Bristol City Shows Resilience with 1-0 Win Over Watford

Michael Skubala hailed Bristol City's resilience after they ground out a 1-0 win over Watford, describing the response to back-to-back defeats as a marker of the squad’s character.

"I'm really proud of the boys, it's not easy to go off two losses and to bounce back," the City boss told BBC Radio Bristol, reflecting on a performance built on discipline without the ball and bravery with it. "I thought they showed some good moments, some real character to defend well at times, to attack the game."

Skubala shuffled his pack, handing minutes to players who have spent much of the early season watching on. The gamble paid off.

"Lots of changes for the lads that haven't played many minutes – I thought they showed today as a good group, a true group and a squad," he said. "We have to be proud of the guys, who have come in and put a performance in, who haven't had so many minutes but we're going to need them all."

The clean sheet mattered almost as much as the three points. City have leaked too many goals for Skubala’s liking, and he set his players a clear target before kick-off.

"The lads were challenged with getting a clean sheet because we haven't had enough of them," he added. "I'm really proud of that because it just shows the growth we're going through."

A narrow win, but a significant one for a side trying to harden its edge and trust its depth.