Barnet vs Luton Town FC (28th Mar 2016)

PUBLISHED 18:00 28th March 2016 Late penalty sinks Hatters at The Hive

The Hatters play-off charge was dealt a last gasp sucker-punch as John Akinde’s 96th-minute penalty gave Barnet all three points at the Hive.

The striker confidently slotted home following Scott Cuthbert’s handball in the Town area, despite the visitors looking favourites to snatch a late victory following Cameron McGeehan’s equaliser.

It was McGeehan’s 13th of the season, smashing home Cuthbert’s knock-down to level the game following Luke Gambin’s opener early in the second half.

But Akinde’s winner kept the Town eight points off the play-offs, following just a second away defeat in seven travels for the Town.

Injuries forced Nathan Jones into three changes from the win at Plymouth nine days ago. Magnus Okuonghae came in for Dan Potts, with Alan Sheehan switching to left-back, while Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu and Paul Benson replaced Paddy McCourt, who was on the bench, and Craig Mackail-Smith.

The unfavourable conditions ensured it was a back-to-the-wall first half for a Hatters side against the wind, forced to deal with numerous Sam Muggleton long throws early on, ably dealt with by Jonathan Mitchell on his fourth Town appearance.

Despite dominating the opening, chances were at a premium for Barnet, only testing Mitchell on occasion as Michael Nelson nodded a deep free-kick well wide.

The Hatters developed as the half went on, defying the conditions to pass the ball around aptly, with Jack Marriott finding a spare yard on the edge of the area to strike a snapshot which Graham Stack fumbled out of harm’s way.

Mitchell looked rather untroubled before the break, but was almost left red-faced when Andy Yiadom’s speculative diagonal free-kick from halfway inside the Town half drifted just a couple of yards wide with Mitchell himself scrambling across his goal-line.

And the Town had the best chance of the half just four minutes before the interval. Intricate one-touch passing from the back through six Hatters players gave McGeehan an opportunity from the edge of the box, driving at Stack who did well to avert the danger.

Conditions were expected to switch to the visitors' favour post-interval, but it was Barnet who took the lead through Gambin. The winger took advantage of a hole in the back four to drive at the defence before cutting inside from the right to fire past Mitchell from just inside the box.

But just moments later, the Hatters thought they had an equaliser. Ruddock’s sumptuous through ball found Marriott on goal, but as he superbly touched over Stack, the flag brought a premature end to celebrations.

That disappointment sparked the visitors into life, with Nathan Jones delivering his first change to replace the booked Jonathan Smith with McCourt.

The move almost paid immediate dividends when McCourt swung in a delivery from the right-hand side following a short corner. The ball didn’t reach his intended target, but fell to Glen Rea whose 12-yard shot looked destined for the top corner only to be remarkably headed off the line by James Pearson.

The Town upped the pressure heading into the final 20 minutes, McGeehan the latest to take aim from distance, yet his zipping shot could only coast over the bar, before McCourt stung Stack’s palms with an in-swinging free-kick deep on the left.

Still in arrears, the Hatters threw on Joe Pigott and Danny Green in a bid for the equaliser, with Barnet doing everything in their power to slow the game up as much as possible.

But the Town were not to be denied a goal with just five minutes remaining. With Green’s free-kick charged down, the same man got a chance to float in a delicious cross, which for all money looked set to be nodded home by Cuthbert. The captain got his head to the ball, but Stack’s intervention was in vain as McGeehan blasted into the empty net to send the 1,800 Hatters fans into raptures behind the goal.

The Bees fought back heading into five minutes of added time with a corner of their own, but that launched a superb counter-attack for the Town. McGeehan fed Green, who beat his man to drive through on goal, executing an audacious chip to lob Stack but, unfortunately for the Hatters, also the bar.

It seemed the Hatters were the only side to win this game, but disaster struck. A hopeful free-kick from deep struck the outstretched arm of Cuthbert in the area, and Akinde made no mistake in striking past Mitchell for an added-time killer-blow at the Hive.

Hatters: Mitchell, O’Donnell, Cuthbert, Okuonghae, Sheehan, Rea (sub Green 80), Smith (sub McCourt 63), McGeehan, Ruddock Mpanzu, Benson (sub Pigott 73), Marriott

Subs not used: Justham, Lawless, McQuoid, Lee,

Attendance: 4,008 including an excellent 1,823 following the Hatters

http://www.lutontown.co.uk/news/article/barnet-luton-gallery-3029202.aspx

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_opb7jgIKU

League Two: Barnet 2 Luton 1

A moment of madness from Hatters captain Scott Cuthbert saw Luton Town slip to a gut-wrenching last-gasp defeat against Barnet this afternoon.

With two minutes of stoppage time remaining, the Town skipper needlessly handled a deep free kick into the box, gifting the Bees a penalty which John Akinde confidently slotted past Jonathan Mitchell.

It had looked like the worst Luton would leave with was a point after Cameron McGeehan’s 85th minute strike drew Town level and as the clock ran down, it was they who looked the more likely to go on and win.

But both Joe Pigott and Danny Green missed decent openings, as Akinde’s late spotkick condemned Hatters to defeat on a day when other results had gone their way, Wycombe held by Notts County and Leyton Orient losing at home to Hartlepool, meaning Town dropped to eight points behind the play-offs.

Earlier, Luton boss Nathan Jones made three changes, handing recalls to Magnus Okuonghae, Paul Benson and Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu, while Glen Rea kept his place after being released from his Republic of Ireland U21 duty.

The switches saw Alan Sheehan move over to left back, while Josh McQuoid was fit enough to return to the bench alongside Olly Lee.

Jones had warned Hatters to expect a relentless approach from the hosts in his pre-match press conference and they got exactly that, with Martin Allen’s side old school tactics helped out by a gale-force wind, as Luton were barely out of their half in the opening 10 minutes.

Barnet pumped the ball forward whenever possible, with Sam Muggleton’s missile-like long throw seeing Town’s defence put under constant threat, Michael Gash glancing a header narrowly wide.

It took Hatters a good 20 minutes to fashion anything remotely resembling an opportunity, as Jack Marriott’s cross was cut out, while the striker then warmed Graham Stack’s hands, Alie Sesay clearing the loose ball.

With the conditions giving Barnet a clear advantage, Mitchell had a nervy moment on the half hour, catching the wind, to narrowly miss the top corner with the keeper at full stretch.

Moments before half time, Luton proved you could get the ball down and play on a poor surface though, a wonderful one touch passing move from back to front, ending with McGeehan’s effort palmed away by Stack.

After seeing out the first half’s aerial bombardment Luton frustratingly then fell behind from Bees’ first attack of the second period.

With a Town attack breaking down, their defence was caught completely out of position, as Barnet set off on a four on two attack, Luke Gambin cutting inside to curl a low left-footed finish past Mitchell and into the bottom corner.

Hatters thought they had levelled on the hour mark when Ruddock Mpanzu played Marriott in, but as he cleverly dinked over the onrushing Stack, he was flagged offside and the goal was chalked off.

Town then swapped Smith for Paddy McCourt with the winger almost setting up a equaliser immediately as his cross saw Rea beat Stack, but not James Pearson, who had taken up a position on the goal-line.

McGeehan was next to go close too as after another good move, firing over, while McCourt continued to try and work his magic, setting off on another mazy run and once reaching the byline, his cross fell for Rea only to lash off target.

With Barnet doing all they can to see the game out by any means necessary, including Curtis Weston seeing yellow for not leaving the field quickly enough, McCourt had a shot kicked away, with Marriott dragging narrowly wide.

However, with five minutes to go, the Bees paid the price for their blatant gamemanship as sub Danny Green’s lofted cross to the back post was headed goalwards by Cuthbert.

Stack couldn’t hold the effort and McGeehan was on hand to lash the rebound into the roof of the net for his 13th of the campaign.

That brought the 1,800 plus travelling fans alive and Luton looked like they could go on and win their first game after conceding first since April 2014.

Crucially, they fluffed their lines twice though as Sheehan’s header was flicked wide by Pigott, while Green wasted an even better opportunity.

Once again Hatters shifted the ball from defence into attack and with Green through to face Stack, he opted for the audacious outside of the foot lob, but saw it fly into the visiting fans.

Barnet then won a free kick when Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu was caught in possession and Luton’s defence cracked again, with Cuthbert penalised and Akinde ensuring the points stayed at the Hive.

Bees: Graham Stack, James Pearson, Michael Nelson, Alie Sesay, Sam Muggleton, Andy Yiadom (C), Sam Togwell, Curtis Weston (Mauro Vilhete 77), Luke Gambin (Bondz N’Gala 67), Michael Gash (Mathew Stevens 90), John Akinde.

Subs not used: Jamie Stephens, Tom Champion, Harry Taylor, Fumnaya Shomotun.

Hatters: Jonathan Mitchell, Stephen O’Donnell, Alan Sheehan, Scott Cuthbert (C), Magnus Okuonghae, Jonathan Smith (Paddy McCourt 62), Glen Rea (Danny Green 80), Cameron McGeehan, Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu, Jack Marriott, Paul Benson (Joe Pigott 72).

Subs not used: Elliot Justham, Alex Lawless, Josh McQuoid, Olly Lee, Danny Green.

Attendance: 4,008 (1,823 Hatters).

Booked: Smith 7, Pearson 70, Weston 78, Sesay 80, N’Gala 83, Akinde 90, Sheehan 90, Cuthbert 90.

Referee: Graham Salisbury.

Hatters MOM: Jack Marriott - was always on the shoulder of the last man.

Luton Town boss Nathan Jones labelled his side’s 2-1 defeat at Barnet on Easter Monday as a ‘horrible game of football’.

The Hatters saw their increasingly unlikely play-off hopes take another blow after conceding a last minute penalty that John Akinde confidently stroked past Jonathan Mitchell.

However, Jones was hugely critical of the way the Bees had gone about the game, particularly their quite blatant gamesmanship tactics even before taking the lead through Luke Gambin’s fine strike.

He said: “I’ve got to be honest, I can’t criticise officials and we’ve got to be careful with what we say, but the game management from some people out there wasn’t good.

“It was a slow, lethargic, grinding, monotonous, horrible game of football, a horrible game of football.

“We knew what it would be like, how they play, what they do, it was a horrible game but I thought we stood up to it for the majority.

“Not many come here and (win) as it’s a horrible place to come, it’s horrible.

“The way the game goes, it’s slow, takes an age to get things back into play, keeper is taking hours, so we stood up to that, and just a few decisions cost us.

“It’s not pretty, so we’ve got to come here and try and do the job, but three bad decisions cost us in a horrible, horrible game.”

That view was echoed by Hatters goalscorer Cameron McGeehan though, as on Barnet’s style of football, he said: “They’re a horrible team to play against, they lump everything in the box, it’s not pretty.

“So we’ve got to come here and try and do the job as it’s ugly to watch, but they’re a successful team in doing it.

“They keep themselves in the division every year by doing that, so it’s tough.

“We knew what it was going to be before the game though and when we scored we were back into it and looked to go and win it, but sloppy defending for both goals has cost us.”

Barnet 2 Luton Town 1

Luton's fans may have felt like they had been transported back in time to last autumn as they saw their side find a way to lose a match at Barnet that only a few minutes previously looked to be the for the taking.

The huge Hatters travelling contingent at The Hive looked on in bewilderment as their captain Scott Cuthbert senselessly handled Andre Yiadom's free kick in the penalty area in the fifth minute of stoppage time.

It allowed Barnet's John Akinde to send the army of 1,823 home disappointed and probably end the Hatters' hopes of reaching the play-offs once and for all. The gap is now eight points.

But this was the sort of soccer suicide Luton specialised in during the opening months of the season. Only Cuthbert will know what it was thinking as he unnecessarily stuck his arm out.

It's the sort of panic that has rarely been seen since Nathan Jones took over in January, but it came at a time when his boys were looking the more likely winners.

Momentum was with Jones' men when Cameron McGeehan smashed them level in the 84th minute, but any they have built under the Welshman had a pin taken to it by Cuthbert's moment of madness.

Barnet began the game on the front foot with the wind at their backs, which was helping their tactic of launching long throws into the box, hurled in by left back Sam Muggleton.

From one of these, Michael Gash flicked a header wide as Luton had to withstand some early aerial bombardment from their hosts.

Almost inevitably it was Jack Marriott who provided a spark after 21 minutes when he unleashed a shot from the corner of the box that Barnet 'keeper Graham Stack found too hot to handle.

It was an isolated bright spot at this point as the Bees continued to buzz around them, making their favoured passing game difficult, but the hosts weren't providing much of a threat themselves.

The wind almost embarrassed Jonathan Mitchell when it got hold of Yiadom's deep free kick and he was relieved to see it sail wide of his far post just after the half-hour.

The Hatters produced their best move of the first half with four minutes of it left as Cameron McGeehan swapped passes with Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu before seeing his strike beaten away by Stack.

Still, they would have been hoping for better things in the second half with the wind behind them, but they fell behind within four minutes of the restart as Luke Gambin was allowed to cut inside before curling into the bottom corner.

Another long throw from Muggleton then caused problems as it fell to Michael Nelson. But Magnus Okuonghae was in the right place to get in the way of his close-range shot.

Paddy McCourt was brought on to provide the extra creativity the Hatters needed and it almost happened within two minutes, as Glen Rea's shot from his cut-back was cleared off the line by James Pearson.

Luton were now dominating for the first time in the match with McGeehan sending an effort over from long range with Barnet inviting pressure by sitting back.

But it was mostly half-chances that were being fashioned with Nelson blocking from the lively McCourt before Marriott sent a shot from outside the box wide.

Eventually, a clear opening came their way and it was gleefully accepted as McGeehan slammed in from close range after Stack had spilled Cuthbert's header from Danny Green's cross.

Jones' 'game-changers' had made an impact again and another, Joe Pigott, almost completed the turnaround when he prodded wide at the near post from Alan Sheehan's header across.

There was still time for another opportunity to win it as Green chipped over in stoppage time after a length-of-the-field counter attack, but the Hatters shot themselves in the foot at the death.

Cuthbert's rush of blood gave Akinde the chance to snatch it and Barnet's top scorer never looked like passing it up as he sent Mitchell the wrong way from the spot.

Barnet (4-4-2): Stack, Pearson, Nelson, Sesay, Muggleton, Yiadom, Togwell, Weston (Vilhete 77), Gambin (N'Gala 68), Gash (Stevens 90), Akinde

Subs not used: Champion, Shomotun, Stephens, Taylor

Luton Town (4-1-2-1-2): Mitchell, O'Donnell, Cuthbert, Okuonghae, Sheehan, Rea (Green 80), Smith (McCourt 63), Ruddock Mpanzu, McGeehan, Marriott, Benson (Pigott 73)

Subs not used: Lawless, Justham, Lee, McQuoid

Referee: Graham Salisbury

Attendance: 4,008 (1,823 away)

Luton Town manager Nathan Jones admitted the decision making of his players at the end of their match at Barnet cost them dear as they slid to a costly 2-1 defeat at The Hive.

The Hatters were looking the more likely winners as the match went into stoppage time as they created several chances after Cameron McGeehan's equaliser in the 84th minute.

But several lapses in concentration led to them being sucker punched at the death, starting with a loose pass forcing Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu giving away a free kick.

From that set piece, Town skipper Scott Cuthbert needlessly handled the ball in the area, which allowed John Akinde to ensure Jones' men came away with nothing by holding his nerve from the penalty spot in the sixth minute of added time.

Jones said: "We knew it would be tight, we said to stay in the game and then the game would open up and we'd be able to make subs and bring on game changers, who'll hopefully win us the game.

"Decision making cost us and then right in the last minute, we were in control of the game looking for the winner.

"Then from the free kick – Scotty has been brilliant for us, but it's just a bad decision at the end.

"Apart from three bad decisions at the end, I thought we had no problems in the game whatsoever. Our keeper hasn't had to make a save.

"So three bad decisions have cost us really and I'm just a bit frustrated."

There was no argument about the awarding of the penalty from Jones – Cuthbert's left arm was clearly away from his body and it was an unnecessary rush of blood to the head from the Scot.

It's one that means eight points now separate Luton from the play-offs, but Jones refused to condemn his captain, who had previously stood up strong in the face of a physical Barnet approach.

Jones said: "It was a pen and it was one where we didn't set up correctly quick enough from the set play because we should have had someone in front of that when we set up.

"Scotty has been brilliant and it was just one of those things that happens. It was a rush of blood, he knew straight away what he had done.

"But three bad decisions cost us in a horrible, horrible game. I can't criticise match officials so I'll be careful with what I say, but the game management out there from some people out there wasn't good.

"It made for a slow, lethargic, monotonous and horrible game of football."