Bristol City vs Luton Town. Sky Bet Championship.
Ashton GateAttendance16,878.
Report and highlights from the Sky Bet Championship clash between Bristol City and Luton Town at Ashton Gate as Danny Hylton's late equaliser meant that the Robins' winless run at home stretched to 14 games
Wednesday 15 September 2021 23:06, UK
Luton substitute Danny Hylton extended Bristol City's home jinx with a stoppage-time equaliser in a 1-1 Championship draw at Ashton Gate.
The hosts broke the deadlock after 57 minutes when Cameron Pring was fouled on the left touchline and Nathan Baker's header from a Jay Dasilva free-kick found the bottom corner.
But, with the 90 minutes up, City goalkeeper Dan Bentley failed to gather the ball at the feet of Carlos Mendes-Gomes, who crossed from the left byline for Hylton to tap the ball into an unguarded net.
It meant City are still without a home win since January, a club record run of 14 games, 11 of them under boss Nigel Pearson.
Luton were forced into a late change, with Kal Naismith promoted from the bench to replace skipper Sonny Bradley at the back.
Both sides attacked effectively in an entertaining first half, without being able to break the deadlock. But it was the visitors who came closest.
City's Pring and Luton's Cameron Jerome had early efforts blocked before Alex Scott badly mistimed a header from a Pring cross.
It was a busy half for home skipper Bentley, whose first important save was from Harry Cornick after 11 minutes.
Han-Noah Massengo and Andreas Weimann had shots blocked during a period of City pressure before Bentley did well to save an effort from distance from Henri Lansbury, with Luke Berry unable to capitalise on the rebound.
Seconds later Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu rattled the home side's crossbar with a volley. Pearson was moved to make an early change after 37 minutes, sending on Nahki Wells for Scott.
Tomas Kalas sent a sweetly-struck volley wide of a Luton post from the edge of the box before Bentley made a brilliant save to keep out Jerome's shot from 10 yards.
Nathan Jones' team were denied by the woodwork again just before the break, with former Bristol Rovers defender Tom Lockyer shooting against the post from Cornick's cross.
Pearson made another change at the break, replacing right-back Zak Vyner with Dasilva. The substitute lined up left-back, with Baker moving inside and Kalas switching to the right.
Wells was up front alongside Chris Martin, with Weimann moving to the right of midfield.
Baker's goal sent long-suffering City fans into raptures. Luton boss Jones responded by sending on Hylton and Elijah Adebayo for Jerome and Cornick.
The second half lacked the chances created in the opening 45 minutes.
But Luton continued to attack with menace and Bristol City defenders had to put bodies on the line in front of Bentley.
The visitors could not summon up the penetration of the first half and the home keeper was relatively untroubled until that nightmare injury-time moment as the spoils were shared.
Bristol City's Nigel Pearson: "Dan made some fine saves in the game, but will be disappointed with that moment. I didn't say anything to him after the game because that is not the right time. But the fact is that an individual error has cost us. I am as frustrated as everyone else by our struggle to win here. But I have to contain my emotions and take time to assess the performance.
"We were not at our best. Luton outplayed us at times and we could have been two or three down at half-time. But we then got ourselves into a position to win the game and should have seen it out. The team are fitter than last season and I have great faith in this group of players. I want to be positive, but I feel for our fans and we have to find a way to end this run."
Luton's Nathan Jones: "I am not happy with a point in the least because we should have been out of sight by the break. The chances we created were really good ones and I'm disappointed we didn't take one or two of them. But my team again showed tremendous character and kept going to the very end.
"I always describe the players on the bench as gamechangers, rather than substitutes, and we have seen the ones I sent on tonight justify that description. We had to set the tempo of the game because Bristol City were breaking it up at every opportunity, taking time to wipe the ball at throw-ins and in other ways. I thought we did that really well and the only thing missing from our first-half display was goals."
