Blackburn 0 – 1 Bristol C

Andreas Weimann scored a dramatic added-time winner as Bristol City snatched an unlikely 1-0 win at promotion-chasing Blackburn in the Sky Bet Championship.

The Austrian’s impressive volley capped an end to a remarkable game at Ewood Park, which ended with the hosts losing ground on the top two as the chasing pack close in.

The home side produced enough chances to win two encounters but were denied by a combination of profligacy and a virtuoso goalkeeping performance from Daniel Bentley, who saved Bradley Dack’s late penalty on the forward’s return a year after he sustained a cruciate ligament injury.

Blackburn also rattled the woodwork and lost their composure in the aftermath of the winning goal, with goalkeeping coach Ben Benson sent off. They remain fourth in the table but are winless in three matches after scoring just one goal in nine games.

City move up a place after their first away victory this year.

There has been little wrong with Nigel Pearson’s team going forward this season and Antoine Semanyo showed their intent in the first couple of minutes, testing Jan Paul Van Hecke before firing wide.

However, they needed heroics from Bentley in the 14th minute, who produced a stunning low save to parry away Darragh Lenihan’s towering header from a Joe Rothwell corner, before palming a dangerous Reda Khadra cross to safety.

The best chance of the half fell to Semenyo in the 35th minute when Chris Martin’s intelligent cushioned header found his strike partner in acres of space 12 yards out but the forward scuffed his effort, which was easy for goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski.

Lenihan set Joe Rankin-Costello free down the middle just before half-time but his turn and shot was well gathered by Bentley.

Rovers set out in the second half with purpose and Bentley had to repel an angled Khadra shot before he blocked the German’s shot in the 55th minute.

Khadra finally beat Bentley in the 72nd minute with an overhit cross but it cannoned off the crossbar as the visitors continued to hold on.

The pressure seemed to have told seven minutes from time when Van Hecke was hauled down in the area but Bentley guessed correctly to deny Dack a satisfying return, diving low to his left to save the penalty.

Rovers’ returning hero missed another glorious chance moments later, failing to get enough of a touch on Khadra’s inch-perfect cross with the goal gaping.

And they were hit by a sucker punch two minutes into added time when Joe Williams found Weimann, who expertly volleyed in his 17th goal of the season.

It secured a barely-believable win for the visitors, with Blackburn coach Benson dismissed for his protests.

What the managers said…

Blackburn’s Tony Mowbray: “The lateness of the goal, the stuff (that) went on before, the chances we had, obviously missed a penalty kick, again (for the) second time in a couple of weeks. It feels like a cruel game. It’s hard on the group really, you can see the drive in that team in the last half hour or so, the desperation to score a goal and yes, it feels pretty cruel – but there you go. We have to take it as professionals and get on with the job.

“I’m not sure they deserved to score but there you go, they got one and good luck to them. For us, we have to live with the fact that the statistics and history books show we didn’t score again for another game – and we have to take that on the chin. I thought the team worked really hard to try and score today. We had some chances. Lenihan had a free header from a corner, obviously we missed a penalty kick. On another day we win the game pretty comfortably but today we didn’t.”

Bristol City’s Nigel Pearson: “The thing I’m pleased about today is, even if we’d have lost that game, the characteristics that we need to be a better team were there on show. It was always going to be a tight game and I thought we showed a lot of discipline. We did things today which we’ve not done for a while and that is stay in tight games – and you’ve always got a chance of winning.

“Whether we’re lucky or not is irrelevant. We’ve had some good chances in the game, we’ve created some, as an away side, good situations. I haven’t seen the penalty, whether it was a penalty or not. Obviously the ref was under a bit of flak at that point, whether that makes it more easy or difficult to give it, I don’t know. But if Han-Noah (Massengo) pulled the shirt, it’s not an intelligent thing to do. But Dan (Bentley) saved it. We stayed in the game.”