Luton Town 2-1 Bristol City: Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall seals win for Hatters

Report and highlights from the Sky Bet Championship clash between Luton Town and Bristol City at Kenilworth Road as Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall scored his first goal to seal victory for the Hatters on Tuesday night

Tuesday 29 December 2020 23:49, UK

On-loan Leicester midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall scored his first goal for Luton as the Hatters ended a run of three games without a win by defeating Bristol City 2-1 at Kenilworth Road.

Glen Rea fired the hosts in front after 17 minutes, but Sonny Bradley's own goal just after the hour restored parity.

Luton took only seven minutes after that leveller to find the winning goal, however, with Dewsbury-Hall netting a fine strike to clinch the three points.

Former Town attacker Chris Martin lofted an early free-kick well over the top for the visitors, but the home side went in front with a magnificent goal.

Dewsbury-Hall sent over a corner for Rea to meet on the volley and hammer beyond Dan Bentley and into the net for his second of the season.

City had shouts for a penalty turned down on 28 minutes when Antoine Semenyo appeared to be brought down inside the area, but they were waved away by referee Gavin Ward.

Luton midfielder Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu then connected with fresh air rather than the ball as he missed a chance to make it 2-0 to the hosts.

The Robins kept pushing for a leveller, Semenyo's shot parried by Simon Sluga, before Martin was inches away, meeting Jack Hunt's pinpoint cross only to see his header come back off the underside of the bar.

Rea looked for a second of the evening, his 25-yarder rising over the bar, and he continued to do so after the break, seeing another attempt fly into the empty stands.

Luton top scorer James Collins should have extended his side's lead on 52 minutes, picked out by Harry Cornick. However, faced with just Bentley to beat he could not do so, the keeper saving well.

Han-Noah Massengo did not get enough on a cross at the far post to make it 1-1, but City did have an equaliser on 61 minutes when Nahki Wells' low cross was turned into his own net by Town captain Bradley.

Luton responded well, Cornick so close to putting his side back in front but seeing his outside-of-the-right-foot drive flash inches wide of the target.

The Hatters were back in front, though, after 69 minutes, when Dewsbury-Hall netted his first goal since arriving on loan from the Foxes, arrowing a lovely drive into the bottom corner from 22 yards.

Rhys Norrington-Davies almost scored a third with four minutes left, his attempt drawing a good save from Bentley and the rebound cleared away.

City's last chance saw Tommy Rowe's low ball into the box missed by everyone as Luton made it six matches without defeat at Kenilworth Road.

What the managers said…

Luton's Nathan Jones: "It's a massive, massive three points. We had a meeting on Monday and we said 'whatever happens this week, at five 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. This is a big, big three points tonight to set us up nicely for the weekend and to move forward. They were good goals. The first one is a training-ground routine, then Kiernan has done that for Leicester, he's done that for Blackpool and that's part and parcel of why we brought him here."

Bristol City's Dean Holden: "We've missed a header and we have to improve on set-pieces, we're conceding too many. We fancied our chances to come here and get a result tonight, and we played well enough to get something, arguably deserved to win the game. It's (injury situation) tough. Take those first-team players out of any squad and it will be tough.

"But that's what we've been dealt, that's the cards we've got and we've got to use those cards as well as we can. The lads are giving everything, we've got youngsters on the bench who have never been involved at this level. It won't be used as an excuse, but it's tough. You don't sometimes get decisions like that (penalty for Semenyo). I'm not sure why he didn't give it, but he didn't."