It would not be as easy on the eye as the 4-0 thumping of rock-bottom Sheffield Wednesday a fortnight ago, but the Swans would show a different side to their play to battle to a single-goal victory over the play-off chasing Robins.
The league’s top scorer Zan Vipotnik’s 16th league goal of the season, expertly converted midway through the first-half, would be the decisive moment to win the match. A confident half-volley from the Slovenian, whose ruthless execution in recent weeks has murmured hopes around SA1 that a late play-off push is maybe still within the Swans grasp come May.
A ninth victory in the last 15 from the Swans puts Matos’ side up there with the best in the league in the form table, whilst a seventh win in eight at home is unrivaled by any Championship club since December.
“I think the desire we showed, the hunger, the mentality, the idea of holding nothing back – that mindset was massive today,” said Matos.
“It was a tough game, Bristol City are a strong side, and they came with a really aggressive approach.
“They marked man to man and that can sometimes make the game difficult to control, we had moments where when we were able to get through them into their half it became a different game.
“The boys did a really good performance. We’ve put in similar performances like today already in the past as well.
“I think that’s quite important to have because these games can decide positions as well in the table. We were able to compete, we were able to get the three points, so really happy for everyone.”
Ultimately, as Matos once again plays down promotion talk, his focus is straight to Tuesday’s home encounter with Preston North End.
The Swans boss says it is still going to be one game at a time and will need the character and fight shown against a Bristol City side that week-in-week-out, that on another day, could have taken all three points themselves after hitting the woodwork twice and forcing home goalkeeper Lawrence Vigouroux in making a couple of smart saves.
But this was a game that felt like a different Swansea, a side with a steely edge, aggressive in the challenge, and confident in possession despite the challenging conditions and a disruptive opposition with genuine quality that look like genuine rivals for a top-six placing. A far cry from the performances pre-Matos lacking the bite and hunger that the Portuguese has brought in his impressive short tenure.
“We have talked about needing to find ways to win games, and to do that, we need the starting point of putting everything on the pitch,” continued Matos.
“That’s a really good start, it does not mean you will always win the game, but it means you are ready to compete, that’s important in the Championship.
“We play again at home, which is brilliant and that doesn’t happen a lot for us,” he said.
“We can recover, rest, and focus on Preston because that will be a massive game for us as well.”
[Lead image: Swansea City FC]
