BOTH managers played down a tunnel dust-up involving Socceroo Nicky Carle at the end of a highly competitive Championship battle between Bristol City and Crystal Palace.
Angry words were exchanged as the players left the field following City's 1-0 win with Palace's former City midfielder Carle in the midst of it.
But Gary Johnson and Neil Warnock were determined to present a united front at their later press conferences.
City boss Johnson said: "Some of the players had handbags for Christmas and were anxious to show them off.
"You have to be prepared to battle with Palace for 90 minutes and right until you reach the dressing rooms.
"No one wanted to be a shrinking violet. We were strong in the game from the first whistle and that pleased me as much as anything."
Palace manager Warnock was unusually restrained about the tunnel incident.
"I think one of their players decided to throw a bottle in the direction of Nick Carle and I was hoping he would chest it down," he said.
"I just got in between people and it was soon all over. I just wished the stewarding was better here because I seem to get assaulted every time I come, either on the pitch or off it!
"Seriously, I have no complaints. We had a poor first half hour and I feared we might be overrun. I was pleased to get in at half-time only 1-0 down.
"But we had chances in the second half and you could see they haven't been doing well at home by the celebrations at the end."
Nicky Maynard, who took just 23 seconds to score in City's Boxing Day victory at Watford, was positively tardy by that standard this time.
It took him all of 90 seconds to beat Palace keeper Julian Speroni with a swerving shot from the edge of the box after being set up by Stern John.
City dominated the first period, but both sides hit the woodwork before the break.
The home side were unlucky when Ivan Sproule produced a fierce angled drive on 32 minutes and saw the ball rebound off the far post.
Three minutes before the break Palace should have equalised. But Lee Hills contrived to rattle the crossbar when in yards of space inside the City box.
Carle was the biggest threat for Palace after the break. His 48th minute free-kick from 20-yards brought a flying save from City keeper Adriano Basso.
And 15 minutes from time it was Carle again who almost salvaged a point with a close-range effort which somehow managed to block on the line with his legs.
It was only City's third home win in the Championship this season, but it built on their win at Watford and suggested they could yet feature in the play-off race.
But Gary Johnson and Neil Warnock were determined to present a united front at their later press conferences.
City boss Johnson said: "Some of the players had handbags for Christmas and were anxious to show them off.
"You have to be prepared to battle with Palace for 90 minutes and right until you reach the dressing rooms.
"No one wanted to be a shrinking violet. We were strong in the game from the first whistle and that pleased me as much as anything."
Palace manager Warnock was unusually restrained about the tunnel incident.
"I think one of their players decided to throw a bottle in the direction of Nick Carle and I was hoping he would chest it down," he said.
"I just got in between people and it was soon all over. I just wished the stewarding was better here because I seem to get assaulted every time I come, either on the pitch or off it!
"Seriously, I have no complaints. We had a poor first half hour and I feared we might be overrun. I was pleased to get in at half-time only 1-0 down.
"But we had chances in the second half and you could see they haven't been doing well at home by the celebrations at the end."
Nicky Maynard, who took just 23 seconds to score in City's Boxing Day victory at Watford, was positively tardy by that standard this time.
It took him all of 90 seconds to beat Palace keeper Julian Speroni with a swerving shot from the edge of the box after being set up by Stern John.
City dominated the first period, but both sides hit the woodwork before the break.
The home side were unlucky when Ivan Sproule produced a fierce angled drive on 32 minutes and saw the ball rebound off the far post.
Three minutes before the break Palace should have equalised. But Lee Hills contrived to rattle the crossbar when in yards of space inside the City box.
Carle was the biggest threat for Palace after the break. His 48th minute free-kick from 20-yards brought a flying save from City keeper Adriano Basso.
And 15 minutes from time it was Carle again who almost salvaged a point with a close-range effort which somehow managed to block on the line with his legs.
It was only City's third home win in the Championship this season, but it built on their win at Watford and suggested they could yet feature in the play-off race.
Copyright (c) Press Association
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