Bristol City manager Steve Cotterill has hailed the performance of Luke Ayling after his late goal secured a 2-1 win at Crawley Town.

Anthony Wordsworth's 60th-minute goal looked to have denied the Robins three points, until Ayling stepped up to keep City 10 points clear of Preston North End at the top of League One.

Cotterill has admitted that his team were made to work hard for their victory.

He is quoted by the club's official Twitter feed as saying: "It was a hard-fought win. In the second half we were by far the better team.

"We spoke about their zones and Luke was obviously listening; the delivery was great. I thought Luke Ayling was outstanding today."

"We've come to a tough place where Preston and MK Dons slipped up. It isn't easy. It was a battle."

City next travel to bottom-of-the-table Yeovil Town on Tuesday evening.