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Liam Manning is looking to guide Bristol City to the play-offs [PA Media]
Bristol City have to "control their heads" for the final five games of the season, says manager Liam Manning, after they moved up to fifth in the table following a last-gasp win against rivals West Brom.
Haydon Roberts scored the 96th-minute winning goal to seal a 2-1 victory for the Robins and open up a six-point gap over their opponents - and four points on Coventry in seventh.
"The noise will get greater but we have to make sure we control our heads and where we're at," Manning told BBC Radio Bristol.
"The lads are in a good spot, the key is we haven't done anything yet. We'll enjoy tonight, special moment for everybody, but we'll wake up tomorrow and we have to back it up on Saturday, that's the key bit."
City's home form has helped them storm up the Championship table through the second part of the season.
The West Brom win stretched their run to one defeat in 13 games at Ashton Gate - 10 of those have been wins.
Manning was appointed in November 2023 and, after seeing the side finish 11th last season, he believes they are now reaping the rewards of their time working together.
City have not finished in the top six of the second tier since the 2007-08 season, when they were beaten by Hull in the play-off final.
"It's taken a bit of time but we've not wavered, we've stuck together, we've kept working on how we believe we want the team to play and that takes time," Manning said.
"I think we live in an impatient time where everybody wants things instantly, but you talk about aligning a group of 25 players, that takes time.
"The lads have really bought in, turned up, worked as hard as they can."
City travel to QPR on Saturday for their next match before facing Sunderland at home on Good Friday, Luton and Leeds away on 21 and 28 April, and then Preston at home on the final day of the campaign.
Manning said the side have no time to dwell on the win and have "to be relentless".
"One of the group's biggest strengths is how we respond game to game, not getting high, not getting low," Manning said.
"You see that in the group how we responded from Burnley to Watford, how we responded from Watford to [West Brom]. We have to take each game as it is."
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