Nakhi on song, affection for Freeman and Andi everywhere - Bristol City vs Luton Town moments

Bristol City defeated Luton Town 2-0 at Ashton Gate on Tuesday night to earn their first league win of the season. Nahki Wells opened the scoring after just five minutes before Tommy Conway added a second before half-time.

Nigel Pearson’s side were reduced to 10 men with 25 minutes to go, after when Mark Sykes was sent off after an altercation in midfield with Luke Freeman, but the Robins saw the game out comfortably.

Aside from the goals and red card incident, here are some moments that fans might’ve missed on the night.

Nahki On Song

Despite it being Wells’ first league start of the season, he showed no sign of cobwebs from a lack of game time.

From the first minute, he was a constant thorn in the Hatters’ defence, making aggressive well-timed movements in behind their backline.

His curved run for the opening goal on the four-minute mark allowed him time to shift the ball onto his favoured right side and slot low into the bottom right-hand corner of the net - off the post.

No love for Naismith

Robins’ defender Kal Naismith faced off against his former side for the first time since his move from the Hatters in May.

Despite only spending a year at the club, he left on somewhat sour terms, after Luton were unhappy with the manner that City went about his signature.

As expected, he received several boos while in possession of the ball early on, although the negative welcome didn’t seem to impact his performance, as Nigel Pearson’s side earned their first clean sheet of the campaign.

Early exit for some?

Following Tommy Conway’s close-range strike to double the host’s lead, as the majority of Ashton Gate erupted in celebration, a few travelling fans appeared to be heading for the exit after just 25 minutes.

The Hatters had offered little up top at that stage in the match and given the 132-mile trip home on a Tuesday night, it’s perhaps understandable that the Luton faithful decided to head back to Bedfordshire early.

Although, you would’ve thought they might have stuck around given City’s far from perfect record after going ahead in matches.

More affection for Freeman (briefly)

Despite Naismith’s lack of affection from the away end, Freeman was gifted a much warmer welcome from the Robins faithful when he came on for Luton at the break.

Freeman played for the Robins between 2014 and 2017 and notched 39 goals and assists in 121 appearances over that time.

He left City for Queens Park Rangers in 2017, but the home fans gave him a warm welcome back to the West Country – although their team was 2-0 up at the time, which might’ve played a part in his reception.

However, his sporting welcome back soon turned into boos from the home crowd. Freeman was the man fouled by Sykes for his sending off, and the Luton midfielders’ reaction left a lot to be desired for.

He stormed into Sykes and put the wing back on the floor, but only saw a yellow card for his troubles.

Andi everywhere

In a much-improved performance from Pearson’s side, Andi Weimann seemed to be the spearhead both in possession and out.

His role in the attacking midfield spot saw him pop up all over the pitch, from late runs into the opposition box, to tracking back to help out Sykes and Jay Da Silva.

It is often the qualities of Weimann that make him stand out, but it was his desire and persistence that stood out even more on Tuesday night.

Rovers defeat

During the half-time interval when the stadium announcer was reading out the half-time scores from across the leagues, there was a moment of smugness when fierce rivals Bristol Rovers’ score was revealed.

Joey Barton’s side were trailing 2-0 away at Barnsley thanks to goals from Devante Cole and Jordan Williams, the Gas eventually went on to lose 3-0.

The rivalry between the two West Country clubs is most famous and stretches back decades.

Electric at the Gate

Following the disappointment of the Sunderland defeat in the Robins opening home league fixture, the crowd gave it their all to ensure a first home win of the season was soon to follow.

From the opening exchanges to the final whistle, Ashton Gate was rocking, and even when the team was reduced to 10 men, there was little indication of nerves or apprehension around the ground.

City will be hoping to continue that home atmosphere and positivity with another positive display against Cardiff City on Sunday.