Think I must have been at a different game to Cotterill!
"Manager fumes as unbeaten run ends under cloud of controversy.
Steve Cotterill said he felt the pain of injustice after seeing his side lose their 22-match unbeaten run in a cruel M4 derby defeat at Swindon Town.
City’s detailed preparation for the top-of-the-table clash was thrown off course within three minutes of kick-off when Wade Elliott was inexplicably shown a straight red card by referee Darren Drysdale following an off-the-ball incident with Jack Stephens.
The resilience displayed by the visitors for the rest of the game was symptomatic of the qualities that the eight-month undefeated streak has been built on, but Michael Smith’s 78th minute winner ultimately secured maximum points for the Wiltshire club.
“The sending off is an absolute disgrace,” Cotterill told Bristol City Player.
“If anything it’s our foul – Stephens grabs hold of Wade Elliott by his shoulders and pulls him back, then he goes down.
“It looked a bit like that was what they wanted because they had looked for a few free kicks early on.
“They didn’t deserve to beat us; they couldn’t open us up.”
Cotterill, who later confirmed City will appeal the sending off, felt an overwhelming sense of pride in his players, with Swindon penned into their own half in the closing stages despite playing virtually the entire match with an extra man.
“I just said to them I couldn’t be any more proud of them than I am today,” the manager added.
“They were absolutely magnificent to a man and showed just what a team spirit they’ve got.
“The minute we lose a player our game plan goes out of the window. We wanted to get them high but we couldn’t go and do that because we didn’t have enough bodies on the pitch.
“The fans were fantastic as well. Everybody at Bristol City Football Club should be really proud of the build-up to the game, how we’ve dealt with an injustice on the field and how we were after it.
“I thought we showed really class today.”
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