Bristol City manager Nigel Pearson bemoaned his side’s poor defending as they slipped to a 3-2 Championship defeat to Huddersfield.
Andreas Weimann put City ahead after just two minutes but goals from Duane Holmes, Danel Sinani and Danny Ward, who also missed a penalty, turned it around for the visitors.
Weimann added a second for the hosts in the seventh minute of stoppage time after the game had been held up by crowd trouble when missiles were thrown onto the pitch as Huddersfield prepared to take a corner.
Pearson said: “We were very poor through the middle and if you concede goals like we did you are not going to win games.
“At times we showed courage on the ball and caused them problems, but the defending through the middle let us down.
“The stoppage in the second half was the same for both teams and not a reason why we didn’t get back into the game.
“Our home form had been improving and we will only know how big a setback this is at the end of the season.
“We certainly have to defend better if we are to make progress.”
Weimann gave City the perfect start, tapping into an empty net from Antoine Semenyo’s low cross inside two minutes.
Three minutes later City goalkeeper Dan Bentley saved a Ward spot-kick after Zak Vyner fouled Lewis O’Brien inside the box.
The visitors struck blows either side of half-time, Holmes getting the equaliser in the 41st minute and Sinani firing them in front a minute after the break.
Ward made it 3-1 after 55 minutes, heading in a deflected cross from Sorba Thomas. And it was not until the death that Weimann reduced the deficit from a Semenyo cross.
Huddersfield boss Carlos Corberan praised his side’s character after they won away from home for the first time since September.
Corberan said: “It was a performance of great character. We could have been badly affected by conceding an early goal and missing a penalty.
“Instead, we responded positively to get a really important result, not least because it was away from home.
“It was good for Danny Ward to score after having his penalty saved and the character of the whole team was challenged by the way we started the game.
“We hadn’t won away for a while and the dynamic of the team is suddenly different as a result of this victory.
“It was achieved by overcoming the difficulties we faced at the start. You either do that or let those difficulties knock you down.
“We needed to reverse the dynamic of our recent form and that is another reason why the result is so important.”
Bristol City issued a statement following the disturbances in the crowd during the second half.
Referee Dean Whitestone signalled both teams to go to their respective dug-outs after missiles were thrown and the action was held up for around five minutes.
The statement read: “Bristol City condemns the behaviour that led to a stoppage in play.
“An individual was immediately ejected and handed over to police following the incident, in which objects were thrown at a Huddersfield player.
“Such behaviour is unacceptable and will be dealt with in the strongest manner.”
Pearson declined to elaborate on the statement after the game beyond saying: “It is not the sort of thing we want to see.”
Corberan added: “The referee told us he had stopped the game for the safety of the players.
“There were no comments I was aware of directed at my players. It was the throwing of missiles that was the problem.”
