Luton limped out of the decade in dour away-day fashion as this contest was effectively over from the fourth minute when Marley Watkins opened the scoring for Bristol City.
The Hatters had lost their previous seven games on the road, conceding 22 goals and scoring just four, which highlighted the scale of the task.
But to conceded first, which they have done with recurring frequency, is inevitably a death sentence for this Town team, and so it proved. They looked devoid of answers against a Robins side on a four-game losing streak.
It wasn’t even like Luton goalkeeper James Shea – selected instead of the injured Simon Sluga (calf) as one of two changes to the starting line-up, along with Harry Cornick in place of Callum McManaman – had an overly busy opening period. City had a cigar on.
Shea did make one instinctive stop to keep out a Watkins back stick header, which, like every dangerous Bristol attack in the first half, was fashioned down the left-hand side where Luke Bolton was ruthlessly targeted by Niclas Eliasson.
The full back would make way at the interval for Martin Cranie’s first appearance since November 9 – but not before the Robins had increased their lead on the stroke of half time.
Kazenga LuaLua – by this point deployed as a wing back – tripped Jack Hunt in the penalty area and Famara Diedhiou clipped the spot-kick down the middle, with Shea already committed to a dive.
There was something of a more spirited display from Luton after the restart and Harry Cornick had a shot hacked off the line by Hunt, but the City full back then helped drive a final nail in the coffin of this game.
The Robins had previously worked the ball well to the right flank and though Hunt’s centre was dangerous, it was converted audaciously by Andreas Weimann who backheel flicked inside the near post.
That was job done for the hosts just after the hour mark, though you could argue, sadly, that was the case from the fourth minute.
