Luton Town FC vs Bristol City (29th Dec 2021)

Match Report | Luton Town 2-1 Bristol City

The Hatters end the year with a victory against the Robins!

The Hatters ended 2020 in superb fashion with a well-fought victory against Bristol City in the Sky Bet Championship.

Town took a one-goal advantage into half-time after Glen Rea volleyed in from close range, but the Robins hit back in the second half as Sonny Bradley turned the ball into the back of the net.

It was a minor setback as Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall saved the day with a great hit from 25 yards seven minutes later, his first in a Luton Town shirt.

Manager Nathan Jones made six changes following the Boxing Day defeat to Reading, including Simon Sluga who was restored to the starting line-up following an injury sustained against Cardiff City in November.

Dewsbury-Hall – who started from the off this evening after playing 45 minutes against Reading – produced a perfect corner which Rea thumped past Dan Bentley on the volley to give the Hatters the lead.

Not long after, the away side had their tails up after a penalty appeal was rebuffed as Antoine Semenyo went down under challenge from Rhys Norrington-Davies.

Sluga then saved well from Semenyo down low moments later, before Jack Hunt crossed for Chris Martin, who watched in surprise as his powerful header cannoned off the crossbar and didn’t ripple the back of the net from close range.

Town squandered a golden opportunity to double their advantage as the ball broke inside the Bristol City half early in the second period.

Harry Cornick squared the ball across to James Collins, who was in acres of space, but he was denied superbly by Bentley one-on-one. That was a chance the away side capitalised on, as they equalised just after the hour mark.

Nakhi Wells found space in behind the Town defence and his low cross was inadvertently turned in by Sonny Bradley who attempt to clear the danger.

The game opened up as the Hatters went in search of a second goal, which almost came through Cornick. Norrington-Davies’ cross was deflected into his path and the number seven struck the ball sweetly with the outside of his boot, but it went a whisker wide of the target.

Whilst Cornick went close, Dewsbury-Hall supplied the finish to put the Hatters back in front as momentum shifted once more.

The Leicester loanee picked the ball up from 25 yards and fired into the bottom corner, reeling away in celebration for the first time at Kenilworth Road.

Town remained on the offensive looking to kill the game off with a third goal and Norrington-Davies was also on a hunt for a first Hatters goal, but Bentley was equal to his right-footed effort.

There were plenty of moments to cherish on the pitch for the Hatters this year and the players will look to build on the three points and a good performance when they face Queens Park Rangers on January 2nd.

Town: Sluga; Pearson, Lockyer, Bradley (C), Norrington-Davies; Rea, Tunnicliffe (LuaLua 64), Mpanzu (Potts 64), Dewsbury-Hall; Cornick (Clark 85), Collins.

Subs not used: Isted, Hylton, Lee, Moncur, Galloway, Nombe.

Goals: Rea (17), Dewsbury-Hall (68)

Yellows: Tunnicliffe

Bristol City: Bentley, Hunt (Mariappa 76), Vyner, Kalas, Rowe; Bakinson, Nagy, Massengo (Diedhiou 59); Semenyo, Wells (Bell 88); Martin.

Subs not used: O’Leary, Moore, Smith, Pearson, Towler

Goals: Bradley (61’ og)

Yellows: Semenyo

Referee: Gavin Ward

Nathan Jones reflects on Bristol City victory

Manager Nathan Jones was delighted with his side's hard-fought victory against Bristol City and credited the turnaround the squad have made this calendar year.

On this day last year, the Hatters fell to a 3-0 defeat against the Robins but this evening, thanks to goals from Glen Rea and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Town increased their points tally to 30 for the season.

“Massive victory, especially after the away defeat,” the gaffer began. “I know we had a wonderful draw here (against Bournemouth) but it was good to get back to winning ways.

“It was a big game for us tonight. A year ago we lost 3-0 away to these and this win takes us on to 30 points which is a big milestone as well, so early in the season.

“It's a big, big win for us and I thought we deserved it. We created more chances, had more possession and more shots on goal. And we missed the big chance of the game, so I’m delighted with the win because that is the most important thing.

“That is what we wanted to do, we wanted to be nowhere near where we were last year.

“Every little helps, we had a meeting on Monday and said after these two games, we batten down the hatches and by the time the QPR game finishes, we want our points tally to be more than 27 points, which was what we started the week on. First mission is accomplished, now can we get more?”

https://issuu.com/lutontownfc/docs/bristol_city_e-programme - programme

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyvgfosaYYE – Nathan Jones interview

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmWR1kZFybE – Extended highlights (Bristol City)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Xx9Z5c81s0 – reverse angle coverage (LTFC)

Hatters net a couple of late Christmas crackers to defeat Robins

Championship: Luton Town 2 Bristol City 1

Luton Town delivered a couple of late Christmas crackers as they continued to prove almost impossible to beat under the Kenilworth Road lights with a 2-1 victory against Bristol City this evening.

Glen Rea set the tone with a quite magnificent volley on 17 minutes, and although the Robins levelled in the second half through Sonny Bradley's own goal, Town kicked on to seal all three points thanks to Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's first goal for the club, a pinpoint 22-yard drive into the bottom corner.

The hosts made six changes from a disappointing 2-1 defeat at Reading on Boxing Day with Simon Sluga replacing James Shea in goal, the latter to be with his partner who had gone into labour.

Also recalled were Rhys Norrington-Davies, Matty Pearson, Dewsbury-Hall, Harry Cornick and Ryan Tunnicliffe, with Dan Potts, Jordan Clark and George Moncur dropping to the bench, Luke Berry missing out due to injury, while Martin Cranie wasn't included.

After failing to muster even a shot on target in the opening half at the Madejski Stadium, Luton did just that and more on 17 minutes.

A corner from Dewsbury-Hall was met at the back post by Rea, the midfielder bulleting a glorious volley beyond Dan Bentley and into the net for an absolutely stunning second of the season.

Robins thought they had shouts for a penalty on 27 minutes when Antoine Semenyo went down in the area, but referee Gavin Ward gave nothing, and Luton would have added to visisting manager Dean Holden's clear frustrations if Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu had connected with the ball rather than fresh air from an inviting position.

Semenyo drilled a shot at Sluga, with Nahki Wells' curler missing the target, before City looked to have made it 1-1, Chris Martin meeting Jack Hunt's ball from the right to head against the underside of the bar.

Hatters regained their poise though and Rea fancied a second of the evening, sending his shot over the bar from 25 yards, while Cornick was always a threat on the right hand side, his dangerous deliveries just unable to find a team-mate in the box though.

After the break, Rea continued to hunt a first ever double, but this time on his weaker foot, shanked into the stands.

Town wasted a glorious chance to extend their advantage on 52 minutes, as Cornick played in Collins, who all alone, was faced with Bentley from 15 yards, but saw his powerful drive excellently parried by the keeper.

An open beginning saw Messengo unable to sort his feet out and turn Adam Nagy's cross in at the far post, with former Luton youngster Tyreeq Bakinson putting a header over.

The visitors did level just after the hour mark though when a lovely ball once again caught the Town defence out and Wells' low cross was turned into his own net at full stretch by captain Sonny Bradley.

Jones made two changes to try and give Town some control back in the game, with Kazenga LuaLua and Potts on for Tunnicliffe and Mpanzu, and it worked perfectly, Luton almost regaining the lead, Cornick's wonderful attempt with the outside of his right boot sailing just past the top corner.

Town were back in front once more on 69 minutes though when Dewsbury-Hall picked up a weak clearance, and proceeded to set himself, before arrowing a delicious drive beyond the dive for Bentley and into the bottom corner for his first goal for the club.

Luton almost had the breathing space they craved with four minutes to go, LuaLua causing some real danger, his pass releasing the rapid Norrington-Davies, who cut on to his right but was denied a maiden Hatters goal by Bentley.

City were determined not to go quietly and might have snatched a point at the end, only to see Tommy Rowe's ball drift across the six yard box with no Robins attacker able to turn it in.

Hatters: Simon Sluga, Matty Pearson, Rhys Norrington-Davies, Tom Lockyer, Sonny Bradley ©, Glen Rea , Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Ryan Tunnicliffe (Dan Potts 64), Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu (Kazenga LuaLua 64), Harry Cornick (Jordan Clark 84), James Collins.

Subs not used: Harry Isted, Sam Nombe, Danny Hylton, Elliot Lee, George Moncur, Brendan Galloway.

Robins: Dan Bentley, Jack Hunt (Adrian Mariappa 76), Adam Nagy, Chris Martin, Antoine Semenyo, Nahki Wells (Sam Bell 88), Tomas Kalas (C), Tommy Rowe, Zak Vyner, Tyreeq Bakinson, Han-Noah Massengo (Famara Diedhiou 59).

Subs not used: Max O'Leary, Taylor Moore, Zac Smith, Sam Pearson, Ryley Towler.

Bookings: Tunnicliffe 33, Semenyo 73.

Referee: Gavin Ward.

Jones: Robins victory was a ‘big, big three points’ for the Hatters

Town manager reacts to tonight’s win

Luton boss Nathan Jones declared tonight’s 2-1 victory over Bristol City as a ‘big, big three points’ for his side.

The Hatters went into the contest on the back of three matches without a win, but took the lead through Glen Rea’s thunderbolt of a volley on 17 minutes.

Although City levelled on the hour mark when Sonny Bradley turned Nahki Wells' cross into his own net, Luton regrouped and came on strongly, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall bagging his first goal for the club from 22 yards, burying a low drive into the bottom corner.

Speaking afterwards, Jones, who saw his team move on to 30 points with only 22 games played this term, said: “It’s a massive, massive three points.

“We had a meeting on Monday and we said, ‘whatever happens this week at 5 o’clock on Saturday, we’re not on 27 points.’

“That’s what we started the day on and we wanted to increase our points tally as then we get to the halfway stage.

“To get to the halfway stage and double it, we're on 27 which would mean we’re on 54, which is better than last year, but we don't just want to be content with that, so this is a big, big three points to set us up nicely for the weekend and to move forward.

“They were good goals, the first one is a training ground routine, obviously not for the volley, but for the header, then it would have been on the money.

“Then Kiernan’s done that for Leicester, he’s done that for Blackpool and that’s part and parcel of why we brought him here.

"It’s quite a surprise it’s taken him that long to do it here.”