Bristol Live picks out the key talking points after Bristol City ended their winless run with a dramatic victory over Bolton Wanderers

It was a celebration that told a story. After four weeks of applauding supporters after results ranging from okay to disappointing, Michael Skubala made his way to the Bristol City fans packed behind the Bolton Wanderers goal with a smile on his face.

On his way, the Robins boss stopped to embrace his players. There were hugs for Sam Bell and Luke McNally amongst others before attention turned to the City faithful. For the first time since September, three fist-bumps were powered towards the stand, where they were met with ever-increasing cheers. Even James Ellis got in on the action.

Just 10 minutes prior, such a scene had been hard to imagine. Yes, it felt possible when Dom Ballard tapped the Reds into the lead from a Jason Knight cross before the quarter-of-an-hour mark, but before a genuine visual picture could be painted, the hosts were level.

What followed for the next hour or so was a game of chaos. At one end, Lorent Tolaj, Rio Cardines and McNally each had chances to re-establish City’s advantage. At the other, Brad Collins and his backline were made to watch nervously as shots narrowly drifted the right side of the post to keep the game all-square.

That bit of good fortune that had kept the Wanderers at bay was nowhere to be seen, however, when Sam Dalby prodded the hosts ahead shortly before the hour-mark. It was the sort of goal you only concede when you’re on a bad run, and one that looked likely to extend the Reds’ own disappointing spell.

To their credit, the Robins’ heads didn’t drop, and in the sort of way they’ve been on the receiving end of on more occasions than I care to remember, they rallied. With just minutes to play, Bell’s first of the term pulled them in touching distance of a point, and the seven additional minutes provided just enough time for one final twist.

Jason Knight’s inch-perfect ball set Jed Wallace away down the right side of the area. Before anyone had the chance to get too excited, the ball was at the feet of Scott Twine and with the most relaxed of finishes, Jack Bonham was beaten. Cue pandemonium in the away end; the same pandemonium that continued into those aforementioned celebrations.

“Every three points are big,” claimed Skubala. This one, though, felt bigger than most. In fact, they felt so important that we’re not yet ready to move on from this one, and with that in mind, here are the stand-out talking points from City’s 3-2 win over Bolton…

Bristol City click into much- prophesied goal gear

“It’ll come.” Those have been the two words Michael Skubala has used repeatedly when discussing Bristol City’s recent struggles in front of goal. Regardless of how the question has been phrased, who has asked it or how frustrating the set of missed chances that pre-dated the interview have been, the Robins manager has - consistently - insisted that, sooner or later, things will turn in the final third.

Whether that was a message born from confidence or bred from a desire to shield his squad from scrutiny, outwardly, the City boss has been adamant that goals have never been too far away.

Against Bolton, that belief was rewarded as, for the first time in five games, the Reds found the back of the net from open play, and for the first time since the first week of September, they struck more than once.

All three of the Robins' strikes had hints of training ground work - something Skubala noted himself. Dom Ballard’s opener was a mirror of Sam Bell’s leveller, and you needn’t watch hours of ‘Robins Uncut’ footage to see Scott Twine score from the sort of Jed Wallace cut-back produced in stoppage time.

These openings had clearly been planned - as had been against Stoke City and particularly Blackburn Rovers; this time, though, enough of them were grasped.

The creativity that was lacking against Sheffield United and Lincoln City - namely - was present in abundance as City carved out 14 shots and five ‘big chances’. Their three goals came from an xG of 3.14, their highest tally of the campaign and by some way. That alone was a reminder that even without their stereotypical creators in chief on the field - your Tomi Horvats, Sam Greenwoods, or Twines - they can ask questions of opposition goalkeepers.

Before this weekend, the only time the Reds had come close to such a figure was in their heavy defeat to Southampton. That day, a lack of cutting edge proved costly as Cyle Larin taught City’s forwards a lesson at the other end. On Saturday, Skubala’s side clicked into that much-prophesied gear to not only secure the points and lay - for now, at least - talk of a lack of goals to rest, but also likely boost confidence heading forward.

The work of a week spent on the High Performance Centre training pitches, for the first time going forward in a while, was there for all to see.

“I said it would come,” the Reds boss grinned to Bristol Live on Saturday evening when goals were mentioned.

"It was really pleasing today to see the things we've worked on about getting into better areas to create bigger chances and, of course, taking chances,” he added. “If you score one or two goals on the road, you're pleased, and you should win the game.

"To score three and do it in that manner is exceptional."

Hold your hands up - Michael Skubala does know what he’s doing

To say the Bristol City fans, packed into the Toughsheet Community Stadium’s away end, had a rollercoaster of a Saturday afternoon would be an understatement.

The elation and relief that was brought about by Dom Ballard’s early opener was nullified by the disappointment of Josh Sheehan’s leveller minutes later. Bolton’s second-half strike then fuelled a sense of frustration, a frustration born as much from the events of the last few weeks as it was Saturday’s display, and a frustration that wasn’t curtailed until Sam Bell’s equaliser hit the net with around six minutes left to play.

Before then, however, that emotion spilt out onto the pitch from a portion of the travelling contingent and - it should be said - it was only part. As Lorent Tolaj left the field late on, boos were audible from a section of the ground. Such a noise was sandwiched between a few chants questioning the City boss’ judgment - songs that contained words that cannot be repeated here.

Asked about that response, Skubala replied, “That’s football. If they’re turning on me, that’s no problem; as long as they don’t turn on the players. That’s the important thing.

“That’s my job, to take that pressure, but I’ll always make decisions that I think are going to win us the game, and you have to do that to be fair to the group.

“Tolly’s been injured; he’s only just made this game with the contusion on his hip, and he was tiring.”

With plenty of experience under his belt, such a reaction is clearly water off a duck's back to Skubala, as it would be to most managers. In a way, that means it is almost not worth talking about. That would be the case, had the Robins boss not shown that he did - in fact - very much know what he was doing with his alterations.

The change from a 3-5-2 to a 4-2-3-1 was one made with the intent of shoring things up defensively. The introduction of Bell was made to add extra energy and movement in the final third, as were the additions of Scott Twine, Jed Wallace and Yu Hirakawa.

Three of those four named above played a part in the late leveller and eventual stoppage-time winner, something - put simply - they wouldn’t have been able to do from the bench, had the portion of supporters who made their discontent audible been stationed in the dugout.

“If I don’t make those decisions, Sam Bell doesn’t get the opportunity to show what he can do,” Skubala added. “That’s football, and that’s my job: to make decisions in the right moment.”

Now, it is not for me to suggest what you should or shouldn’t do at a football match. You are all supporters who pay valuable money and give up your time to follow your team and therefore have every right to chant, shout or boo in any way you please. I would suggest, however, that if you felt Skubala’s roll of the dice was egregious enough to spark a negative reaction on Saturday afternoon, the impact that it had on the result is surely worthy of praise as well?

If you can’t credit the manager’s actions this weekend, I’m not sure when you’ll see fit to do so. Especially as it is his birthday…

But this Bristol City team still aren't quite perfect, and that's okay

While almost every word I’ve written so far would suggest otherwise, it would be wrong of me to suggest that Bristol City’s display in Lancashire this weekend was perfect. While the highs of the Robins’ showing were rather impressive, the lows demonstrated the cracks that remain in the armour.

Defensively, City were opened up too regularly. Yes, this was a basketball game in which both sides had ample scoring chances - as we noted earlier - but it was Bolton who had the greater share of those opportunities. Steven Schumacher’s side had 19 attempts on goal - only Millwall have taken more shots against the Reds in the league this term - and Skubala's squad were perhaps more than a little fortunate that only six of those hit the target.

A better quality of team, one with maybe more Championship experience - like a Southampton or Middlesbrough, for example - would have likely put City to the sword. Those sides would, more than likely, also have punished the chances missed by Lorent Tolaj at the other end.

City’s number nine should have left the field on Saturday afternoon with at least a goal, if not two or three, to his name. But through both poor finishes and badly timed runs, he made way for Sam Bell with his tally for the season still at two. Yes, we should cut him some slack, considering he barely trained this week, but he and the Robins are fortunate their wastefulness in the final third didn’t come back to bite, as it has done so often this term.

“I know we can be more ruthless, I know we can be more aggressive with certain things, but they’re working hard,” Skubala said, recognising the potential for further development.

“I keep saying it, they’re all still growing.”

Of course, the caveat to all that’s written above is the fact that no one has ever suggested it will be perfect at this stage. Look at Saturday through the three-year plan lens, and it was game 14 of likely at least 144; there should - if you’ve recruited well - be ample room for improvement.

That should be as exciting as it is frustrating at times. We’ve not seen anywhere near the best of this City squad; that’s easier to accept when they still find a way to win when short of their ceiling.

Ashton Gate opportunity now lies ahead of Bristol City

Last weekend, I described Bristol City’s draw with Stoke City as a step in the right direction. That was an assessment delivered with the caveat that it would be a step lost to time very quickly; it was not jumped on from against Bolton Wanderers this Saturday.

Maybe that was a viewpoint taken by someone still bruised by the false dawn created by a similar performance and outcome against Charlton Athletic, where what initially appeared to be a solid point was made forgettable by successive home defeats. Such a repeat has now, though, been avoided this time around, because of City’s result at the Toughsheet Community Stadium.

The good draw at Stoke remains a good draw. There is, however, a way in which it can become an even better point, a way that will ensure the win over Bolton is remembered as a genuine dawn or sliding-doors moment in the Reds’ season.

That way, of course, is by following the weekend’s win up at Ashton Gate, both in midweek - against Wolves - and next Saturday lunchtime - against Norwich City.

Before the international break, the Robins have the chance to carry the momentum gained against the Wanderers back to their own patch and turn the recent tide of results in BS3.

Will that be easy against a Wolves side that are among the favourites for promotion and claimed their seventh win of the season in comfortable fashion against Cardiff City this weekend? Of course not, but if you are able to beat Cesar Peixoto’s side, that’s the sort of result that will make others stand up and take note.

The Reds have rewarded the travelling contingent of their fanbase for their commitment away from the Gate over the last fortnight. They now need to do the same to the much larger home portion of the City faithful, as they are the ones with whom Skubala and his players - at this moment in time - have less credit in the bank.