Tommy Conway and Rob Atkinson fire Bristol City to derby win against Cardiff

Goals from Tommy Conway and Rob Atkinson gave Bristol City a 2-0 Championship victory against Cardiff City in the Severnside derby at Ashton Gate.

The home side took a 41st-minute lead when Nahki Wells crossed and Conway got in front of his marker to net his fourth goal of the season with a glancing header.

The centre-back Atkinson made it 2-0 with a stooping header from Joe Williams’ 64th-minute free-kick and Nigel Pearson’s team held out for a deserved three points.

Cardiff had to make a seventh-minute change when Joel Bagan suffered a head injury in a clash with Alex Scott and was replaced by Jack Simpson. Bristol City then made the early running, Conway bursting clear on the left only to see his shot from a narrow angle smothered by Cardiff goalkeeper Ryan Allsop.

Han-Noah Massengo had the ball in the visitors’ net five minutes later, but his header from an Andreas Weimann cross was ruled out for a foul on Allsop. Suddenly it was the home defence looking vulnerable as Max Watters ran on to a 38th-minute through-ball from Mahlon Romeo only to shoot over with just Dan Bentley to beat.

Seconds later, Cedric Kipre shot wide at the end of a penetrating Cardiff move before the balance shifted again with Conway’s goal. It was almost 2-0 before the break when Weimann’s volley crashed against the crossbar.

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Cardiff thought they had equalised in first-half injury time, but Sheyi Ojo’s close-range finish from a cross by former Bristol winger Callum O’Dowda was disallowed for offside. The hosts then had a good chance to double their lead at the start of the second half when Jay Dasilva shot wide at the far post from a Weimann cross.

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