Barnsley vs Luton Town FC (17th Aug 2021)

Barnsley 0-1 Luton Town

The Hatters recorded victory at Barnsley for the third successive season tonight as Amari'i Bell's first goal for the club secured a terrific 1-0 win at Oakwell.

The win made it nine games unbeaten in Yorkshire for the Town, dating back to three days short of two years, as Nathan Jones' side managed the game plan to perfection after summer signing Bell's fourth-minute strike.

Manager Jones made five changes from Saturday's 3-2 defeat at West Brom, with Peter Kioso making his first league start for the Hatters, whilst there was a return to the starting eleven for the first time since February for Tom Lockyer alongside him in a three-man central defensive unit, with captain Kal Naismith on the left.

Henri Lansbury – who played 45 minutes at the Hawthorns – started in midfield with Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, whilst Admiral Muskwe and Cameron Jerome also came in to accompany Elijah Adebayo as part of a front three, Muskwe playing in the hole.

The Hatters made a dream start when Bell fired them into a fourth-minute lead. Lansbury played the ball up the right, Adebayo crossed low, missing strike partner Jerome out, and left-back Bell raced onto it and cracked a right-footed shot low past Tykes keeper Brad Collins.

Former Barnsley player James Bree spurned a chance to double the advantage on 13 minutes. After Adebayo had challenged Collins for an aerial ball on the left edge of the area, Muskwe collected and crossed, with the hosts' header clear only going as far as Bree on the 18-yard line, but the right-back's mis-hit volley was well wide.

Lansbury arced a 21st-minute free-kick into the Barnsley six-yard box, but Adebayo couldn't wriggle free of his marker to get any purchase on his attempt to divert it past Collins.

Seconds later, Simon Sluga was quickly off his line to deny Romal Palmer when the Tykes' midfielder burst into the box, the Town keeper was equally dominant coming through a thicket of players to punch the resulting corner clear.

Lockyer produced a perfectly timed sliding challenge on the edge of the Town six-yard box to deny Clarke Oduor a golden chance of an equaliser, then Toby Sibbick did likewise, twice in quick succession, in the Barnsley penalty area to prevent Muskwe doubling the lead, the first going behind for a corner, the second collected by a grateful Collins.

Muskwe had made an enterprising start in the number ten role, and it was his dribble in the final third that created the Town's next opportunity on 33 minutes, setting Jerome free into the area to cross low, looking for Adebayo, but the former Walsall man couldn't quite get to the ball as it ran acoss the six-yard box.

Sluga was at his brilliant best three minutes later to dive low to his right and push a Callum Brittain shot away, Kioso sliding in to hook the loose ball away as the Barnsley midfielder looked to pounce on his own rebound.

Then Michal Helik was quickly the first player into ref Oliver Langford's notepad for illegally halting Adebayo's run down the right wing, after Bree had fed the striker with a measured ball along the touchline.

Josh Benson was the next home player to go close to an equaliser, somewhat fortuitously, as Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu slid in to challenge on the edge of the Hatters' box and the ball ricocheted just wide of Sluga's right post.

Then Muskwe became the first Town man to be shown a yellow card, for a foul on Palmer, soon joined by Adebayo for delaying a Barnsley free-kick after he was incorrectly flagged offside.

The Hatters came quickly out of the blocks again after half-time, Jerome almost getting in behind within seconds of the restart, only for Sibbick to make a crucial challenge as he looked to advance on Collins' goal.

But it was Barnsley who created the first chance of the second period, Brittain angling a low drive across Sluga but safely wide of the far post from a Hatters perspective.

Adebayo stole a march on the Tykes' back four just before the hour, in an almost identical position to the one Jerome found himself in, but after latching onto Bree's throughball, dragged his shot wide of Collins' right-hand post.

Brittain was proving a handful down the Barnsley right and he slid another ball across the Town six-yard box, again unanswered by his team-mates, before the magnificent Lansbury called Collins into action at the other end, the Barnsley keeper needing to be at his best to push the midfielder's powerful half-volley away for a corner.

Barnsley midfielder Benson shot over from the edge of the box with just over 20 minutes to go, as Jones prepared to make his first change of the evening, bringing Harry Cornick on for Jerome, who left the field to rapturous applause from the travelling Town fans.

Sluga made another good save in the 73rd minute to keep a 25-yard shot from Callum Styles out. Captain Kal Naismith then did well to get a glancing header on Liam Kitching's cross, before Muskwe threw himself in the way of a piledriver from Brittain to protect the Town's lead.

Barnsley sub Devante Cole looked to have got away from Kioso with 13 minutes left, but the Town man raced back to produce another brilliant sliding tackle in the box, before helping see the danger off from the resulting corner.

The Hatters survived a scare in the 87th minute when Styles volleyed over from 15 yards, with Jones replacing Lockyer - who lasted 87 minutes on his return from injury - with Gabe Osho and Muskwe with Glen Rea, just before six minutes of added time were announced.

Goals:

Town - Bell (4)

Attendance: 12,299 (748 Hatters)

Nathan Jones reacts to Barnsley win!

Manager Nathan Jones dedicated this evening’s away victory against Barnsley to Big Mick as the Hatters claimed their second win of the league campaign.

Amari’i Bell’s early strike proved decisive as the Town extended their unbeaten run in Yorkshire to just shy of two years!

The gaffer, was without doubt, delighted with what he saw from his players and admitted wins such as tonight’s are the ‘best ones’.

“It is a difficult place to come, they cause you real problems. They have youth, athleticism and they play in a certain way. We wanted to make sure we started better than we did the other day, and I couldn’t have asked for anything better.

"We got the ball into our front players and created problems, Sluga had one real save to make and I thought we had more clear-cut chances but it was a tight game.

"We worked, we dug in late on, probably could have broken to win 2-0 because it wasn’t a foul but really proud of them, we don’t want to go back-to-back defeats.

Continuing, Nathan said: “I gave them a rocket on the weekend, but they deserve all the accolades they are going to get tonight. Another wonderful win away from home, so proud of them and that one was for Big Mick. We all know he started his treatment today so that one was for Big Mick, we’re so proud and it sets us up for two really important home games now.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uijkuyGHZDY – Nathan Jones post-match interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jk94tF5l8kM – match highlights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAFyFElVMrI – reverse angle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47Q0VW2y_kI – Amari’i Bell interview

Bell scores the winner as Luton dig in to defeat Barnsley

Championship: Barnsley 0 Luton Town 1

Luton produced a magnificent defensive performance to earn their first away win in the Championship this evening with a dogged 1-0 victory at Barnsley.

Although it's a venue the Hatters have often performed well at, winning on their last two visits, they haven't previously had to dig quite so deep in which to do so.

After a 3-2 defeat to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, a game that boss Nathan Jones vowed his players wouldn't ever make the same mistakes again from, he was proved right, as to a man the Luton back-line were superb, throwing themselves in front of shots, blocking crosses and winning their headers, all backed up by o leave Oakwell with their clean sheet intact.

Town boss Nathan Jones had made a surprising five changes to his side from the weekend, handing full Championship debuts to Cameron Jerome, Henri Lansbury, Admiral Muskwe and Peter Kioso.

Tom Lockyer was also back for his first league start since February, as Fred Onyedinma and Jordan Clark missed out, the latter due to concussion protocols, Harry Cornick, Allan Campbell and Gabe Osho dropping to the bench.

Adopting a three-man defence, with Kioso, Lockyer and Kal Naismith, Town had the perfect start on just four minutes.

Elijah Adebayo escaped on the right and when his cross couldn't quite be gathered by strike partner Jerome, there was full back Amari'i Bell to crash home on his weaker right foot from the edge of his box to open his Town account and score a first league goal since March 30, 2019.

It further highlighted the attacking options available to Jones this term, the Jamaican international becoming the fifth player to score in the Championship for Luton already.

Both wingbacks were almost on target inside the opening 15 minutes as Jerome did superbly to dink over a cross from the byline after home keeper Brad Collins failed to collect, James Bree scuffing his volley.

The Tykes threatened an equaliser on 22 minutes, Romal Palmer breaking through Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu's challenge to go through on goal, but with the angle increasingly against him, he couldn't beat Simon Sluga who stood up well to block.

From the resulting corner, Town looked to show they were over the set-piece troubles from Saturday at the Hawthorns, Sluga out confidently to punch clear.

Barnsley then gained control of proceedings, with a prolonged period of possession as they looked the most likely to score, Lockyer required to make a superb sliding challenge as Tykes forward Clark Oduour appeared destined to level the contest.

With such an attacking front three, Luton were always going to be a threat though, Muskwe having one fierce drive blocked behind, with another battling burst bouncing up into the grateful hands of Collins.

He continued to look a real danger, galloping forward and finding Jerome, whose cross was just beyond a team-mate.

Barnsley had a real chance on 37 minutes when some neat passing saw the goal open up for Callum Brittain, Sluga making an excellent low stop from his side-footer, Kioso in bravely to clear the rebound as well.

After the break, the Tykes continued to pose problems, Brittain taking aim with an angled drive which wasn't too far away.

The Hatters' chances were more limited, Adebayo making his own opportunity when bursting into the box, but rather than shoot across Collins, went for the near post and dragged disappointingly wide.

Back came the Tykes, with Brittain again orchestrating things on the right, his low delivery just missed by the sliding Devante Cole.

At the other end, Lansbury showed wonderful technique to execute a half volley that required parrying by Collins, with Barnsley also going close again, Josh Benson's volley flashing behind.

With 20 minutes to go, the Hatters gave Jerome a breather after the experienced striker had run himself into the ground, while Sluga made a sprawling stop from Styles, Muskwe showing his defensive duties when doing brilliantly to block a follow-up shot.

As the time ticked on, Luton made certain they weren't going to concede, Kioso tracking his man and producing a sliding tackle to avert the danger for a corner that Liam Kitching headed over.

Barnsley had a wonderful chance to draw level with time running out, as with Lockyer struggling badly with cramp, the ball broke to Styles eight yards out, only for the midfielder to shank wide of the target.

That was to prove their last opportunity though, Town making it three successive wins at Oakwell and climbing up to third place in the table.

Tykes: Brad Collins, Callum Styles, Liam Kitching, Callum Brittain, Cauley Woodrow ©, Josh Benson, Toby Sibbick, Romal Palmer, Clarke Oduor (Devante Cole 56), Dominik Frieser (Victor Adeboyejo 75), Michael Helik.

Subs not used: Jack Walton, Ben Williams, Jasper Moon, Aapo Halme, George Miller.

Hatters: Simon Sluga, James Bree, Kal Naismith, Tom Lockyer (Gabe Osho 88), Peter Kioso, Amari'i Bell, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Henri Lansbury, Admiral Muskwe (Glen Rea 89), Elijah Adebayo, Cameron Jerome (Harry Cornick 69).

Subs not used: Harry Isted, Carlos Mendes Gomes, Elliot Lee, Allan Campbell.

Bookings: Helik 37, Muskwe 41, Adebayo 45, Lansbury 57, Cornick 90.

Referee: Oliver Langford.

Attendance: 12,299 (748 Luton).

Jones: Town's players deserve all the accolades after bouncing back from Baggies defeat at Oakwell

Hatters** manager on this evening's 1-0 win at Barnsley**

Luton boss Nathan Jones felt his players deserved all the accolades after they bounced back from Saturday’s 3-2 defeat to West Bromwich Albion with a 1-0 victory at Barnsley this evening.

Amari’i Bell’s goal after just for minutes was enough to claim the points, as the Hatters dug in to grind out a dogged clean sheet on the night.

Jones, who had been highly critical of Town’s defensive efforts at the Hawthorns on Saturday, when they struggled against set-pieces, said of the triumph: “They’re the best ones and this is a difficult place to come.

“They’re a good side, they cause you real problems, they’ve got youth, athleticism, they play in a certain way, but we wanted to start better than we did the other day.

“We worked solidly on a start and we couldn't have asked for anything better.

“We had a few little chances when we got into our front ones, we caused real problems and I thought we created more.

“(Simon) Sluga had one real save to make, but I thought we created the more opportunities, without clear-cut chances.

“It was a tight game, a difficult game, we worked, dug in late on, we probably could have broken to win 2-0 because it wasn't a foul (on Harry Cornick) but absolutely really proud of them as we don't want to go back-to-back defeats.

“We had a tough lesson on Saturday, but they've come back and bounced back absolutely magnificently.

“They invert, they play a bit unorthodox, so it’s very difficult, but the work-rate and what I get from them, and I gave them a bit of a rocket at the weekend but they deserve all the accolades they’re going to get from tonight.

“It’s another wonderful win away from home and I’m just so proud of them.”