City took three points from the Thursday evening outing against Burton Albion, but we certainly didn’t have it all our own way.
Burton always looked like they could produce something, even if they didn’t get many clear-cut chances. We huffed and puffed a little, misplaced a few passes, but found a rhythm and a way to win.
As the rain came down, it looked like it was going to be a tough evening from the off, and that’s something that Michael Skubala acknowledged in his post-match interview.
“It was a tough game,” Michael said. “They’re a very dangerous team, especially on the break. I think they set up to make it difficult for us and slow the game down and hit us on the counterattack with two nines.
“It made for a really hard game, but they’re good at that. Credit to them. They’re really good at that. Good coach, Gary Bowyer is a good manager. I know he’s won games at every level.
“But yeah, we found a way to win, I think in the end, that’s this group’s special with that. We got it over the line and got the three points. So, I’m really pleased.”
City have won impressively in recent weeks, against Peterborough and Cardiff two perfect examples. Sometimes, games are a little more attritional, but the best sides win when they’re not at their best, and just past the halfway stage of the campaign, we’re now up to ten wins at home, and seven in the last eight home matches.
When quizzed about that record, Michael was as stoic as ever.
“We don’t concentrate on records,” he replied. “We’re just concentrating on getting the the next three points when we can.
“I thought we started really slow, then we got into it a little bit and scored and Jack Moylan scores a great goal and then I think we let one go a little bit straight away and then it becomes a bit edgy till halfime.
“Then we changed shape trying to get a little bit more control.”
That control led to Moylan’s second, following in after Draper’s shot was parried, and on to three points. It wasn’t always pretty, but it bucked a trend of four defeats in a row against the Brewers at the Bank, and left City six points clear of Bradford in third, albeit having played two more matches.