Sol Bamba’s Bristol City picture and O’Dowda’s reception - moments missed in win over Cardiff City

Bristol City defeated Cardiff City 2-0 in the Severnside derby at Ashton Gate on Sunday, thanks to goals from Tommy Conway and Rob Atkinson.

Nahki Wells crossed for Conway to head home the opener before Kal Naismith’s free kick was met by Atkinson from close range.

It was the Robins’ third consecutive Severnside derby victory and moves Nigel Pearson’s side up to seventh in the table.

Both sides hit the woodwork, and there were seven cards dished out over the 90 minutes, but other than the main talking points, here are some moments you might’ve missed...

O’Dowda’s return

As expected, Callum O’Dowda received a less than welcoming return to his old stomping ground.

He left the Robins for the Bluebirds in June, following the expiry of his contract, and is one of just a handful of players to make the direct switch.

In six years at Bristol, O’Dowda netted 10 goals and provided 16 assists in 176 matches in all competitions.

The wide man has made an excellent start in Wales, with three goal contributions to his name in five appearances. However, his influence wasn’t enough to earn the Bluebirds anything on the day.

Bamba Bristol bound?

Sol Bamba was on punditry duties for Sky Sports for the clash and was spotted taking a photo and shaking hands with a Robins fan, after a brief conversation minutes before the off.

The defender spent five years at the Bluebirds before he left for Middlesborough in July. Now a free agent, the Ivorian has been confirmed to be training with Nigel Pearson’s side to increase his fitness.

With Tomas Kalas and Nathan Baker out injured for the Robins, they are short on fit central defenders, and Bamba could solve that issue, in the short term at least.

Well well well…

After a MOTM performance in midweek, Wells once again had the bit between his teeth in the derby.

His well-measured cross allowed Conway to head home past Ryan Allsop, and was a constant threat throughout the match.

Wells was linked with a move to the Bluebirds back in January, when the Welsh side made two late loan bids for the Bermudan.

He admitted that he did consider the move after a lack of minutes last season, but he instead chose to stay and fight for his place in the side – which has been paying off as of late.

Wait to celebrate!

Just moments before the break, O’Dowda’s low-fizzed cross was turned in at the back post by Sheyi Ojo.

The Atyeo Stand erupted in celebration as 2,000 travelling Cardiff fans thought their team had drawn level, however, the linesman’s flag was raised soon after for an offside call.

But, for a few brief moments, the Bluebirds faithful seemed to be under the impression that the goal had stood, as mocking calls from the Robins fans echoed around Ashton Gate.

Six substitutions?!

Of Cardiff’s seven named substitutes, all except goalkeeper Jak Alnwick made it onto the pitch.

Usually, a team is limited to five substitutions at three different points in the match, however, Steve Morison was entitled to a bonus change following an incident in the first five minutes.

Young fullback Joel Bagan suffered a head injury when he rose to challenge Alex Scott on the edge of the box and subsequently couldn’t continue.

He was replaced by Jack Simpson, which normally would’ve left Morison with four possible changes and two waves. However, because Bagan had a head injury, his withdrawal went down as a ‘concussion substitution’.

The FA introduced concussion substitutions in 2021, which basically does what it says on the tin. If a player has to be withdrawn from the match because of a concussion, it does not affect the number of substitutions they have left.

Ashton atmosphere

Although you may have seen the match live on Sky, there is nothing quite like being at a derby game in the flesh.

The Gate was electric from the first minute to the last, and the performance on the pitch matched the crowd’s energy.

Two home victories in a row, as well as back-to-back clean sheets, has led to a positive feel about the season ahead.

If the Cider Army are to push for a top six finish this campaign, they’ll need to make BS3 a difficult place for their opponents to come – and the Robins faithful have a big part to play in that.