Bristol City boss sticks the boot into hapless Portsmouth after dishing out one-sided lesson
Liam Manning insisted the margin of victory for his Bristol City side should have been even greater after serving up Ashton Gate revenge to Pompey.
And the Robins boss admitted a weak Fratton Park display earlier this month provided the motivation to comprehensively put the Blues to the sword.
Manning’s team cruised to the easiest of 3-0 wins, with three goals in the first 35 minutes ending the game as a contest as John Mousinho shuffled his pack over the festive period.
Bristol City were poor at PO4 as Pompey won by the same margin, but the head coach felt this was a result which should have been even more painful for the beleaguered visitors as they dropped back into the bottom three.
Manning told BBC: ‘We have performed really well at times (at home) and not always had the finishing touch, which I thought we did today.
‘If I am being overly critical, it could have probably been another one or two on top.
‘We went down there a few weeks ago and rightly so had a tough day (3-0 defeat at Fratton Park).
‘There was an element of responding to that. The lads definitely did that from the start with the intensity, the aggression and the desire to go on and grab the game.’
High-flying pair Sheffield United and Burnley are the only sides to have won at Ashton Gate in the league this season, with their latest success seeing Bristol City four points off the top six in 10th place in the Championship.
Manning underlined the significance of the corresponding fixture at PO4 in the game’s outcome.
He told PA: ‘Of course, we talked about what had happened away at Portsmouth when we got what we deserved on the night.
‘It was a spur to make sure we did better today and I couldn’t be happier with the performance.
‘With just over half the season gone, we are four points off the play-offs and I believe there are clear signs of progress.
‘It is for the fans to dream of what might be between now and May. I want them to enjoy the journey, so why not?
‘Our recruitment team have ensured we have players possessing the necessary physicality, as well as the ability to do well.
‘But it will only pay off if we continue working hard. We will enjoy this win tonight, but every match is a challenge and it’s straight back tomorrow to focus on the next fixture.’