Bristol City exorcised their play-off demons in spectacular fashion with a ruthless 4-1 victory over Sheffield United at Bramall Lane, as Scott Twine produced a devastating all-round display on the opening day of the Championship season. Twine struck twice, including a trademark free-kick, and was heavily involved in the other two goals as Gerhard Struber enjoyed a dream start to his reign and the Robins avenged last season's 6-0 aggregate semi-final defeat to the Blades.
For Ruben Selles, stepping into the shoes of club legend Chris Wilder, it was a nightmare first league game in charge. United dominated long spells of the contest and at times produced scintillating attacking football, but a combination of defensive frailty, basic errors in possession and Bristol City's clinical counter-attacking meant Tyrese Campbell's equaliser was ultimately a mere consolation. By full-time, a disbelieving home crowd greeted the whistle with boos as Selles held an immediate on-pitch inquest with his players.
Twine's early magic and a flowing Blades response
The contest was only five minutes old when Twine, operating in the pockets between United's defence and midfield, delivered the first decisive blow. Awarded a free-kick 25 yards from goal, the attacking midfielder curled a right-footed effort over the wall and into the top corner, leaving Michael Cooper rooted to the spot. It was an effort that underlined why, over the past five seasons, Twine has built a remarkable record of 26 goals from outside the box, 16 of them from free-kicks.