By Our Sports Reporter at The Valley
ROY HODGSON proved that class is permanent as he rolled back the years to inspire a Good Friday resurrection for Bristol City.
The veteran boss, making his highly-anticipated return to the Robins’ dugout, ended a dismal six-game winless run by snatching a 2-1 victory over a shell-shocked Charlton Athletic at The Valley. It wasn’t just a win; it was a tactical masterclass from the oldest head in the game.
The star of the show, SCOTT TWINE, wasted no time in showing why he’s the Robins’ creative heartbeat. Just 11 minutes in, Twine latched onto a slick pass from Max Bird and lashed a clinical finish home to silence the home crowd.
Charlton, to their credit, didn’t lie down. Lyndon Dykes proved he’s still a handful at this level, hauling the Addicks level on the half-hour mark after some clever interplay with Charlie Kelman. Dykes’ effort clipped the post before trickling in, giving the London faithful hope of a turnaround.
But the second half belonged to the Red side of Bristol and a new hero in the making.
EILE’S MOMENT
The decisive blow came in the 56th minute. Twine, involved in everything good for the visitors, whipped in a treacherous free-kick that Charlton keeper Will Mannion could only parry.
Like a predator sensing blood, January signing NOAH EILE was the quickest to react. The former New York Red Bulls man bundled the ball home from point-blank range to notch his first goal for the club—and what a time to get it.
VITEK THE WALL
Charlton threw the kitchen sink at it late on, but they found a human wall in RADEK VITEK. The towering keeper produced a “how-did-he-do-that” save in stoppage time to deny Joe Rankin-Costello and ensure Roy’s return was a golden one.
While Charlton wonder where it all went wrong, the 2,400 travelling City fans are heading back down the M4 dreaming of a late-season surge. For Hodgson, it was just another day at the office.
CHARLTON (4-4-2): Mannion 5, Ramsay 6, Mitchell 6, Gillesphey 5, Edwards 6, Docherty 6, Coventry 7, Anderson 6, Campbell 5, Kelman 7, DYKES 7.
BRISTOL CITY (4-2-3-1): VITEK 8, McCrorie 6 (Morsy 7), EILE 8, Borges 7, Sykes 7, Knight 7, Randell 6, Pring 6, Bird 7, TWINE 9, Riis 6.