LONDON, CMC—Bermudian striker Nahki Wells scored his fifth goal of the season but just his second of the year as Bristol City beat 10-man Plymouth Argyle 1-0 on Easter Monday to continue their topsy-turvy form in the English Championship.
The 33-year-old, a half-time substitute, headed the visitors in front at Home Park in the 57th minute. They held onto the lead, helped by Alfie Devine’s sending off for a second yellow in the 78th.
The win – Bristol City’s second on the bounce and third in their last five outings – leaves them 12th on 53 points and 11 off the playoff spots.
Plymouth, meanwhile, failed to score for a fifth straight home game and is one point above the drop zone with 41 points.
The hosts started strongly and dominated the first half-hour without really testing goalkeeper Max O’Leary, and the game reached the break scoreless.
Wells’ intervention changed the complexion of the contest; however, the veteran was one of three changes, including Mark Sykes and Joe Williams.
The goal arrived approaching the hour mark when goalkeeper Michael Cooper saved from Anis Mehmeti and denied the follow-up effort by Sykes, only for Wells to head home the third attempt.
“He’s a top pro, Nahki – I can’t speak highly enough of him,” said the Bristol City manager.
“He’d probably want to play more than he has done, but it was an excellent performance, stepping on and delivering when required. He came on and had a real positive impact.”
In the 70th, O’Leary denied Morgan Whittaker, and Wells forced a save out of Cooper before Devine was given marching orders for a foul on George Tanner.
In the National League, Grenada international Kairo Mitchell was handed a straight red in the 37th minute for a bad challenge on Tom Parkes. However, Rochdale still managed a share of the points at home at Spotland Stadium when Devante Rodney struck a dramatic 95th-minute equalizer to cancel out Joe Grey’s 65th-minute opener for Hartlepool United.
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