Bristol City vs Stoke City. Sky Bet Championship.
Ashton Gate StadiumAttendance21,117.
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Bristol City and Stoke City at Ashton Gate as the Potters recovered from conceding two early goals to win on Saturday afternoon.
Saturday 30 September 2023 18:59, UK
Substitute Nathan Lowe snatched a late winner as Stoke came from two goals down to clinch a 3-2 Championship victory over Bristol City at Ashton Gate.
The home side took a fifth-minute lead when Stoke dithered over clearing Kal Naismith's near-post corner from the right and Sam Bell pounced to fire a low left-footed shot past Mark Travers from a narrow angle.
It was 2-0 after 15 minutes, Nahki Wells intercepting an under-hit back pass to Travers from Ki-Jana Hoever and taking his time before clipping a right-footed shot past the exposed Stoke goalkeeper.
Stoke reduced the arrears five minutes later, Mehdi Leris picking out the top corner with a sweet left-footed drive from outside the box.
Two minutes after the break the Potters were level, Sead Haksabanovic firing low past Max O'Leary from a Hoever cross.
The comeback was complete in the 89th minute as Lowe arrived unmarked at the far post to slot home a right-wing cross, sending the 1,600 travelling fans behind the goal into raptures.
The hosts made a fast start, Jason Knight heading over a first-minute cross from Cameron Pring and Bell testing Travers with a low third-minute shot.
They soon raced into a two-goal lead and looked to be on course for a comfortable victory, with Stoke struggling to contain the front three of Bell, Wells and Mark Sykes.
It was a bolt from the blue when Leris pulled a goal back, but for the rest of the half the visitors raised their game and had an equal share of possession.
Hoever made some amends for his earlier error by making a goal-saving challenge on Bell as the young striker looked to get on the end of a right-wing cross to the far post.
Bristol City were finding it harder to create openings, but Wells should have done better in first-half stoppage time when, unchallenged 25 yards out, he sent a wild shot high and wide.
Stoke began the second half strongly with Haksabanovic's leveller.
Four minutes after setting up the goal, Hoever produced another timely challenge on Bell to prevent the hosts going back in front.
Home boss Nigel Pearson made a quadruple substitution after 53 minutes, sending on Andreas Weimann, Harry Cornick and Ephraim Yeboah to replace his front line and Taylor Gardner-Hickman to take over from George Tanner at right-back.
The replacements made a quick impact and Cornick went close at the end of a spell of pressure. Then Ben Pearson's timely challenge denied Yeboah as he prepared to shoot from eight yards.
It was end-to-end stuff as Stoke's Daniel Johnson shot straight at O'Leary and Cornick was denied by a diving save from Travers.
The match looked set to end all square, but Lowe had other ideas as he put the finishing touches to an impressive Stoke fightback.
Bristol City assistant Curtis Fleming:
"In a way, we feel like we have been mugged. If any team was going to win it in the second half, I always felt it would be us because we were on the front foot.
"But the truth is we haven't defended well enough and that's why we have suffered a kick in the teeth. We conceded weak goals, which is a problem we felt we had overcome.
"At Leicester in our previous game, players were throwing themselves in front of shots and putting their bodies on the line.
"That didn't happen today. There is a lot of frustration in our dressing room and no one is happy."
Stoke's Alex Neil:
"To be honest, I didn't enjoy any part of that game. We have played miles better in virtually every other match this season. That's the crazy nature of football and the Championship in particular.
"We couldn't have made a poorer start, conceding from the sort of set-piece we had talked about defending and for the rest of the first half we played scared football.
"My half-time message was that we had to play without fear. What the players did show from then on was a collective spirit and determination, which ended up winning the game.
"What we can take encouragement from is the character shown. When things are going against you, it's easy to start feeling sorry for yourself.
"There is no room for that sort of attitude and we got our rewards today because we didn't let it happen. Hard work, grit and determination got us the win.
"Nathan Lowe has merited getting on the pitch and there is nothing nicer than when you throw one of your kids in and they get a goal.
"That certainly applies with Lowy, who loves the club. You don't get a better feeling in football than seeing someone like that score a goal."
