BROOKER PRIZE

STEVE BROOKER proved the Robins are no flash in the pan outfit with a dramatic late winner.

Gary Johnson's men suffered the heartache of losing out to Hull in May's Play-off final just 12 months after jumping into the Championship.

And the Bristol City boss feared his players may succumb to second-season syndrome as they faced up to Simon Grayson's rebuilt Blackpool side.

But Brooker climbed off the bench to net an 89th-minute winner from the tightest of angles, slamming a fierce shot past the Seasiders' motionless keeper.

It was a sickening blow for the home side as they were punished for failing to clear Lee Johnson's free-kick at the end of a game where the defence had barely put a foot wrong.

Boss Johnson lavished praise on the injury-prone Brooker, pushed down the pecking order by the summer arrival of Nicky Maynard for a club-record £2.25million fee from Crewe.

Johnson said: "This is the longest time Steve has been fit. He has had a great pre-season and looked really sharp.

"That is why I put him on the bench. He scored with a quality strike and when you see them go in, you realise what a pity it was he's been out so often.

"I said to him he'd get a chance and to stick it away and he did.

"His goal means we have got a great result.

"I have tried to pick the lads up a bit from last season and this result has certainly put a smile on their faces.

"We are celebrating like we have won the league, but the lads are happy with this win."

Blackpool paid dearly for failing to take their chances with Ben Burgess the main culprit for frittering away openings. And his boss Grayson said: "It's frustrating to lose any game in the last minute but it's more frustrating because of the way we played and the chances we created.

"We dominated against a team that was one win away from being in the Premier League last season.

"It was a positive performance and the only thing missing was the goals.

"But we've got three strikers in the treatment room so I'm still positive."

Brooker's goal overshadowed the debut of Maynard, whose big day out at the seaside ended with a red face - and it was nothing to do with the sun.

The young hotshot arrived with a scoring record of 34 goals in 52 games at Crewe.

With that kind of strike rate, he would have expected to nod in to an empty net when the ball dropped to him in the second half.

It should have been a case of thank you and good night, but he angled his header wide of the post from six yards for a miss that will soon be featuring prominently on the bloopers reel.

He was not the only striker suffering from the yips in front of goal though with Burgess missing FIVE opportunities to score.

In a town of penny arcades and slot machines, Burgess was more Pewter Shot than Golden.

The best of his chances came courtesy of debutant Mo Camara's cross from the left that he clipped over the bar from close range in the 20th minute.

But the giant hitman also missed with two headers before smashing a shot straight at substitute keeper Chris Weale.

City also lived dangerously before they nicked the winner with Cole Skuse and Weale combing to deny Keith Southern a deserved goal.

A bright spot for Grayson was the display of midfielder Adam Hammill, signed on a season's loan from Liverpool.

His pace and trickery caused Bristol all manner of problems.

He was denied a terrific debut goal by a great save from Weale after beating three defenders.