Accrington Stanley vs Luton Town FC (7th Jan 2017)

PUBLISHED 18:32 7th January 2017 Hatters crash out of the FA Cup at Accrington

ACCRINGTON STANLEY 2 (McConville 45+1, Beckles 57)

LUTON TOWN 1 (Gray 54)

Att: 1,717 (482 Hatters)

The Hatters went out of the FA Cup “with a whimper”, according to disappointed manager Nathan Jones, as Sky Bet League Two rivals Accrington Stanley progressed to the fourth round with a 2-1 win at a foggy Wham Stadium this afternoon.

Jake Gray’s third goal of the season early in the second half had dragged the Town back into things after Sean McConville had fired the hosts in front in first-half injury time.

But Omar Beckles glanced in a winner three minutes later, and although Jones’ men had several chances to draw level before Glen Rea’s injury-time dismissal for a second yellow card, it was Stanley who take their place in Monday night’s draw.

Jones made five changes to his starting line-up from the team that faced Portsmouth on Monday, with Alan Sheehan, Olly Lee, Gray, Isaac Vassell and Josh McQuoid coming in – the latter pair having scored the three goals between them the last time they partnered each other up front in last month's Checkatrade Trophy win at Swindon.

The Hatters returned to the three centre-halves and wing-back system that had been used in several games leading up to the Portsmouth trip, and it took Gray – the most advanced of the midfield three of Lee, Jonathan Smith and himself – just ten seconds to register the Town’s first effort on goal.

The ex-Crystal Palace man drove towards the Stanley box after taking a short pass from Lee on halfway, but his low shot flashed just wide of the post as home keeper Aaron Chapman scrambled across his line.

Stanley had most of the early possession and Jonathan Edwards, the ex-Peterborough and Dunstable Town striker signed on loan from Hull City this week, had their first attempt, but his low shot only found Christian Walton’s side-netting.

Vassell was working tirelessly up front as usual, pressing high and making several good blocks on right-back Matty Pearson, while Sheehan came forward to arc in a free-kick from the right, but no-one challenged Chapman as he came off his line to collect comfortably.

The Town had a great chance to open the scoring on 29 minutes when James Justin played the ball inside for Gray, who whipped in a delicious cross from the right that Vassell met with an outstretched left-foot, but couldn’t generate enough power and Pearson hooked the ball off the line as Smith looked to pounce.

Gray was at the centre of all positive Town moves, and just after the half-hour another deflected cross looked to cause Chapman a problem, but the action soon swung to the other end and John O’Sullivan fizzed a low ball across the Hatters’ six-yard box that Billy Kee couldn’t get a toe on.

Captain Scott Cuthbert suffered a head injury in trying to cut the cross out and, after a lengthy spell of treatment, was replaced on 40 minutes by Stephen O’Donnell, who went to right wing-back with Justin switching to the left, and Sheehan dropping into the middle alongside Rea and Johnny Mullins.

With 45 minutes on the clock, Smith had another crack at the Stanley goal after Scott Brown had miscued a clearance, but a minute later, Stanley had the breakthrough when McConville pounced on a loose ball and curled a fine effort into the top corner from 25 yards.

Lee had the Town’s first shot of the second half after 30 seconds, but it flew high into the travelling Hatters behind the goal, and Stanley were soon onto the attack again, James Justin having to slide in to cut out another dangerous low cross from O’Sullivan.

Jones took Lee off and threw Jack Marriott into the action in the 51st minute, and almost immediately the striker had a sight of goal, capitalising on some hesitant defending from Beckles, who managed to get back to deflect the shot wide.

In the 54th minute, however, the Town were level and Marriott was the catalyst with Chapman racing off his line to close the Hatters hitman down on the edge of the box, but the loose ball fell to Gray who gleefully fired past the retreating Chapman and a couple of defenders into the back of the net.

Parity lasted just three minutes though, and Stanley were back in front in the 57th minute when Beckles met McConville’s left-wing cross with a glancing header that flew past Walton for 2-1.

Once more, the Hatters looked to hit back immediately and Gray flashed a low shot across the face of goal and just past the far post, then Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu – who had come on for Smith immediately after the second Stanley goal – saw one deflected just wide.

Mullins and Vassell met two right-wing corners from Sheehan with headers that they couldn’t direct on target, then – in the 70th minute – Rea fired over from close range after Vassell nodded one of Sheehan’s deep left-wing crosses into his path.

It was all Town now and Marriott cut in from the left so send a deflected effort in, then Vassell just failed to get on the end of a low cross from O’Donnell.

Stanley sub Jordan Clark’s first involvement was to relieve the pressure on his defence by firing a shot in that looped up off a Hatters defender and just wide of Walton’s left-hand post.

But Marriott was looking most likely at the other end – from what we could see in the fog – and with four minutes left he brought another save out of Chapman, before McConville volleyed over the Hatters’ bar from 25 yards.

Gray had another go in injury-time, set up by Marriott, before Rea was shown a second yellow card and subsequent red for a foul on McConville on the touchline in front of the benches.

It was an early exit from the game for the midfielder, and a disappointing one from the world’s oldest cup competition for the Town, whose attentions now turn to the Checkatrade Trophy when Chesterfield visit on Tuesday, and the bid to win promotion to League One.

TOWN: Walton, Justin, Rea, Cuthbert (O'Donnell 40), Mullins, Sheehan, Lee (Marriott 51), Smith (Mpanzu 58), Gray, McQuoid, Vassell. Subs: Cook, Senior, D'Ath, King (GK)

Yellows: Smith, Rea Red: Rea

STANLEY: Chapman, Pearson, Beckles, Hughes, Donacien, O’Sullivan (Clark 72), Brown, Conneely, McConville, Kee, Edwards (Boco 86). Subs not used: Davies, Gornell, McCartan, Rodgers, Parish.

PUBLISHED 19:11 7th January 2017 The Hatters were defeated 2-1 at the Wham Stadium

Town boss Nathan Jones was left disappointed with his side’s performance as the Hatters crashed out of the Emirates FA Cup with a 2-1 loss to Accrington Stanley.

Sean McConville gave his side the lead with an excellent finish from outside the box in the first half, before Jake Gray equalised after the break for the visitors after he smashed home from the edge of the penalty area.

Omar Beckles secured the win for Stanley as he headed in from six yards out from McConville’s cross, and the hosts managed to withstand the pressure from Town late on to proceed to the next round of the competition.

Speaking after the match, Jones said: “I am so disappointed. There was nothing really in the game in the first half.

“We come out, we are the better side in the second half, we have a number of chances. We get back into the game, brilliant.

“And then the right footed winger who has put one in the top bin in the first half, is allowed to cut in and put a ball in our box what they can score from.

“Just naïve defending. After that we had enough chances to have got something from the game and take it to at least a replay, but we weren’t clinical enough.”

http://www.lutontown.co.uk/news/article/2016-17/luton-town-accrington-stanley-gallery-3507462.aspx

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gv6CQh3WK5k

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38474608

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ar577Xz4FoM

FA Cup, third round: Accrington Stanley 2 Luton Town 1

Luton Town boss Nathan Jones had no cause to celebrate his year-long anniversary at Kenilworth Road this afternoon after seeing his side crash out of the FA Cup at fellow League Two side Accrington Stanley.

The Hatters chief had witnessed the visitors recover from a tepid first half in which Sean McConville's wonder strike put Stanley ahead, to level through Jake Gray's strike on 54 minutes.

However, after being named the greatest FA Cup giant killer of modern times in the build-up due to their 1-0 win at then Premier League side Norwich in the 2012-13 season, there was to be no chance of repeating that this term, Omar Beckles quickly rising highest to put Accrington into Monday's fourth round draw, with Luton unable to find a way back into the game.

Jones had sprung five changes to his side, with Josh McQuoid, Olly Lee, Alan Sheehan, Jake Gray and Isaac Vassell all coming in for the injured Cameron McGeehan, plus striker Danny Hylton, Jordan Cook, Stephen O'Donnell and Alex Gilliead, with the winger having returned to Newcastle United.

That saw Hatters line up with three at the back once more, with Sheehan and James Justin as the wingbacks, behind a front two of McQuoid and Vassell.

Gray made a promising start to proceedings in the attacking midfield role, picking up the ball to skip past one defender and unleash a low drive that wasn't too far away.

There was little to write home about chances-wise though, former Dunstable Town striker Jonathan Edwards dragging wide of Christian Walton's goal on 15 minutes.

With the fog making vision tricky at best, particularly for the 482 Hatters fans, Justin took a ball out of the sky on the half hour and fed Gray, whose dangerous cross was met at full stretch by Vassell, with Matty Pearson clearing away from the line.

However, for the umpteenth time, Jones was forced into a reshuffle as skipper Scott Cuthbert pulled up with what was later confirmed as concussion five minutes before half time and had to go off.

That saw O'Donnell on, with Sheehan dropping into central defence and Justin switching to the left.

Luton picked up the pace and enjoyed a good spell of pressure before the break, Smith pouncing on a missed clearance to send his angled half volley narrowly off target.

However, Hatters then fell behind when O'Donnell and Lee gave possession away inside their own half and Sean McConville took aim, finding the top corner with a wonderful strike.

After the break, Lee's hopeful volley well over, before he was withdrawn for Jack Marriott seven minutes in, the striker almost having an immediate impact, seeing a shot charged behind.

Gray's effort was then parried away by Chapman, before Luton levelled on 54 minutes as Marriott was put through one-on-one, denied by the Stanley keeper.

However, Gray was first to the rebound and after breaking a challenge, unleashed a fierce left foot blast that fizzed beyond the recovering Chapman and into net.

It was the former Crystal Palace youngster's third strike in what has been limited playing time since signing in the summer from the Eagles, showing that he could, just could, be the man to replace McGeehan's superb goal ratio from midfield.

Hatters were only level for three minutes though, as McConville was allowed to cut on to his right by McQuoid as he swung over a cross that the impressive Beckles flicked beyond Walton.

Jonathan Smith was then taken off before being sent off, as official Darren Deadman handed out a last warning to the midfielder who had been booked early, with Rea then picking up a caution for a mis-timed tackle.

With Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, thrown on to try and force a replay, becoming more and more of a force, Gray took up a good position on the right to drive just wide of the bottom corner.

Mpanzu's deflected effort wasn't too far away either, as was Johnny Mullins' header from Sheehan's corner, with Vassell also rising well to directing his header off target.

On 70 minutes, Hatters really should have restored parity, Vassell's knock down dropping for Rea of all people, but the centre half, falling backwards, blasted his volley wide.

Luton threatened again, O'Donnell's low cross was met by a fresh air shot from Vassell, while with the fog now thickening, making play decidedly hard to witness, Marriott was again sent clear, as faced with Chapman, he could only shoot straight at the keeper.

Mullins also shot tamely at the Stanley custodian late on, while Luton's misery was completed in stoppage time, Rea shown a second yellow for a poor challenge on McConville to pick up the first red card of his career.

To make matters even worse, the Hatters also dropped out of the play-offs this season after wins for Colchester and Barnet saw Town now eighth in the table.

Stanley: Aaron Chapman, Matty Pearson, Mark Hughes, Omar Beckles, Scott Brown, Sean McConville, Jonathan Edwards (Rommy Boco 68), John O'Sullivan (Jordan Clark 72), Seamus Conneely, Billy Kee, Janoi Donacien.

Subs not used: Arron Davies, Terry Gornell, Shay McCartan, Harvey Rodgers, Elliot Parish.

Hatters: Christian Walton, Johnny Mullins, Scott Cuthbert (C Stephen O'Donnell 40), Glen Rea, James Justin, Jonathan Smith (Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu 58), Olly Lee (Jack Marriott 52), Jake Gray, Alan Sheehan, Isaac Vassell, Josh McQuoid.

Subs not used: Craig King, Jack Senior, Lawson D'Ath, Jordan Cook.

Attendance: 1,717 (482 Lutoin)

Booked: Smith 32, Rea 57.

Sent off: Rea 90.

Referee: Darren Deadman.

Hatters MOM: Jake Gray.

Hatters boss Nathan Jones berated his side for going out of the FA Cup with what he felt was a whimper at Accrington Stanley yesterday.

The Luton chief saw Sean McConville scored a stunning strike after mistakes from Stephen O’Donnell and Olly Lee in the first half, while although Jake Gray levelled early in the second period, Omar Beckles’ quickly restored an advantage that Stanley kept hold of to reach round four.

Speaking afterwards, Jones said: “I’m so disappointed, so disappointed. There was nothing in the game in the first half.

“Fair play to them, it was a great strike, but it was avoidable.

“When we came out in the second half and had a little bit of a go, we were the better side. We got in, two or three times, we had one-on-one chances but, for me, it’s just disappointing.

“It’s an FA Cup tie but we didn’t show like a top side in this division that really wanted to win a cup tie. That’s the thing I’m disappointed about.

“We should have got something from the game, clearly, but we went out with a whimper, we really did.”

After publicly criticising both O’Donnell and Lee for giving possession away in the build-up to the first goal, Jones wasn’t happy with Josh McQuoid for allowing goalscorer McConville to get the ball on to his right foot and cross for Beckles’ winner either.

He continued: “We came out, we had a number of chances, then we got back into the game, brilliant.

“And then suddenly, the right-footed winger, who’s put one in the top bin, first half, is allowed to cut inside and put a ball in our box that they can score from.

“It’s just naïve defending. After that, we’ve had enough chances to have got something from the game to take it to at least a replay, but we weren’t clinical enough.”

Sub Jack Marriott, who looked lively from the moment he came on, had two golden opportunities to score for the Hatters, through one-on-one.

Although the first miss eventually saw Gray netting the rebound, Marriott was then denied an equaliser by home keeper Aaron Chapman late on.

Jones continued: “If you’re one-on-one you’re favoured, so you should score. In terms of the first one he had, the keeper saved it but Jake Gray scored from the rebound.

“But the second one is an opportunity to take it to a replay at least or to have a barnstorming finish and we didn’t take it, but that’s the way it is.

“It’s disappointing because we’ve gone out of the cup. We wanted to stay in but we’ll regroup now. We’ve got another cup game on Tuesday, then we’ll regroup and, ultimately, the cliché is we’ll concentrate on the league.”

Glen Rea also came close, slicing wide of the target, but Jones ultimately felt that even if Luton had forced a replay, he wouldn’t have been satisifed with the display from his side.

He added: “I praise my team on regular occasions and I tell them how proud I am.

“Today was a poor performance for me all over. We could have got a draw, or could have nicked it, but that doesn’t mask a performance like that from a few individuals.

“The problem was, we were just nowhere where we needed to be in possession, especially in the first half. When we did have a go, we were the better side but we just couldn’t score.

“We missed chances and I’m just disappointed with the level and type of goals that we’ve conceded because they’re avoidable. It’s just sloppiness in what we do.”

THINK of your most underwhelming anniversary, times it by 100 and you're probably not even close to the disappointment that boss Nathan Jones felt as Luton were dumped out of the FA Cup 'with a whimper' at a foggy Accrington.

Stanley's Sean McConville scored a stunner in first half stoppage time – for which Jones blasted the sloppiness of Stephen O'Donnell and Olly Lee – and when Jake Gray equalised in the second period, the Hatters were only level for three minutes.

Omar Beckles headed a 57th minute winner but Town missed chances to force at least a replay and instead confirmed a massive blow, hardly befitting their newly-crowned status as the FA Cup's greatest giant-killers.

On the eve of this third round tie, it was revealed that Luton had come out on top in a study to determine the competition's ultimate underdogs, by knocking out teams 233 places above them.

It was a nice accolade, if a bit modern, considering the analysis only assessed clashes from the last 25 years from the third stage onwards.

Becoming the first non-league side to beat a Premier League team – when they knocked out Norwich in 2013 – accounted for 88 of those places and, not surprisingly, emerged as the biggest David-beats-Goliath episode in the research's myopic parameters.

Sadly, there was none of that Carrow Road magic at The Wham Stadium, where the Hatters had only ever drawn, in three previous visits.

"I'm disappointed. We should have got something from the game, clearly, but we went out with a whimper," said Jones, adding: "It's an FA Cup tie, but we didn't really show that we are a top side in this division that really wanted to win a cup tie."

Jones made five changes to the side that lost 1-0 to Portsmouth in the league on Monday with Alan Sheehan, Lee, Gray, Isaac Vassell and Josh McQuoid coming in.

There was precious little to shout about from a Luton perspective which, for most of the first half, you could excuse a descending fog.

Well, at very least, the pea-souper spared onlookers one of the limpest FA Cup third round performances in recent Luton memories.

Prior to kick-off, the Twitteratti were even getting nostalgic of a 5-3 defeat by Liverpool – a decade to the day.

At least that 2006 exit was after a pulsating cup clash and, of course, there was no shame in losing to Steven Gerrard and co.

But 2016 doesn't come with the same get out of jail card. Accrington are teetering above the League Two relegation zone. It simply wasn't good enough.

To make matters worse, captain Scott Cuthbert departed early with concussion.

With seconds to go until half time, his replacement, O'Donnell, played a loose ball, Lee didn't commit to a challenge and McConville curled in a top corner stunner. It wasn't good enough and Jones made an early second half substitute, replacing Lee with Jack Marriott.

The striker was immediately involved with a blocked shot and, then five minutes into his appearance should have scored when he went through one-on-one with Stanley stopper Aaron Chapman. The keeper came out on top but Gray followed up and lashed in to level.

But Town quickly conceded again as Beckles rose highest in a crowed penalty box to glance a header past a stranded Christian Walton.

Luton pressed to restore parity but Vassell and Johnny Mullins headed off target, Glen Rea and Vassell, again, thrashed at thin air.

The fog seeped into the Stanley stadium again, this time so thick that one can only hypothesise how Marriott missed another one-on-one, and a miserable afternoon ended with a second caution for Rea, deep into injury time.

It will be a one-year managerial anniversary that Jones will want to forget.

Accrington: Chapman, Pearson, Hughes, Beckles, Brown, McConville, Edwards (Boco, 68), O'Sullivan (Clark, 72), Conneely, Kee, Donacien

Unused subs: Davies, Gornell, McCartan, Rodgers, Parish

Luton: Walton, Mullins, Justin, Cuthbert (O'Donnell, 40), Rea, Sheehan, Smith (Mpannzu, 58), Lee (Marriott, 52), Gray, Vassell, McQuoid

Unused subs: Cook, Senior, D'Ath, King

Referee: Darren Deadman

Manager Nathan Jones launched a scathing attack on Olly Lee and Stephen O'Donnell after Luton were dumped out of the FA Cup third round and hinted that he's prepared to be 'ruthless' in this transfer window.

The two Hatters made quick-fire mistakes that led to Accrington's first goal in a 2-1 loss and, though Jake Gray levelled for Town early in the second half, Omar Beckles scored the winner three minutes later.

But Jones was particularly unhappy with Sean McConville's breakthrough in first half stoppage time.

"I'm so disappointed," said the Hatters chief, adding: "Right before half time, our defensive midfielder pulls out of a challenge. No-one closed down and we're making the same errors for the goal.

"They scored a good goal, from their point of view, it's a curler, top corner. But before that, our right back gives the ball away with an inside pass, again. Then my central midfield player pulls out of a challenge, then we don't close the game down, again, and they put it top bin.

"Top sides don't make those mistakes. I believe we're a top side but, at times, they don't really back that up and that's what happened today."

With the transfer window now open – and Jones having signed Northampton's Lawson D'Ath on Friday – he hinted there could be some Kenilworth Road exits.

He said: "Some of these things keep happening so that's when maybe a ruthless streak needs to be had by the manager, because I can't keep making excuses and compromising on certain things. I want to know with the 11 I put out there that I can rely on them.

"We have plans for people we want. Maybe we need to be a bit ruthless. I'm quite prepared to be ruthless because I want to succeed here and I want to do well. The targets that we want, they won't change, it's just maybe a few other things might."

Jones admitted his side exited the FA Cup with 'a whimper' adding: "I praise my team on regular occasions and I tell them how proud I am. Today was a poor performance all over.

"We're into the nitty-gritty and now, with this [defeat], it means we won't have two games a week, so I'll pick the side that I feel I can trust, the side I feel is going to perform for me, the side that's going to do well for me and a side I believe in."Manager Nathan Jones launched a scathing attack on Olly Lee and Stephen O'Donnell after Luton were dumped out of the FA Cup third round and hinted that he's prepared to be 'ruthless' in this transfer window.

The two Hatters made quick-fire mistakes that led to Accrington's first goal in a 2-1 loss and, though Jake Gray levelled for Town early in the second half, Omar Beckles scored the winner three minutes later.

But Jones was particularly unhappy with Sean McConville's breakthrough in first half stoppage time.

"I'm so disappointed," said the Hatters chief, adding: "Right before half time, our defensive midfielder pulls out of a challenge. No-one closed down and we're making the same errors for the goal.

"They scored a good goal, from their point of view, it's a curler, top corner. But before that, our right back gives the ball away with an inside pass, again. Then my central midfield player pulls out of a challenge, then we don't close the game down, again, and they put it top bin.

"Top sides don't make those mistakes. I believe we're a top side but, at times, they don't really back that up and that's what happened today."

With the transfer window now open – and Jones having signed Northampton's Lawson D'Ath on Friday – he hinted there could be some Kenilworth Road exits.

He said: "Some of these things keep happening so that's when maybe a ruthless streak needs to be had by the manager, because I can't keep making excuses and compromising on certain things. I want to know with the 11 I put out there that I can rely on them.

"We have plans for people we want. Maybe we need to be a bit ruthless. I'm quite prepared to be ruthless because I want to succeed here and I want to do well. The targets that we want, they won't change, it's just maybe a few other things might."

Jones admitted his side exited the FA Cup with 'a whimper' adding: "I praise my team on regular occasions and I tell them how proud I am. Today was a poor performance all over.

"We're into the nitty-gritty and now, with this [defeat], it means we won't have two games a week, so I'll pick the side that I feel I can trust, the side I feel is going to perform for me, the side that's going to do well for me and a side I believe in."