Football Struber rues his side's bad luck after key decisions go against City

GERHARD Struber shared his verdict on two decisions that went against Bristol City in their defeat to Queens Park Rangers, admitting it was "painful" that the officials had a major impact on the result at Ashton Gate.

- Dan CARTER

City headed into the October international break with their second defeat of the Championship season after they conceded twice in the second half to lose 2-1 to QPR on Saturday. Emil Riis gave City the lead in the first half, but goals from Richard Kone and Paul Smyth ensured the Dane's header mattered little.

Riis opened the scoring with 32 minutes played when he rose highest to nod Neto Borges' chipped ball back across goal and into the top left corner. The Robins had chances to further extend their advantage, but it was the away side who scored next when Kone smashed in from close range after 66 minutes.

Just 18 minutes later, Smyth scored what proved to be the winner when he looped a header up and over Radek Vitek to find the back of the net. As the substitute celebrated, Ross McCrorie was left in a heap on the floor in the area, with the Scotsman feeling he had been pushed by the away side's goalscorer.

The referee was not interested in the wing-back's appeal or the arguments of his City teammates when, a matter of minutes later, they felt they should have been