‘What went through his head?!’ - Bristol City figure’s verdict on costly Millwall mistake

Ex-Bristol City defender Chris Honor has questioned the part Max O’Leary played in Bristol City’s defeat to Millwall.

The Robins fell to a 2-1 defeat to the Lions on Saturday in a performance that was glittered with errors from the hosts. City fell behind to two defensive errors which gifted the visitors their first away win of the campaign.

Tom Bradshaw opened the scoring in the first-half when O’Leary made a superb reactive save to deny his header but statuesque defending allowed the Welshman to score on the rebound. Bradshaw had not scored a goal all season until he netted at Ashton Gate.

City found themselves back on level terms when Shaun Hutchinson turned a Cameron Pring cross into his own goal. It did not count as a goal on target with there being only one shot on George Long’s goal all afternoon.

Celebrations were short lived however as the key talking point of the match came. A free-kick just over the halfway line was launched into the box and a mix-up between O’Leary and the returning Tomas Kalas gave Zian Flemming the easiest of opportunities to score into an empty net.

O’Leary had came out to punch but was in the same area as Kalas, Alex Scott and Chris Martin, with all four committed to trying to clear away the danger.

“There are times you want your goalkeeper to come and help you,” Honor said on BBC Radio Bristol in the immediate aftermath of the match.

“You don’t want to be challenging for headers underneath your own goal post or underneath your crossbar. You don’t expect the goalkeeper to come to the edge of the box. I don’t know what went through Max O’Leary’s head.

“To rush to the edge of your box to win a cross or a free-kick like that, it’s just not necessary. Let your defenders defend in those areas because no one is going to win and beat you with a header from there. Stay on your goal line, he punched it and dropped it to someone else, a Millwall player who just managed to trickle the ball into an empty net. It was a bit of a sucker punch really and it really hurt.”

Nigel Pearson in his post-match press conference refused to blame the goalkeeper for the goal. He described Millwall’s match-winner as a ‘positive mistake’ and preferred the manner of the goal to the ones conceded at Birmingham City. The 59-year-old claimed he heard O’Leary claim the ball from his technical area and backed his goalkeeper.

O’Leary was given just his second opportunity of the season after playing against Preston North End last Wednesday. He came in for club captain Daniel Bentley who was dropped after several players made errors in the 3-0 defeat at St Andrews, which was the biggest defeat of the season.

The 26-year-old has mainly been an understudy to Bentley during his time at the club but has been given sporadic first-team opportunities. His outing against Preston was his first competitive match since featuring against Swansea City in February.

He is entering the last year of his contract and the arrival of French goalkeeper Stefan Bajic has increased competition for a starting berth. Bajic’s arrival prompted talk of a loan departure to League One but an injury to the Frenchman meant O’Leary was kept to provide cover.

A desire to hold on to the number one jersey whilst trying to cement his long-term future at the club was suggested as a factor by the Republic of Ireland shot-stopper rushing out of his goal.

“I know he’s trying to make a huge impression and he wants to keep a first-team place,” Honor added. “He knows it’s his big chance and could be his only chance to stay at the club and make himself a career here.

“He’s 26-years of age, he’s played 28 games and there is loads of pressure. He’s probably in the dressing room listening to all the team talks about Bentley to claim and own the penalty box.”