Nahki Wells sends message to Nigel Pearson as striker stars in Bristol City U23s win over Cardiff City U23s

Bristol City took the Severnside bragging rights against top-of the-table Cardiff City in the Professional Development League 2 on Tuesday afternoon, in a rematch from four weeks ago.

Cardiff City had not played since the meeting with the Robins that took place on 1 February, when the team in blue came back from being three goals down with 20 minutes remaining to draw 3-3 at Bristol City’s training ground.

There was no late capitulation here though as a Harvey Wiles-Richards penalty save, Tommy Conway goal and a brace from Nahki Wells, captain for the game, saw Ali Hines and Trevor Challis’ side home.

And by the end of the day, Ipswich Town had leapt to the top of the PDL2 table, with the Welsh side down to second and Bristol City third and just three points behind the leaders.

The Robins named a strong line-up, with Wells leading the line alongside Conway, Ryley Towler returning from injury and Callum Wood involved after the player was recalled from Bath City.

Antoine Semenyo’s brother Jai started for the opposition, who is close to agreeing a new three-year deal with the Bluebirds.

After three minutes Barney Soady headed down the line for Josh Owers to cross from the byline. Wells swivelled but the shot lacked power.

A Towler interception stopped Cardiff attacking before Ryan Kavanagh whacked over the bar.

Wells then set up Soady in space to fire a shot over the goal before Duncan Idehen conceded a penalty minutes later catching a Cardiff City attacker in the area. Sam Bowen’s penalty was saved by Harvey Wiles-Richards however, and the rebound from the same player too.

The Bluebirds were made to pay when a ball over the top should have been dealt with by Rohan Luthra, only for Conway to nip in and coolly convert from close range with barely 15 minutes played.

Isaac Jeffries then shot straight at Wiles-Richards after good work by James Crole to set up the chance, and Cardiff couldn’t convert when a dangerous Jeffries cross sailed over to the back post.

And another top save denied Jeffries again ten minutes before the break, as the hosts threatened on the counter.

Bristol City kept Soady out wide and in space, and his flicks down the line to the grateful and hard-working Owers were stretching the home defence, as was the good movement from Conway and Wells.

Excellent one-on-one defending by Towler denied Crole getting in on goal just before the break but it came as a cost as the Robins defender was replaced by Zac Bell due to injury a few seconds later, with James Taylor shuffling into the back three.

After the break, Conway and Wells both went close to adding to the lead before Tom Davies headed a corner wide.

But it was City showing more potency in the final third as a scramble in front of goal led to Wells being tripped inside the 18-yard box and the Bermudian stepping up to convert it himself, for his seventh goal for the U23s in three appearances (later to finish with eight in three).

Nigel Pearson may not be able to find a space in attack for the former QPR man, but the 31-year-old keeps pressing his case.

With the man in Wells’ way, Antoine Semenyo, watching on from the sidelines, along with Wales U19s boss and former Robin Rob Edwards, the game was hotting up. So much so that Bluebirds forward Crole had a heated argument with coach Darren Purse on the sidelines.

Maybe that fired up the home side who grabbed a goal back with half an hour to play. Jeffries drew a good save from Wiles-Richards before a terrific Kavanagh cross enabled Jack Leahy to convert from a few yards out on the volley.

The Bluebirds were on the up and playing more direct but the West Country side held firm, with Idehen, Wood and Taylor excellent at the back. And that commitment at the back was rewarded when Wells grabbed his second goal, with a composed finish on 72 minutes following a poor defensive clearance.

Good play by Soady at the back post, as he held off Semenyo, helped see off a Leahy cross after Taylor had lost possession in a dangerous area, but the side in red were holding firm.

And despite losing Wood to injury in the final minutes, with Olly Thomas coming on to replace him, there was no repeat of last month as City saw the game out, with Cardiff’s Bowen driving just wide of goal in the final minutes.

Cardiff City (4-2-3-1:) Luthra; Semenyo, Bahare (Macnamara, 83’), Jones, Bowen, D’Almeida, Kavanagh (Colwill, 87’), Davies, Leahy, Jeffries (Wigley, 64’), Crole

Bristol City (3-5-2): Wiles- Richards; Wood (Thomas, 86’), Idehen, Towler (Bell, 42’); Soady, Khadji, Taylor-Clarke, Owers, Taylor; Wells, Conway