Nathan Broadhead’s first-half goal saw second-placed Town to a 1-0 victory at Bristol City, their fifth away win in six in the Championship this season. Broadhead smashed in the only goal from George Hirst’s lay-off in the 16th minute as the Blues won at Ashton Gate for the first time since the opening day of the 2011/12 season.

Kayden Jackson replaced the injured Wes Burns wide on the right in a Town team otherwise unchanged from the one which beat Preston 4-2 prior to the international break.

Former Robins youngster Burns suffered a shoulder problem when away with Wales, while Freddie Ladapo also missed out having picked up an achilles injury in training. Janoi Donacien and Cameron Humphreys were on the bench.

For Bristol City, Irish international Jason Knight, who was interesting the Blues in the summer prior to the signing of Jack Taylor, replaced defender Haydon Roberts as they switched back to 4-3-3.

There was a change of referee with Josh Smith, who was previously in charge of the Stoke and Southampton matches, taking over from Tom Nield, who was originally slated for the fixture.

Following a minute’s applause in tribute to England and Manchester United legend Sir Bobby Charlton, who died at the weekend, the home side began on the front foot, Sam Bell hitting an early shot through to Vaclav Hladky in the Town goal.

The Blues, who in the opening couple of minutes weren’t given any time on the ball by the home side, began to get into their stride with Conor Chaplin cleverly playing in Jackson on the right but the wideman’s cross was cut out, as was a later ball in from a similar area.

On 10, Tommy Conway will feel he ought to have put his side in front when he headed a Mark Sykes cross from the right goalwards, however, his effort was too close to Hladky, who saved.

But Town were starting to take control and a minute later, Chaplin struck a shot which Robins keeper Max O’Leary saved down to his right.

O’Leary was in action again in the 12th minute, palming Massimo Luongo’s curling effort towards his right away for a corner with the ball looking destined for the net.

From the flag-kick, the Blues again threatened, Broadhead, twice, and Chaplin seeing opportunities blocked as the home side struggled to clear their lines.

On 14, Jackson was shown the game’s first yellow card for a foul on Cameron Pring before the increasingly dominant Blues created another double chance.

First, George Hirst turned a ball in from the left against a defender, then Broadhead’s follow-up was similarly blocked.

But the almost 3,000 Blues fans in the Atyeo Stand at the other end didn’t have too much longer to wait for a goal.

In the 16th minute, Luongo played the ball inside from the left to Hirst, who laid it off to Broadhead. The Wales international brought it forward a couple of paces unchallenged before smashing a shot under O’Leary, who will have been disappointed to get down so slowly, and into the corner of the net.

Broadhead knee-slid into the corner to celebrate his sixth Town goal of the season, his fourth goal in five games for club and country.

Having gone in front, the Blues saw most of the ball but without creating a chance to add to their lead.

And on 28 Bristol City went close to levelling when Taylor Gardner-Hickman brought the ball a long way forward on the left, cut inside and struck a shot which Hladky helped over the bar.

From the corner, the Blues made heavy weather of getting it clear after Matty James smashing a volley against a Town defender after the flag-kick had been headed out to him on the edge of the box.

In the 33rd minute, Leif Davis cut in from the left and rather scuffed a right-footed effort against a defender with the Blues largely still in charge, although allowing Bristol City one or two dangerous counter-attacks.

Three minutes later, after Luke Woolfenden had stood motionless on the ball unchallenged just outside the area for a lengthy spell with the early Robins pressing having disappeared, Chaplin played another clever pass for Jackson to chase down the right, but the former Accrington man was unable to get any power on his cross.

Town continued to look the more likely scorers of the game’s second goal and in the 40th minute Hirst worked his way round the outside of his man on the right of the box but his shot from a tight angle was pawed wide by O’Leary.

The Blues subsequently tried to tee-up Broadhead and then Luongo but the ball wouldn’t fall kindly and the danger was eventually cleared.

Skipper Sam Morsy became the second Town player to be booked in the 42nd minute for a foul on Bell just outside the area, much to the annoyance of the Blues players and fans with Pring having earlier avoided a caution for two fouls on Jackson within a minute, the second a cynical trip as the Blues broke forward.

The Egyptian international went within a whisker of doubling his side’s lead in the final scheduled minute of the half. Chaplin swept the ball wide to Davis, the former Leeds man’s cross was cleared to Morsy 30 yards out from where he struck a brilliant shot which left O’Leary standing but hit the outside of the post.

In injury time, seconds before the whistle, Davis curled a 20-yard free-kick, awarded for a foul on Hirst, off the top of the wall and over.

The Town fans were those cheering at the whistle with the Blues fully deserving their lead, despite starting slowly.

Perhaps there were some cobwebs to blow away after 18 days without a match, while the home side started determinedly.

However, Town quickly got on top and Broadhead’s excellent goal had been coming in the spell before he scored it.

The Blues had chances to double their lead after that but with the Robins having threatened on one or two occasions on the counter-attack.

Town were first to threaten after the restart, Davis holding off his man on the left before hitting a shot which O’Leary saved.

On 49, Cameron Burgess played a long ball over the top for Hirst to chase, keeper O’Leary colliding with the Town striker and a defender as he sought to deal with it on the edge of the area. The loose ball fell to Chaplin, but his looping effort flew over the open goal. Hirst required treatment after the clash but was able to continue.

Four minutes later, Luongo played a brilliant pass for Chaplin to deftly take down, but the forward was forced wide and his pass inside to Broadhead was cut out.

Town continued to look for openings but with the home side seeing more of the ball than in the first half.

Hirst shot wide on 61 before the Robins were awarded a free-kick just outside the area for a foul by Morsy on Knight. Conway shot low and hard past the Town wall but Hladky pouched the ball confidently as a number of attackers looked for a rebound.

In the 65th minute, Broadhead slid in at the far post as a cross from the right fizzed along the turf from the right but the Welshman was just unable to reach it.

Bristol City made their first change in the 66th minute, Roberts replacing Andy King, who had suffered a knock.

Three minutes later, after Davis had been booked for a foul on Sykes, they made two more changes, Harry Cornick and Ephraim Yeboah replacing skipper Andreas Weimann and Bell.

On 70, Town made their first substitutions, Marcus Harness and Omari Hutchinson coming on for Broadhead and Jackson.

Six minutes after the changes, the Robins came as close as it’s possible to scoring without actually doing so.

After a dangerous Cornick cross from the right had been cut out, Davis was caught in possession in the Town area by the home side’s sub. Cornick’s shot beat Hladky to his right, struck the post, hit the keeper’s back and rolled slowly along the line before being cleared by Brandon Williams.

It was a huge let-off for the Blues, who moments later swapped Hirst and Chaplin for Dane Scarlett and Taylor.

Town continued to look shakier at the back with the ball given away again somewhat nervously in the final third as the game approached its last 10 minutes, but fortunately Yeboah’s shot was blocked.

The Blues were finding themselves under pressure for the first time in the game with the Robins winning three corners in a row as the game reached the 83rd-minute mark, the first needlessly conceded by Williams when the ball was already on its way out for a goal-kick.

On 86, Town swapped Luongo for Dominic Ball, while the home side switched Roberts for Joseph James.

After the frantic spell in which City had been on top, the Blues began to restore their earlier control as the game went into six minutes of time added on.

Deep in injury time, Rob Dickie flicked a header wide from a cross from the right after a long throw had been returned by Hladky’s punch but Town largely saw out the final minutes comfortably to claim their fifth away win of the season and their first at Ashton Gate since a 3-0 win on the opening day in August 2011. Town have also stretched their club record unbeaten away league run to 15 games.

Despite being given a tougher game in the second half by the Robins, who will wonder how they didn’t score via Cornick’s along-the-line shot, overall Town deserved the three points having created more than enough to have made their lead more secure by that stage and having controlled most of the match.

The win sees the Blues close the gap to leaders Leicester to five points and nine points ahead of Leeds in third with a game in hand on the Foxes and the Whites.

Town are next in action at home to Plymouth, who beat Sheffield Wednesday 3-0 this evening, on Saturday.

Bristol City: O’Leary, Pring, M James, King (Roberts 66 (J James 85)), Knight, Weimann (c) (Cornick 69), Conway, Dickie, Sykes, Bell (Yeboah 69), Gardner-Hickman. Unused: Bajic, Mehmeti, Knight-Lebel, Nelson, James, Idehen.

Town: Hladky, Williams, Woolfenden, Burgess, Davis, Morsy (c), Luongo (Ball 85), Jackson (Hutchinson 70), Chaplin, Broadhead (Harness 70), Hirst. Unused: Walton, Clarke, Donacien, Humphreys, Taylor, Scarlett. Referee: Josh Smith (Peterborough). Att: 22,783 Town: 2,994).

Photo: Matchday Images

Cadiar added 16:58 - Oct 26 Will Robson Wark ever be positive? KM picks the team, he works with the players daily, he obviously knows them far better than any of us. KJ is there because of his experience, fitness, speed & dedication to doing the job asked of him. He worked his rrsss off last night. We could criticise Hirst for lack of goals, we don't. He does a job exactly as KJ does. RobsonW what do you base your unfounded & constant criticism of Jackson on, your knowledge of football is obviously very limited. Is KJ giving your partner something you're not? It's obvious you dislike him. Not our greatest performance but who could have dreamt we'd be 2nd with such a gap to 3rd. Bring on Plymouth & let's show then why everyone thought we were the best team in Div 1 last season

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Cadiar added 16:59 - Oct 26 Will Robson Wark ever be positive? KM picks the team, he works with the players daily, he obviously knows them far better than any of us. KJ is there because of his experience, fitness, speed & dedication to doing the job asked of him. He worked his rrsss off last night. We could criticise Hirst for lack of goals, we don't. He does a job exactly as KJ does. RobsonW what do you base your unfounded & constant criticism of Jackson on, your knowledge of football is obviously very limited. Is KJ giving your partner something you're not? It's obvious you dislike him. Not our greatest performance but who could have dreamt we'd be 2nd with such a gap to 3rd. Bring on Plymouth & let's show then why everyone thought we were the best team in Div 1 last season

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Cadiar added 16:59 - Oct 26 Will Robson Wark ever be positive? KM picks the team, he works with the players daily, he obviously knows them far better than any of us. KJ is there because of his experience, fitness, speed & dedication to doing the job asked of him. He worked his rrsss off last night. We could criticise Hirst for lack of goals, we don't. He does a job exactly as KJ does. RobsonW what do you base your unfounded & constant criticism of Jackson on, your knowledge of football is obviously very limited. Is KJ giving your partner something you're not? It's obvious you dislike him. Not our greatest performance but who could have dreamt we'd be 2nd with such a gap to 3rd. Bring on Plymouth & let's show then why everyone thought we were the best team in Div 1 last season

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Nomore4 added 07:42 - Oct 27 I like Jackson very much, especially coming on to the field of play with 5 minutes to go. As for a starting 11 place. He just isn’t good enough. I appreciate KMcK knows more than me, but in nearly 5 years I’m yet to witness Jackson being worthy of a starting 11 spot.
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Nomore4 added 07:47 - Oct 27 As for Hirst, I think he does a fantastic job, especially without the ball. But like all strikers/forward players goals are expected. Hirst does need to find the net more than he is currently.
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Sandman180 added 09:48 - Oct 27 What's a little laughable about the majority of responses on here, is the narrative that if the team win, no one is allowed to even question a players performance or any negative periods of play - how odd. To clarify, we're all happy the team has won, that's a given, but there's always room for improvement in any victory, and we're entitled to our opinions - they won't always align, but it's disingenuous to suggest that every victory should herald nothing but praise. No, I don't pick the team, No, I'm not a better coach than McKenna, but travelling to Bristol on a Tuesday night, crawling into bed at 01:30 in the morning, and analysing all 90 minutes of the game (96 minutes if we're being overly pedantic) gives me and other supporters the right to an opinion. Anyway, onto Plymouth on Saturday.

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IpswichT62OldBoy added 10:05 - Oct 27 If we end up with 85+goals I won't care who has scored them. We have moved on from the "have to have a 30 goal striker" days.
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Rimsy added 10:33 - Oct 27 Great post Sandman. Debate is what makes a forum. I wouldn't change KMc for any manager in England right now but that doesn't mean we can't question some of his decisions. Nothing will convince me KJ is worthy of a start. Same as, at this moment in time, Scarlett doesn't look like a striker with the best potential in world football.
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