Robins goalscorer lifts lid on his recent tough spell

SINCLAIR Armstrong has admitted that the past few months have “been so tough” and tested his faith, but the Bristol City forward was incredibly grateful for the “beautiful” reaction inside Ashton Gate after his goal against Birmingham City.

- DANIEL CARTER

Bristol City's Sinclair Armstrong challenges Birmingham City's Phil Neumann during Saturday's Championship clash at Ashton Gate

(SmartFrame/Pro Sports Images)

Armstrong scored what proved to be the winner in BS3 on Saturday afternoon as the Reds stretched their winning run after the October international break to three games. The Ireland international’s 42nd-minute strike was his first goal of the season and Gerhard Struber’s tenure, as well as his first since November of last year - when he scored the fourth ina 4-0 win over Plymouth Argyle.

Prior to the October international break, all of the 22-year-old’s league minutes had come from the substitutes bench, where he had often struggled to make an impact and split the opinion of supporters - as demonstrated during the club's recent fans forum.

Since the Robins returned to domestic action against Norwich City, however, the former QPR forward has reached a new level, with his goal against Chris Davies’ Blues the icing on the cake after bright cameo appearances against both the Canaries and Southampton.

Speaking to BBC Radio Bristol after the Reds’ win over Birmingham, Armstrong said: “I can only thank God first and foremost. I think obviously these past few months have been so tough. I think my faith has been tested a lot, but I’m just glad that I’ve just been able to kind of persevere through these challenges.