Bristol City suffered a defeat for the first time in Roy Hodgson's interim tenure as they were beaten by Norwich City at Ashton Gate
Bristol City "have to digest" that every team they play are as capable of beating them as the Robins are of coming out on top, Roy Hodgson has explained, after his "dream" unbeaten start came to an end against Norwich City.
The Reds suffered their first defeat under the interim management of Hodgson as they were beaten 4-2 by the Canaries at Ashton Gate on Saturday afternoon. A Mohamed Toure hat-trick and a Jose Cordoba header ensured the away side claimed all three points.
City had taken the lead with just a minute played when Sam Morsy slammed home from the edge of the area, but Toure's three goals in the space of 24 second-half minutes and Cordoba's three minutes later ensured Sam Bell's late strike was little more than a consolation.
OPINION
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Though Hodgson felt his side were slightly unfortunate and was eager to praise their efforts despite the scoreline, he conceded that it was the Canaries who were in control for much of the second-half.
"We weren't able to hold onto that one-goal lead [for] long enough, and I think there were signs of them getting stronger even during the first half," the interim head coach explained in his post-match press conference. "When they got that equaliser early in the second half, it bolstered them and encouraged them to keep going because we've got a grip on this game, because they had quite a grip on the game for long periods of the second half.
"All we could do really was to keep going, keep fighting and try to deal with the corner kicks and the balls into the penalty box. Of course, the second goal was a real disappointment in the sense that it came from us trying hard to get a winner.
"We had our centre-backs up quite high and had quite intricate passing play on the right-hand side of their penalty area. But, of course, when the cross was cut out and cleared beyond our midfield players, they were in on goal with a very quick and powerful counter-attack, with these quick and powerful front players they had.
"That was a blow because it meant that now we were facing a bit of an uphill challenge, but I thought the players kept going, and I thought even at 4-1 when another unfortunate goal was conceded from the header and the deflection, they didn't throw in the towel, they kept going."
The Robins entered their meeting with the Canaries on a run of three games without a defeat. Having started Hodgson's tenure with wins over Charlton Athletic and Sheffield United over Easter, City shared the points with QPR in a goalless draw last weekend.
Naturally, such an impressive spell had boosted the mood of both the players and the Reds faithful, who had gone six matches without a win prior to the March international break. Now, though, with just three games left to play this term, they face the prospect of bouncing back once more.
With a tricky test away to Southampton next on the agenda, the feeling is that Saturday's defeat to Norwich will need to be put to bed before the squad travels to the South Coast.
"The players are really disappointed and dejected after the game," Hodgson added to Bristol Live. "I think they had bought into the dream that, right, we've got seven points from three games, this is going to go on and on and on.
"I'm more realistic. I've always known that every team we play against is as capable of beating us as we are of beating them and that's a lesson that they will also have to digest and in particular for the next three games, make sure they put this game to bed in the sense that, okay, an unbeaten run, a dream run ended, but this is the Championship.
"We've got three more Championship games to play, and we've got to get back to doing what we think we need to do to get a result in those games."
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