with his first league strike of the season, but the visitors held on to pull clear at the top once more with five games remaining.
Data debrief
Returning to the starting line-up today, Forrest's double separated the sides as he found the net more than once in a game for the first time since scoring a hat-trick against Hibernian in October 2022.
Celtic have now won their last 10 league matches against Dundee and are unbeaten in 43 meetings overall since a 2-0 defeat in May 2001, only enjoying a longer such streak against Dumbarton (50).
Dundee 1-2 Celtic: Forrest braces restores Hoops' three-point lead at SPL summit
James Forrest scored twice as Celtic regained their three-point cushion at the Scottish Premiership summit with a narrow 2-1 victory over Dundee.
Rangers had applied the pressure earlier in the day with a 2-1 win at St Mirren, moving Philippe Clement's side level on points with the Hoops.
Although, Celtic did not twitch with Forrest volleying them ahead on the half-hour mark, before doubling their lead in the 67th minute.
Antonio Portales pulled a goal back for Dundee seven minutes later with his first league strike of the season, but the visitors held on to pull clear at the top once more with five games remaining.
Data debrief
Returning to the starting line-up today, Forrest's double separated the sides as he found the net more than once in a game for the first time since scoring a hat-trick against Hibernian in October 2022.
Celtic have now won their last 10 league matches against Dundee and are unbeaten in 43 meetings overall since a 2-0 defeat in May 2001, only enjoying a longer such streak against Dumbarton (50).
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