‘The main man...’ - Bristol City favourite highlights player who made difference in PNE win

Ex-Bristol City defender Chris Honor has put praise on the performance of defender Timm Klose in the 2-1 win over Preston North End at Ashton Gate on Wednesday.

Klose was making his first appearance of the season after overcoming a series of injuries. The Switzerland international had been given an opportunity by Nigel Pearson and he grasped the opportunity with both hands.

Honor, who began his career with the Robins and made 60 appearances in six years, was fairly complimentary of the 34-year-old. Klose started in the centre of the back three with two-goal hero Rob Atkinson on the left of him and Zak Vyner on the right.

Klose was starting in the absence of Kal Naismith who has been out with a calf injury. He was preferred ahead of Andy King who had been deployed as a central defender for the last two matches. The six foot three defender was influential in City seeing out the victory against the Lilywhites after initially letting slip of a lead after Andrew Hughes’ equaliser.

Asked on his opinion of Klose whilst appearing as a pundit on BBC Radio Bristol, he responded with: “Fantastic, especially towards the end when they went very direct. He must have won four or five headers on the trot where he towered above their forward and took the pressure off Bristol City.

“He was great, he exudes that confidence of someone with the experience that he has. He’s got loads of previous success in the Championship and there was a time where Bristol City scored to go 2-1 up. He called all the players and he was the main man.

“He was a big voice amongst the group and said ‘listen guys, this is the big push, this is a really important seven minutes’. We can summarise what he said or what he was saying but he was using his experience and his reputation to draw everyone in. I thought he was awesome this evening and I thought he was well supported by the other two lads as well.”

Ghana international Antoine Semenyo also earned praise from the former Airdrieonians and Cardiff City defender. Semenyo was partnered alongside Tommy Conway with Nahki Wells dropping to the bench.

Semenyo started the match for just the second time this season after dropping to the bench against Birmingham. The 22-year–old didn’t get on the score sheet or register a goal contribution but had a few moments of quality which caught the eye.

Honor added: “At one point I thought he did some amazing things that no other player on that pitch can do. He’s drifted past people, used his body.

“The one he fired over the crossbar from a really narrow angle was a real fire cracker. Had it been on target it would have gone past the goalkeeper without him knowing.”