Kenyan defender dealt Premier League promotion blow as Bristol City lose to Milwall

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FOOTBALL Kenyan defender dealt Premier League promotion blow as Bristol City lose to Milwall

Mark Kinyanjui 21:00 - 01.01.2024

The Harambee Stars prospect, who is the reigning Bristol City player of the season, could not do much to help save his side from defeat

Harambee Stars prospect Zak Vyner Obiero’s Bristol City were dealt a huge blow as they lost 1-0 to Millwal in a Championship club, dimming their Premier League promotion hopes even more.

Obiero, who is the reigning Bristol City player of the season, played on the right side of a two-man partnership, and did have a decent individual display, but the same could not be said about the final result.

Millwall’s Shaun Hutchinson volleyed home in stoppage time to give the Lions all three points and cap a successful festive period in which they have gone unbeaten in five games.

Jason Knight saw a header saved for the Robins in the first half in the hosts' only real chance of the match.

The loss ends Bristol City's four-game unbeaten run and sees them drop three places to 11th in the table, while Millwall rise to 15th.

After Bristol City ended 2023 with a goalless draw away to Birmingham in which there were no shots on target by either team, the New Year's Day match looked to be going the same way for the Robins in a largely lacklustre game with minimal chances.

It was far from a thrilling first half as Millwall, with five across the back, seemed content to sit back and let Bristol City have most of the ball.

The best and only real chance of the half fell to Bristol City's Knight, who headed down a cross from Joe Williams but Matija Sarkic got down well to stop it from creeping inside the post.

Millwall's attacking threat grew after the break and they looked the only side capable of scoring as the hosts failed to trouble Sarkic at all during the second 45 minutes.

Murray Wallace sent a header over the bar and Brooke Norton Cuffy forced Max O'Leary into a rare save while Rob Dickie cleared a header off the line from Hutchinson.

But the defender finally got the ball in the net for his first goal in almost three years after the 90 minutes was up, turning in the box as a cross came in to strike the ball beyond O'Leary into the bottom corner to continue Millwall's upturn in results.

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