Bristol City 1-0 Rochdale

Aaron Wilbraham's 15th goal of the season won the game for the Robins

Bristol City moved eight points clear at the top of League One with a win over play-off hopefuls Rochdale.

Peter Vincenti struck the bar from a free-kick for Rochdale, before Aaron Wilbraham headed the hosts ahead from 12 yards from Luke Freeman's corner.

It was not a vintage performance from the Robins, but they were able to grind out the win, as second-placed MK Dons lost at Coventry.

Rochdale slip to 15th, and are now seven points off the top six.

Bristol City manager Steve Cotterill told BBC Radio Bristol:

Media playback is not supported on this device

Cotterill on Bristol City v Rochdale

"Rochdale come here and all the pressure is on us and we know we're expected to win.

"It was always going to be a tough game. What we couldn't allow to happen was to get done by a counter-attack.

"If we'd had played as open as we do normally, we would have come back after half-time and be picked off.

"They are the highest scorers away from home in the division so we knew a clean sheet was going to be vital."

Rochdale manager Keith Hill told BBC Radio Manchester:

"Today I'm really proud of the way we played. Disappointed with the result but I thought we should have got something from the game."

Media playback is not supported on this device

Hill on Bristol City v Rochdale

"They're an excellent side, there's no question about that, but we came to play today.

"We didn't come with any fear, we tried to score, we took one or two risks with our defensive strategy, we gave them a lot of space but I thought we defended excellently."

• Line-ups
• Match Stats
• Live Text

Line-ups

Bristol City

• 1Fielding
• 22Ayling
• 4Flint
• 3Williams
• 2Little
• 21Pack
• 7Smith
• 15FreemanSubstituted forElliottat 74'minutes
• 17CunninghamSubstituted forBryanat 63'minutes
• 18Wilbraham
• 19AgardSubstituted forTavernierat 88'minutes

Substitutes

• 8Elliott
• 9Smith
• 10Emmanuel-Thomas
• 11Wagstaff
• 13Richards
• 23Bryan
• 24Tavernier

Rochdale

• 19Jones
• 2RaffertySubstituted forBellat 68'minutes
• 5Eastham
• 22O'Connell
• 33Kennedy
• 25Rose
• 3BennettBooked at 90mins
• 24Allen
• 7Vincenti
• 39BunneyBooked at 22minsSubstituted forBrandyat 76'minutes
• 40Henderson

Substitutes

• 1Lillis
• 10Brandy
• 11Noble-Lazarus
• 14Héry
• 17Tanser
• 26Logan
• 31Bell

Referee:

James Adcock

Attendance:

11,841

Match Stats

Home TeamBristol CityAway TeamRochdale

Possession

Home42%

Away58%

Shots

Home8

Away13

Shots on Target

Home4

Away3

Corners

Home3

Away6

Fouls

Home7

Away12

Live Text

Posted at

Match ends, Bristol City 1, Rochdale 0.

Full Time

Posted at 90'+5'

Second Half ends, Bristol City 1, Rochdale 0.

Posted at 90'+4'

Attempt missed. Ian Henderson (Rochdale) header from the centre of the box is just a bit too high.

Booking

Posted at 90'

Rhys Bennett (Rochdale) is shown the yellow card.

Posted at 90'

Joe Bryan (Bristol City) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Posted at 90'

Foul by Rhys Bennett (Rochdale).

Substitution

Posted at 88'

Substitution, Bristol City. James Tavernier replaces Kieran Agard.

Posted at 85'

Hand ball by Rhys Bennett (Rochdale).

Posted at 84'

Attempt missed. Ashley Eastham (Rochdale) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left.

Posted at 82'

Corner, Rochdale. Conceded by Luke Ayling.

Posted at 80'

Attempt missed. Febian Brandy (Rochdale) header from the centre of the box misses to the right.

Posted at 78'

Attempt blocked. Joe Bryan (Bristol City) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.

Posted at 78'

Corner, Bristol City. Conceded by Ian Henderson.

Posted at 77'

Attempt missed. Ian Henderson (Rochdale) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left.

Substitution

Posted at 76'

Substitution, Rochdale. Febian Brandy replaces Joe Bunney.

Posted at 76'

Attempt missed. Joe Bryan (Bristol City) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the left.

Substitution

Posted at 74'

Substitution, Bristol City. Wade Elliott replaces Luke Freeman.

Posted at 71'

Attempt missed. Joe Bunney (Rochdale) header from the centre of the box is just a bit too high.

Substitution

Posted at 68'

Substitution, Rochdale. Nyal Bell replaces Joseph Rafferty.

Posted at 68'

Foul by Marlon Pack (Bristol City).

Posted at 68'

Jamie Allen (Rochdale) wins a free kick on the left wing.

Posted at 67'

Korey Smith (Bristol City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 67'

Foul by Peter Vincenti (Rochdale).

Posted at 66'

Attempt saved. Peter Vincenti (Rochdale) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.

Substitution

Posted at 63'

Substitution, Bristol City. Joe Bryan replaces Greg Cunningham.

Posted at 63'

Greg Cunningham (Bristol City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 63'

Foul by Joe Bunney (Rochdale).

Posted at 61'

Kieran Agard (Bristol City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 61'

Foul by Rhys Bennett (Rochdale).

Posted at 59'

Aden Flint (Bristol City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 59'

Foul by Ian Henderson (Rochdale).

Posted at 57'

Corner, Rochdale. Conceded by Derrick Williams.

Posted at 57'

Attempt blocked. Ian Henderson (Rochdale) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.

Posted at 54'

Corner, Rochdale. Conceded by Aden Flint.

Posted at 54'

Corner, Rochdale. Conceded by Frank Fielding.

Posted at 54'

Attempt saved. Peter Vincenti (Rochdale) header from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner.

Posted at 53'

Foul by Derrick Williams (Bristol City).

Posted at 53'

Joe Bunney (Rochdale) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Posted at 50'

Attempt blocked. Marlon Pack (Bristol City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.

Posted at 48'

Greg Cunningham (Bristol City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Show more updates