Johnson delight with win

Johnson: Delight

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Bristol City manager Gary Johnson hailed his side after they claimed a 1-0 win at Crystal Palace.

The Robins - who have been sucked towards the wrong end of the table in recent times and were on the end of a 5-2 home hammering to Doncaster at the weekend - bounced back in fine style at Selhurst Park.

The only goal came just 12-minutes from time when Chris Iwelumo volleyed home from just inside the box.

"It's not just the bouncing back that's delighted me," Johnson said. "It's the nature of the performance as well.

"We felt we had to win all our battles over the field and then try and play our football and the tactic worked very well for us on the day.

"Our club is not bad at coming back from adversity.

"We have a good group of honest lads and it hurts them when they lose a game and today they proved how much it hurt them on Saturday."

Johnson reserved special praise for Scotland international Iwelumo after the on-loan Wolves striker's winner.

"I had just called Chris over and told him I was bringing him off soon and that he needed a bit of magic in the next five minutes," he said.

"He said 'alright' and went and produced it but that's Premier League players for you."

Hart defeat

New Palace boss Paul Hart tasted defeat for the first time following victory in his opening match at the weekend.

"I thought as good as were on Saturday, we were equally as bad tonight," he said.

"We looked a bit weary, which is understandable with what the players have had to put up with and what they have gone through.

"But you do know they have got it well within them to bounce back.

"We have to recover properly, rest and get ready for the next one.

"I have just said to them in the dressing room, 'look this is us, there's no more coming in and there is definitely no-one going so it is me and you and that's it, that's what we have got'.

"I said we have got seven weeks and there's three that go down, so if you finish fourth bottom you have achieved.

"In mid-season when you get thrown with a points deduction like that it is a real kick on the nether regions. They have had to cope with it and it's not always easy - even for strong players like ours."