Bristol City vs Luton Town FC (26th Dec 2024)

26/12/2024 Bristol City 1-0 Luton Town

Town fall to narrow defeat

Stunning finish from Scott Twine the difference as Hatters defeat on the road once more

There was no festive cheer on the road for the Town as they lost for the eighth consecutive time away from Kenilworth Road in the Championship.

In an otherwise poor spectacle low on chances, the Hatters’ fate was sealed by a moment of brilliance from Bristol City forward Scott Twine whose blast from the edge of the box 90 seconds into the second half gave the home side all three points.

A leveller almost came with the last chance of the game when Cauley Woodrow’s well-struck effort was stopped by home goalkeeper Max O’Leary.

Defeat left the Town without a point on their travels since the win at Millwall in September but in truth a point a piece would have been fair after this 90 minutes at Ashton Gate.

Clear-cut opportunities for both sides were a real premium in a first half that City started the brighter.

But as the half wore on, the Town grew into the game, pushing the hosts on the backfoot. On 38 minutes Elijah Adebayo used his pace and power to motor past Luke McNally and into the box. However his cut-back was swept wide of the target by Tom Krauß.

As half-time approached, Jordan Clark’s long-range curler was held by O’Leary and Twine tested Kaminski with a direct free-kick in stoppage time.

However, at the start of the second half, Twine got the better of Kaminski with an emphatic finish. City played a quick free-kick down the right and fed Twine on the edge of the box. The forward, known for his ability from range, took a touch before firing an unstoppable effort into the top corner to give the Robins the lead.

It was a goal that lit up Ashton Gate and the forward thought he should have had a penalty with 22 minutes left when going down under Tom Holmes’ challenge.

Chances in either penalty area continued to be at a premium as Rob Edwards made a number of substitutions in a bid to swing momentum into the Hatters’ favour.

That included 19-year-old Josh Phillips, a winger who scored a double hat-trick for the development squad before Christmas. And the youngster almost conjured an equaliser in the fourth minute of added time when his dangerous left-wing cross was desperately cleared by the home side.

As time ticked into the sixth and final minute of added time the Hatters had one final chance. The Town moved it patiently and accurately from the right with Joe Taylor heavily involved. The ball rolled into the path of Woodrow on the edge of the box. The forward hit a sweet effort goalwards but O’Leary was there to paw the ball away to safety.

Woodrow won a free-kick on the right flank for one last chance which saw Kaminski head into the Robins’ box – but City cleared and that was that.

Town: Kaminski, Moses (sub Nelson 79), Chong, Johnson (sub Phillips 88), McGuinness, Holmes, Mpanzu (sub Woodrow 70), Krauß (sub Taylor 88), Clark, Morris, Adebayo.

Subs not used: Krul, Andersen, Nakamba, Pieters, Hashioka.

Attendance: 21,828, including 1,037 Hatters in the away end.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_enfjngby2E – Rob Edwards interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4bjmiRuXic – Match highlights

Twine's moment of magic condemns Luton to an eighth successive away defeat

Championship: Bristol City 1 Luton Town 0

Luton failed to mark manager Rob Edwards' 100th game in charge by ending their simply terrible away form as they suffered an eighth straight defeat on the road when going down to a narrow defeat at Bristol City this afternoon.

Yet again it was a game in which there wasn't a great deal between the sides but once more Town paid the price for the only time they really switched off, breached just 90 seconds into the second half by Scott Twine's cracking strike from outside the box which was to proved the decider.

The Hatters never seriously looking like drawing level in a game that was lacking in any genuine quality until stoppage time when substitute Cauley Woodrow's effort was saved. Edwards made two changes for the Boxing Day contest, Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu rewarded for his cameo in the 2-1 win over Derby County with a first league start since the 2-0 Premier League loss at Arsenal in April, with youngster Joe Johnson included, the last time he began against Burnley on the opening day.

That meant Mads Andersen dropped to the bench, joined by the fit-again Daiki Hashioka and young winger Josh Phillips, with Jacob Brown out injured. After an early Jordan Clark corner was claimed by Max O'Leary, it was the Robins who showed first, Fally Mayulu's 20-yard attempt thudding comfortably into the midriff of visiting stopper Thomas Kaminski.

Town had clearly come into the game looking to draw any sting out of the Robins, as they had the majority of possession in a quiet opening 15 minutes, neither side really threatening breaking the deadlock. The lack of any meaningful action to rouse those inside Ashton Gate from their Christmas Day slumbers continued for up until the half hour mark, and for the majority of a fixture that will never go down as a festive cracker, Twine dragging well wide from range as the only thing that required noting down.

With Town entering a dangerous phase of the game they usually then concede out of nothing, but Edwards' men actually upped the tempo themselves, Tahith Chong able to fashion a cross from the left which saw Elijah Adebayo's header bounce wide, Jordan Clark's follow-up delivery plucked out of the sky by O'Leary. Tom Krauß had calls for a penalty when flattened inside the area after trying to burst on to his own touch, referee Peter Bankes adjudging it was an accidental collision.

Luton then had their best chance of the game on 37 minutes when Adebayo did impressively on the right to beat his man and reach the by-line, looking up to pull back a fine cross for the onrushing Krauß, only for the Garman to sidefoot narrowly wide of the target. Luton remained the most likely to open the scoring, Chong and Clark showing some good skill and intent to do so, the latter seeing his curling attempt fail to cause O'Leary any undue trouble in gathering.

Twine put a free kick from outside the box straight at Kaminski in what was the final action of the first period, but he then enjoyed a far better outcome with his next effort just 90 seconds after the break, as from a quickly taken set-piece, was able to move to within 22 yards of goal unchallenged and blast into the top corner.

It meant that Edwards' side once more let all that hard work they had done in the opening period go to waste, as the hosts had something they could look to hang on to. The main thing was they didn't let one become two, as has often been the case, Ross McCrorie trying to do just that, getting his attempt all wrong from a similar kind of position.

Luton started to show signs of a comeback though, Chong exchanging passes with Krauß to get into the box but then opting to throw himself on the floor in what can only be described as frankly embarrassing attempts to win a penalty. City then had the ball in the net again on the hour mark, half-time sub Bell converting from a right wing cross, but it was clear he had gone too early and the linesman's flag quickly confirmed that.

The Hatters might have been facing a spot-kick themselves on 67 minutes as Twine looked to get on to a clever reverse pass and going down in a tangle of legs with Tom Holmes, the midfielder thumping the turf in frustration when referee Peter Bankes waved away his appeals. Woodrow was then introduced against his former side, one of the few attacking options Edwards had on the bench, although with two minutes to go, Joe Taylor came on along with Phillips, the teenager on for his senior Hatters debut.

Town's front players Adebayo and Carlton Morris didn't looked anything like the pair who had frightened Premier League defences last term once more though, which meant when Phillips sent over a terrific cross, neither were on hand to try and convert. Despite Luton's inadequacies in front of goal, they almost snatched an equaliser in the last minute of stoppage time, Taylor's low cross defecting to an unmarked Woodrow, but from 15-yards, he saw his first time attempt parried away by O'Leary, ensuring Luton’s words on their travels continued.

Robins: Max O'Leary, Ross McCrorie (George Tanner 64), Cam Pring, Max Bird, Yu Hirakawa (Anis Mehmeti 64), Fally Mayulu (Sam Bell 46), Scott Twine (George Earthy 74), Jason Knight ©, Zak Vyner, Luke McNally, Rob Dickie.

Subs not used: Stefan Bajic, Rob Atkinson, Nahki Wells,Haydon Roberts, Marcus McGuane.

Hatters: Thomas Kaminski, Victor Moses (Zack Nelson 79), Tom Holmes, Mark McGuinness, Joe Johnson (Josh Phillips 88), Tahith Chong, Tom Krauß (Joe Taylor 88), Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu (Cauley Woodrow 70), Jordan Clark, Carlton Morris, Elijah Adebayo.

Subs not used: Tim Krul, Mads Andersen, Marvelous Nakamba, Erik Pieters, Daiki Hashioka.

Referee: Peter Bankes.

Booked: Morris 57, Twine 58.

Attendance: 21,828 (1,037 Hatters).

Edwards felt Luton deserved a point from Robins defeat

Town boss reacts to Boxing Day loss

Luton boss Rob Edwards felt his side were worthy of at least a point during their 1-0 defeat at Bristol City this afternoon.

The Hatters headed to Ashton Gate looking to end a run of seven straight defeats on the road, but left having seen that miserable record stretched to eight, Scott Twine’s fine strike just 90 seconds after the break enough to separate the sides. Town weren’t without their chances though in what was a game low on festive excitement and genuine quality, Tom Krauß sidefooting wide in the first period from Elijah Adebayo’s low cross.

In the closing stages, Carlton Morris saw his header fly wide, before Cauley Woodrow almost snatched a point in stoppage time, having his attempt beaten away by Robins keeper Max O’Leary after Joe Taylor’s delivery deflected invitingly into his path. Speaking afterwards, Edwards said: “The game was a typical example, especially in the Championship, a game of fine margins with nothing in it. They stuck one in the top corner from 25 yards on the angle, we weren’t quite able to capitalise on a couple of chances we did create and we end up losing.

“I think a draw would have been a fair result, you look at it with your eyes and look at all the stats, it was such an even game. We did create two really good chances, Carlton’s header and Cauley’s one as well late on. You’re backing one of the them to sick one in and at least we get something which we feel we deserved, but there was nothing in it today. Cauley’s one when he’s stepping on to that on his right foot, I was waiting for the net to bulge, but it wasn’t to be, really disappointed.”