Bristol City

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Bristol City defender Zak Vyner believes the team's togetherness is a big part of their success this season as they look to move into the top six on Saturday when they face Hull.

The Robins are seventh in the table, level on points with West Brom above them, and pushing for a top six finish in the Championship for the first time since 2007-2008.

"We are together, there's no other way to put it," Vyner - who scored his first goal for almost two years in the 2-0 win against Millwall on Tuesday - told BBC Radio Bristol.

"Whoever comes on the pitch knows what they're doing, if someone makes a mistake the next person is right there to back them up and that's what we're built on, that's the foundations. "

Bristol City have lost only twice in their past 12 league games since the Christmas period to surge into the race for the play-offs.

"We're happy together, we are a real tight-knit unit, we have each other's backs. What stands out his year is in games that don't look like anything happening we still all have the belief on the pitch that something is going to happen and that showed [against Millwall]," Vyner added.

"We're turning those into wins, and that's the difference this year. We are a strong unit and hopefully we can continue the form we're in."

Three precious points are up for grabs for two teams fighting different Championship battles as Hull City head to Bristol City on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

The Robins are seeking a fourth win in five league games and lie seventh, outside the play-off spots on goal difference alone, going into the weekend.

The Tigers picked-up a useful 2-0 win over Plymouth at home on Tuesday night to open-up a five point gap over the relegation places, which is effectively six given their superior goal difference over the bottom-three.

• Bristol City have lost just one of their past 13 league games against Hull City (W7 D5), a 2-1 defeat in July 2022.

• Hull City have won just one of their past 26 away league games against Bristol City since 1965 (D6 L19), with the exception coming in a 2-1 win in October 2012.

• Bristol City have won seven of their past nine league games at Ashton Gate (D1 L1). They have won 53% of their home games this season (9/17), their best ratio in a season since 2014-15 (70%, 16/23).

• Hull's eight away league games under Ruben Selles have seen them win four and lose four. All four victories have come to nil, with the Tigers losing their past seven away games when they've conceded.

• George Earthy's brace against Middlesbrough gave Bristol City a 2-1 win in their last game at Ashton Gate. He was the youngest player (20 years, 169 days) to score twice in a Championship game for the Robins since Tammy Abraham in April 2017 versus Wolves (19 years, 188 days).

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Bristol City manager Liam Manning said he had been badgering Zak Vyner about his lack of goals before the centre-back scored the opener in the 2-0 win at Millwall, his first for nearly two years.

Manning told BBC Radio Bristol: "It was long overdue from Zak, right! I've been giving him a lot of stick about it. He gets credit for the job he does but you need everyone to chip in so I'm delighted he got the goal."

The manager was pleased with a performance that puts the Robins level with sixth-placed West Bromwich Albion on points, adding: "Credit to the lads. When you look at their attitude, their desire to defend, and the way they found a way to win, the maturity … there were so many positives to take out of it.

"The first 35 minutes we controlled the game, dampened the noise and managed the game how we wanted it. We spoke about how hard it is to come here and that we'd need to earn the right to make the game look like how we want and we did it right for 35 minutes.

"The last 10 minutes of the first half we became a little bit passive, and the second half was a battle, won by a set piece and a moment of quality."

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Bristol City assistant coach Chris Hogg has heaped praise on midfielder George Earthy following the West Ham loanee's first goals for the club.

Earthy opened his City account in memorable fashion by scoring both of the Robins' goals in the recent 2-1 win over Middlesbrough.

Before Tuesday's trip to Millwall, Hogg said he had enjoyed working with Earthy since the 20-year-old's arrival at Ashton Gate in August.

"I don't think he's stopped smiling to be honest with you," Hogg told BBC Radio Bristol.

"He's a beautiful kid, a great lad, and he's such a pleasure to work with, the effort and the quality he brings.

"He's a credit to his parents and a credit to the system he's come through at West Ham with his behaviour."

Hogg also confirmed the Robins have no fresh injury concerns for the trip to The Den.

"The lads have been great this week and we're running as we were for the Millwall game," he added.

Millwall return to Championship action on Tuesday (19:45 GMT) as Bristol City visit The Den.

Alex Neil's side have collected 14 points from their past seven games and could close the gap on the play-off places to four points with a win.

The Robins sit three places higher in 9th and could go level on points with sixth-placed West Bromwich Albion if they can end their away-day hoodoo - their last road win came at Norwich on 9 November.

• Millwall have lost just one of their past five home league meetings with Bristol City (W2 D2), though that sole defeat did come last season in their opening home fixture of the Championship season (0-1).

• After beating Millwall 4-3 in the reverse fixture in August, Bristol City will be looking to complete a first league double over the Lions since the 2011-12 season.

• Millwall have won four of their past seven league games (D2 L1), this following a run of just one win in their 13 matches prior (D6 L6).

• Bristol City have failed to win each of their last nine away league games (D5 L4), drawing each of the last three; the Robins haven't drawn four straight on the road since New Year's Day 2007, the last of which came in East London against Leyton Orient.

• Bristol City striker Nahki Wells scored five goals in six league appearances against Millwall during his time at Huddersfield and QPR, but has since failed to score in all eight of his league outings against the Lions for the Robins.

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Bristol City owner Steve Lansdown has defended technical director Brian Tinnion, saying he's been a big part of the club's progression.

Tinnion came under fire from some Robins fans as the club made no signings during the transfer window, with four players leaving Ashton Gate on loan and Tommy Backwell joining Cheltenham on a permanent deal, despite City being on the fringes of the Championship play-off race.

Lansdown told BBC Radio Bristol criticism was "part of football" but added: "Tinns has been with us for a long time. I made him manager, I sacked him as manager, he's come back in to get involved with the academy and recruitment which is what he really loves doing, he's brilliant at it.

"He's not somebody who sits on a board and makes financial or contract decisions, he's very much the football guru we turn to for an opinion.

"He does a great job, he works so hard. He's an easy target for people to say 'things aren't going right, let's blame Brian Tinnion,' but things wouldn't be going so well if it weren't for Brian Tinnion, that's what people have got to remember.

"You're not going to get every decision right, but as long as you get more decisions right than wrong you'll be ok."

A last-gasp equaliser at Cardiff kept the Robins outside the top-six, though they bounced back with two late goals to beat Middlesbrough on Friday night.

"We are making progress and I think that's the thing," Lansdown added. "I know sometimes it's not quick enough and there's frustration when you're four minutes away from being in the top six and then you're not, but you've got to take those blows – we're still in the hunt and that's the key."

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Bristol City manager Liam Manning says he wants players and fans to "be excited" about their league position as they moved into the top six of the Championship for the first time this season following their 2-1 win against Middlesbrough.

George Earthy's double in the second half saw the Robins come from behind to move up to sixth, although he relayed caution with 12 games still go play.

"Let's see what it looks like in 12 [games]. Enjoy the journey, be excited, you want fans to be buzzing about it, and rightly so and I want the lads to be excited about it," Manning told BBC Radio Bristol.

Manning stressed his side showcased a "large element" of the type of play he wants them to always look like, as they came from behind to seal the victory.

"If I think about what I want our team to look like there was a large element of that out there tonight," he said.

"I thought we pressed terrifically well, we were aggressive on the halfway line to win duals, headers, controlled second balls, we kept the ball but a real purpose – we didn't just swing it across the pitch and not progress, we moved it across the pitch, got in the wide areas of the box, asked questions and for me that was an excellent performance tonight."

Bristol City welcome Middlesbrough to Ashton Gate on Friday night (19:45 GMT) for a clash between two sides hoping to make the Championship play-offs.

The Robins are eighth, two points off the top six, but have won just two of their past seven games (D3 L2).

A run of four straight defeats for Boro and only two wins from their previous 11 matches (D4 L5) has seen them slip to 11th, four points behind West Bromwich Albion in sixth.

• Bristol City have won each of their past three league games against Middlesbrough, last enjoying a longer winning run against Boro between 2012 and 2017 (five wins).

• Middlesbrough have failed to win any of their past three away league games against Bristol City (D1 L2), conceding 2+ goals in each. Boro last failed to win on more visits to Ashton Gate between 1977 and 1993 (seven games).

• Bristol City have won five of their past six home league games (L1), keeping four clean sheets during that time.

• Middlesbrough have lost each of their past three away league games and will be looking to avoid losing four in succession for the first time since September 2023 (a run of five).

• Across Middlesbrough's past five Championship games, they've scored with four of their 23 shots from outside the box (17%) but only scored with two of their 42 shots from inside the box (5%).

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Bristol City host a familiar face on Friday - only this time former Robins forward Tommy Conway will be hoping visitors Middlesbrough come out victorious.

The 22-year-old came through City's youth ranks and played alongside Nahki Wells at senior level, with the Bermudian becoming something of a mentor to him during their time together at the Championship club.

Conway departed for Middlesbrough last summer, becoming a regular member of Boro's starting XI and scoring eight goals in 23 games for Michael Carrick's side.

The nature of Conway's exit is likely to mean he is greeted with a hostile welcome by the Ashton Gate faithful.

"He'll be chomping at the bit, naturally, and the same for us, wanting to stop one of their talismen in Tommy," Wells told BBC Radio Bristol. "There's a good friendship there, we still speak."

Conway had missed six games because of a hamstring issue following Middlesbrough's draw on 26 December with Sheffield Wednesday.

He made his return in February and played his first full 90 minutes last time out against Watford, though the Boro forward has so far only seen defeat upon his return.

"Unfortunately, or for us, fortunately, he has been out, which has probably coincided with a bit of their form because he's one of the danger men," Wells added.

"But he's back fit and he's one we are going to have to keep an eye out on and be wary of his threat.

"At the end of the day, on Friday it's a game and we are playing against them - all the friendship goes out the window until the final whistle blows."

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Bristol City boss Liam Manning hit out at the "ridiculous" recent fixtures schedule following his side's 1-1 draw at Cardiff City.

The Robins were playing their fourth game of the month, from which they have picked up five points to lie eighth in the table, two points outside the play-off places.

"I think the schedule is quite neglectful for the players, it becomes quite dangerous," Manning told BBC Radio Bristol.

"Energy wise we were a little bit flat at times, especially first half, hence we made the changes to try and bring a bit of energy into the team.

"We did well to get ahead and then it becomes about how you manage the game. When we drop points, it tends to be away from home and we've just got to keep the ball better, rather than sitting that deep.

"At Championship level, you should never take points for granted. It's another game unbeaten his week and it's now about taking the learning from it and taking it into Friday (against Middlesbrough).

Manning lost Ross McCrorie with a hamstring "twinge" just before the hour.

"To go Sunday, Wednesday and Saturday, you run that risk, you're exposing players, it's dangerous and I just don't get it," he added.