Aldershot Town vs Luton Town FC (8th Oct 2013)

REPORT: ALDERSHOT 3-3 TOWN

Town lead twice but fight-back to earn point

The Hatters extended their unbeaten run to six games in another topsy-turvy game in the Skrill Premier.

After Saturday’s 4-3 victory over Halifax, the Town led twice but needed a penalty 10 minutes from time earn a point.

Andre Gray put the Hatters in front before Jake Goodman’s leveller. Andy Parry restored the Town’s lead but Aldershot found themselves in front at half-time thanks to goals from Jordan Roberts and Mark Moseley.

Not to be denied, however, the Hatters rescued a point when substitute Shaun Whalley converted a penalty he won having been fouled in the penalty area.

The Town, showing one change from the weekend - with Jake Howells replacing Alex Lawless, made the perfect start when taking the lead on four minutes. Ex-Aldershot midfielder Luke Guttridge sent Gray through on goal and after taking a touch the striker curled home a fine left-foot shot into the corner of the net for his third goal of the season.

Hurt by going behind the hosts responded well. Captain Craig Stanley flashed a drive inches over the crossbar on six minutes before Mark Tyler did well to claw onto a curling effort from Brett Williams on 11 minutes.

However, the Hatters weren’t so lucky a minute later when Goodman, who played 11 times on-loan for the Town last season, took advantage of some slack Town defending to tap home from two yards.

Aldershot all of a sudden were in the ascendancy but the Hatters re-took the lead on 16 minutes through Parry’s first goal for the club. Gray wriggled his way into the box to win a corner which Howells swung into Steve McNulty, and the centre-half’s header across goal was kneed home by Parry from six yards.

It was almost 3-1 to the Town on 21 minutes when a Guttridge free-kick was volley just the crossbar over by Benson – and that would be the Hatters’ final chance of the first half as the Shots upped the ante.

Andy Scott’s side hit their second equaliser on 24 minutes when Roberts fired confidently beyond an exposed Tyler after Alex Lacey and McNulty had failed to deal with a long ball over the top of the defence.

Guttridge shot wide for the Hatters on 31 minutes before Benson’s appeals for a penalty were waved away two minutes later after the striker went down under a challenge from home goalkeeper Nick Pope.

But Aldershot were always looking dangerous going forward and, after twice going close with half-chances from set-pieces, the Shots took the lead for the first time on the stroke of half-time. Moseley picked the ball up outside the Hatters area and strode unchallenged to the byline, cut inside and smashed a low shot past Tyler.

There were no changes after half-time for either side, but the Hatters missed a great chance to level four minutes after the restart when Gray’s pass from the right flank was met first-time by Guttridge but he lifted the ball over the crossbar from 15 yards.

Chances were few and far between and just before the hour Alex Wall was introduced in the Town’s first change of the night, the striker replacing Howells.

On 62 minutes the Hatters came close again to finding an equaliser when the ball found its way to Gray just inside the box and the scorer of the first goal sent a firm left-foot shot a yard wide of the target.

The Town had Tyler to thank for keeping the score at 3-2 when he dived at full length to save Jaydon Gibbs’ low curling shot from the edge of the box.

John Still introduced Whalley on 71 minutes and the former Southport winger joined his former Haig Avenue colleague on the scoresheet from the spot 10 minutes from time. He burst into the box down the right before being sent sprawling and, after a short delay, stepped up to coolly dispatch past Pope from 12 yards.

A fantastic block by McNulty prevented the Shots retaking the lead once more on 82 minutes after Gibbs had weaved into the box before finding time and space to get a shot away.

Both sides had half chances to sneak a winner in the final minutes with Gibbs going close again for the hosts in the fourth minute of added time but that was the final chance as both sides shared the points.

TOWN: Tyler; Henry, Griffiths, McNulty, Lacey; Smith, Parry (sub Whalley 71), Guttridge; Gray, Howells (sub Wall 59), Benson. Subs not used: Charles, Robinson, Justham.

ATTENDANCE: 2,693, including 840 supporting the Town.

http://www.lutontown.co.uk/news/article/stills-aldershot-verdict-1104431.aspx

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Hatters held to topsy-turvy Shots stalemate

Skrill Premier: Aldershot 3 (3) Luton Town 3 (2)

Substitute Shaun Whalley’s first Hatters goal rescued a point as Town were held to a 3-3 draw at Aldershot in the Skrill Premier tonight, writes Mike Simmonds.

The winger entered the fray on 71 minutes, before winning and coolly converting a penalty nine minutes later to extend Luton’s unbeaten run to six games.

It could have been so much more for Town as they twice led in the first half, but then paid for defensive inadequacies to trail 3-2 at the break.

Hatters, who recalled Jake Howells for Alex Lawless, took the lead with their first attack thanks to a stunning individual strike from Andre Gray.

Taking Luke Guttridge’s pass, he went wider and wider, before cutting back on to his left foot, and perfectly picked out the bottom corner.

The hosts were level on 12 minutes though when a high ball was headed goalwards and, with Mark Tyler calling for it, he was beaten by a Shots attacker, with former Town loanee Jake Goodman prodding the ball over the line from close range.

A breathless opening continued as Town were back in front on 16 minutes when Gray’s long run ended in the visitors winning a corner.

From the set-play, Steve McNulty headed goalwards and Andy Parry stuck out a knee to divert the ball over the line for his first Hatters goal.

A training ground free-kick saw Town go close to a third goal as Guttridge’s lofted delivery saw Paul Benson peel away to the back post and send a looping volley over.

With 24 minutes on the clock, Shots drew level for a second time as a long ball was flicked on by Brett Williams and McNulty missed his clearance, allowing Jordan Roberts to rifle home.

The hosts then completed their comeback on the stroke of half time when midfielder Mark Molesley took advantage of some weak defending by Parry and McNulty to finish with aplomb past Tyler.

After the break, Luton had a superb chance to level immediately when Gray skipped clear and his cross was scooped over from close range by Guttridge.

Gray then had a chance on 62 minutes, but this time his radar was off, while Tyler had to scramble low down to block from Jaydon Gibbs.

As on Saturday, Alex Wall was brought on to try and add some more muscle to Town’s attack, and he arched his back to head Ronnie Henry’s cross over.

It was another John Still substitution though, that led to the leveller. Whalley was sent on and his direct run was ended by a foul by Lewis Young. He then showed tremendous nerve to atone for his earlier spot-kick miss at Southport and beat Nick Pope.

Town’s defence then came under pressure again as McNulty produced a wonderful block from Roberts after he had wriggled clear and looked set to score, while Gibbs had the last chance, but blazed off target when well placed.

The result saw Hatters climb to fourth in the table, but are now 10 points behind leaders Cambridge ahead of Saturday’s home clash with rock-bottom Hyde.

Shots: Nick Pope, Joe Oastler, Craig Stanley, Jake Goodman, Brett Williams, Manny Oyeleke, Jordan Roberts (Meshack Douglas 78), Chris Barker, Mark Molesley, Jaydon Gibbs, Lewis Young. Substitutes not used: Matt Paterson, Arron Wickham, Cameron Brown, Luke Williams.

Hatters: Mark Tyler, Ronnie Henry, Scott Griffiths, Steve McNulty, Alex Lacey, Andrew Parry (Shaun Whalley 71), Jonathan Smith, Luke Guttridge, Paul Benson, Andre Gray, Jake Howells (Alex Wall 59). Substitutes not used: Anthony Charles, Elliot Justham, Matt Robinson.

Booked: Oyeleke 67; Young 80; Smith 89.

Referee: Paul Rees. Assistant Referees: George Prague and Stuart Pawley. Fourth official: Maurice Taylor.

Attendance: 2,683 (840 Luton).

Star Hatter: Andre Gray. Hatters striker caused the Shots defence no end of problems all evening.

Football: 'We started bright but did not capitalise' says Still after Luton Town draw with Aldershot

Written by TOM SHARP

Four points in as many days for the Hatters constitutes consistent work as the Skrill Premier season heads into the long winter but in the aftermath of Tuesday’s compelling 3-3 draw at Aldershot, manager John Still was left ruing an “unconvincing” showing.

In what Still pinpointed afterwards as likely to be Luton’s toughest game of the season, his side led twice early on through Andre Gray and Andy Parry but trailed at half time thanks to a combination of kamikaze defending and clinical Aldershot finishing.

If ever there was a good time for the barren Shots to play Luton, having failed to score in 280 minutes of football, it was now.

Fresh from conceding three sloppy goals in Saturday’s almighty scare against newly promoted FC Halifax, Town looked shaky at the back again with the home side taking full advantage, much to Still’s disappointment.

“Our defence has been unbelievable this season and have won us loads of points but tonight we gave away two shocking, shocking goals,” said Still.

“Poor individual goals to concede as well. One, a free kick wide on the touchline that was almost identical to Saturday. I spoke for at least 15 minutes before the game about fouling in your third and the dangers and we never learnt.

“The second was just poor defensively while I cannot really have any complaints with the third. The fellow’s just been quite tricky so fair play to him.

“Overall I felt it was a game we should never have been chasing though. We started bright but did not capitalise.”

Despite sitting in fourth, their highest league position of the campaign to date, Town have sparingly found the right balance of strict defending and lethal attacking.

While the defence have had a relapse in form since forging eight clean sheets in their first twelve games, the misfiring front-men have found the deadly touch.

Having amassed a mere five goals in their opening eight fixtures, Luton now boast a healthier goals tally, with 17 goals in their last seven encounters and Still believes their upturn in fortune could be the catalyst for success.

“I want to score goals because I want to entertain,” said the Luton boss.

“People say ‘do you want to win 5-3 or 1-0?’ That depends who you are playing against though really.

“I think we have to score goals to win things and finally the goals are coming after a slow start.”

With Kenilworth Road looking every bit the fortress the Hatters require to further their promotion challenge, on the road Still is adamant his side go out to take maximum points in every game.

“Let us be clear about this. I am not going away to draw,” said Still.

“I will take a draw in difficult games like these but we always go to win. If we can back up the home form with some decent away performances we will make strides and be where we want to be near the end of the season.”