Nigel Pearson full of praise for Bristol City super sub Antoine Semenyo

Posted Thursday, September 01, 2022 by PA

Bristol City boss Nigel Pearson hailed the return of super-sub Antoine Semenyo after injury following a hard-fought Sky Bet Championship win at home to Huddersfield.

Nahki Wells headed the hosts in front from Jay Dasliva’s 35th-minute cross and Semenyo lashed in a clincher after cutting in from the left 10 minutes from time.

Andreas Weimann hit a post for City early on while Huddersfield were twice denied by the woodwork in the second half, a Tom Lees header being tipped onto the crossbar and substitute Pat Jones shooting against a post just before Semenyo’s decisive strike.

It was the striker’s third goal in successive games as a replacement following his recovery from a shin problem sustained near the end of last season which forced him to miss the start of the current campaign.

Pearson said: “Antoine has come back from his difficulties in the summer and doesn’t look any different to before his injury.

“It’s great to have options on the bench who can go on and affect the game. But Nahki Wells has also started well, having played largely a support role last season.

“It is up to the players in the team to keep their places and in the case of strikers that means scoring goals, which Nahki has done tonight.

“We deserved to win but could have seen the game out better. Most people have gone home happy because we won, but I have to look at the whole picture.

“There were opportunities for them to score and put pressure on us when we might have seen things out with greater authority.

“We have made progress, no doubt about that, but there are still areas where we can be better.

“There will be no ins or outs before the transfer deadline. We have a small squad, but at the moment we don’t have many injuries.”

Huddersfield boss Danny Schofield said: “The big positive at the moment is that the lads are giving everything.

“But games are decided on key moments. We had a great chance to score first with a far-post header at a time when I felt we were the better team and failed to take it.

“If that had gone in, we would be having a totally different press conference.

“Then we hit the post seconds before we concede the second goal. I told the lads afterwards that such moments are often the difference.

“We were equal to Bristol in terms of possession and chances created, but we didn’t take ours, which is a big frustration.

“The group of players I have are fantastic and very competitive. Our physical output is always high.

“The majority of games we have played so far have been in the balance.

“We have targets in mind before the deadline. Nothing is decided yet, but there could be ins and outs.”