Blackburn Rovers vs Luton Town FC (30th Jan 2021)

Match Report | Blackburn Rovers 1-0 Luton Town

The Hatters beaten by the narrowest of margins at Ewood Park...

The Hatters suffered late heartbreak after their defensive resolve was broken in the 85th minute by Blackburn Rovers.

It was a tough result to take after what was largely an impressive performance from the Town players, who defended resiliently and even had the ball in the net themselves, only to be ruled out for offside.

Manager Nathan Jones made three changes from the last Sky Bet Championship fixture, opting to start Matty Pearson, Glen Rea and Jordan Clark – the latter who scored for Town in the 3-1 Emirates FA Cup defeat against Chelsea.

It was a lively start from the hosts on a windy afternoon at Ewood Park as Sonny Bradley produced a goal-saving tackle to deny Adam Armstrong, who had latched on to a loose ball and charged through on goal before being stopped in his tracks.

The skipper was at it again a couple of minutes later, making an important block to divert Ben Brereton’s shot behind for a corner.

After weathering somewhat of an early storm, the Hatters had plenty of the ball in the first half and created some good openings, though to little avail.

On his 150th appearance for the club, Harry Cornick was the most persistent threat and produced several good crosses into the box, the best of which fell towards Clark, but Thomas Kaminski was off his line quickly to get to the ball first.

Simon Sluga was alert straight away in the second period to save down low from Armstrong as both teams tried to get the better of one another.

It was a half in which both defences were on top form, particularly for the Hatters when Martin Cranie, moments after entering the fray, made a crucial block to deflect Tyrhys Dolan’s shot away from goal.

With 12 minutes remaining, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall managed to win the ball in midfield and picked out Cornick in acres of space on the right. The former Bournemouth man shaped to shoot but instead passed the ball inside towards Clark, but Rovers managed to intercept and clear.

After Dewsbury-Hall was denied from the edge of the box, against the run of play, Blackburn took the lead in the 85th minute.

Rovers took a drop-ball quickly, Sam Gallagher headed the ball across to Armstrong, who made no mistake to score his 17th league goal of the season.

But the drama was not yet over. Keen to make amends, Luton had an attack of their own to try and forge back into the game and for a split second they believed they had.

With just a minute to go, Dewsbury-Hall’s free-kick was played across the box by Sonny Bradley, Danny Hylton couldn’t get good enough connection on the ball but Cornick lashed the ball high into the roof of the net with the second opportunity, before the linesman raised his flag for offside.

It was a bitter blow for the Hatters, who will hope to earn a more positive result at home to Huddersfield Town next weekend.

Town: Sluga; Pearson (Cranie 72), Lockyer, Bradley (C), Potts; Rea (Nombe 88), Mpanzu, Dewsbury-Hall; Clark (Naismith), Cornick, Collins (Hylton 65).

Subs not used: Shea, Berry, Hylton, Moncur, Naismith, LuaLua, Nombe, Morrell.

Yellows: Rea

Blackburn: Kaminski; Nyambe, Lenihan, Branthwaite, Douglas; Travis, Rothwell (Dolan 61), Downing (Holtby 61); Elliott (Dack 61), Brereton (Gallagher 61), Armstrong.

Subs not used: Pears, Buckley, Evans, Bennett, Magloire.

Goals: Armstrong (85)

Yellows: Travis

Referee: Jeremy Simpson

Nathan Jones reflects on Blackburn Rovers defeat

No punches pulled as NJ reflects on late heartbreak against Blackburn...

Manager Nathan Jones was completely honest in his reflection post-match as he couldn’t quite believe the Hatters didn’t take a result home from Ewood Park.

Blackburn were 1-0 winners courtesy of Adam Armstrong’s late goal but it was a performance that merited more for Jones’ side, who praised his team whilst in disbelief.

“I feel physically sick, I could be sick. The gaffer admitted. “I thought we were excellent, I thought we were outstanding. They are a difficult side to play against, but they hardly had a chance, we limited them to stuff that no side does.

“We defended absolutely brilliantly against them and then we have switched off from a drop ball. I can’t believe what has happened, I really can’t because we deserve more.

“The performance levels, the work rate, the energy levels, everything they gave me was absolutely superb. Take ten seconds out of the game, and I’m giving you a different interview here now. I haven’t felt this sick since the Blackpool second leg at home, that is how bad I feel to be honest.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yO9RgLaWOAY – Nathan Jones post match interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7x5wx2UWFk – match highlights

Hatters switch off at the back as they fall to late defeat at Blackburn

Championship: Blackburn Rovers 1 Luton Town 0

A controversial late goal by striker Adam Armstrong condemned Luton to an undeserved 1-0 defeat at Ewood Park this afternoon.

With 85 minutes gone, the Hatters looked more than worthy for a point on their travels, possibly even pushing for a victory themselves, before Dan Potts went down after a cross was blasted at him from close range.

Referee Jeremy Simpson stopped play, allowing Potts to recover, and then awarded an uncontested drop ball, with Lewis Holtby quickly sending it into the area before Town could regroup, where the unmarked Sam Gallagher headed it back for the equally unmarked Armstrong to nod home.

With Town complaining profusely to the officials over the goal, their mood was to worsen even further, as the visitors thought they had levelled through Harry Cornick's first goal of the season, only for an offside flag to rob the attacker of an equaliser.

Earlier, the Hatters made three changes for the clash, Matty Pearson, Dan Potts and top scorer James Collins back in, with James Bree, Ryan Tunnicliffe and Kal Naismith dropping out.

Town were almost undone inside the opening five minutes as Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's ill-advised backpass was pounced on by Armstrong who went clean through on goal.

Crucially and somewhat surprisingly, he delayed his shot, although it was still a magnificent recovery run by captain Sonny Bradley who timed his full stretch sliding challenge to absolute perfection, preventing a certain goal.

The usually free-scoring hosts looked good in the early stages, Pearson forced to head a dangerous Harvey Elliott cross away under heavy pressure, with Armstrong putting a 20-yarder well over.

With 18 gone, Cornick, on his 150th appearance for the Hatters, set off from well inside his own half on a lung-busting, powerful run, nutmegging his opponent and eventually finding Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu whose left footed attempt was deflected behind.

Liverpool loanee Elliott was picked out by Joe Rothwell's fine crossfield pass only to also get his radar wrong, as Luton, particularly with the impressive Corinck, began to grow into proceedings, fashioning a number of dangerous moments from either flank, but just couldn't pick out a team-mate in the area.

Mpanzu was unable to pull the trigger, stopped by a good challenge, as he was once more just before the break, when Cornick and Collins combined to good effect on the right, Ryan Nyambe getting across to muscle the midfielder off the ball in the act of shooting.

The first half ended with Town in the ascendancy, although Rovers upped their efforts immediate after the interval, Armstrong beating Bradley, but his shot was collected by Sluga.

Luton quickly went up to the other end, winning a free kick 22 yards out that Dewsbury-Hall sent off target, before Rovers boss Tony Mowbray signalled his intentions, with four changes on the hour mark, including the introductions of Bradley Dack and Gallagher, the latter having scored in both of his last sub appearances against the Hatters.

Jones reacted by bringing on Danny Hylton for Collins moments later, with Martin Cranie soon in action for the first time since Boxing Day to replace Pearson who looked to have hurt his hamstring.

The sub was involved in a crucial block just moments after coming on, Luton caught out in possession at the back, with Thyrys Dolan taking aim, Cranie throwing himself in the way to divert over the bar

Lockyer then managed to get in the way of a header at the back post, knocking it back to Sluga, before Dolan once again threatened, shooting into the stands.

Hatters really should have gone ahead when Cornick had a marvellous chance after being found by the increasingly influential Dewsbury-Hall, but rather than go for goal, he tried to find a visiting attacker inside the area, the danger was cleared away.

A poor throw by Rovers keeper Thomas Kaminski was then cut out by Potts, Dewsbury-Hall's snap-shot from 20 yards, finding the Belgian well positioned to gather.

With five remaining, Blackburn pounced though, Armstrong left unmarked to beat Sluga and break the deadlock.

Town believed they had the goal their efforts deserved moments later though, Dewsbury-Hall's free kick met by Bradley at the far post.

His effort beat Kaminski, but was cleared off the line, before Cornick hammered into the top corner only for the linesman's flag to cruelly cut short both his and Luton's celebrations, meaning that that yet again, Town drew a blank on the road, their eighth out of 14 fixtures this season.

Rovers: Thomas Kaminski, Ryan Nambe, Stewart Downing (Lewis Holtby 61), Adam Armstrong, Joe Rothwell (Tyrhys Dolan 61), Barry Douglas, Harvey Elliot (Bradley Dack 61), Ben Brereton (Sam Gallagher 61), Darragh Lenihan ©, Lewis Travis, Jarrad Branthwaite.

Subs not used: Aynsley Pears, John Buckley, Corry Evans, Elliott Bennett, Tyler Magloire.

Hatters: Simon Sluga, Matty Pearson (Martin Cranie 72) Dan Potts, Tom Lockyer, Sonny Bradley ©, Glen Rea (Sam Nombe 88), Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Jordan Clark (Kal Naismith 88), Harry Cornick, James Collins (Danny Hylton 64).

Subs not used: James Shea, George Moncur, Luke Berry, Joe Morrell, George Moncur, Kazenga LuaLua.

Bookings: Travis 50, Rea 62.

Referee: Jeremy Simpson.

Luton boss is left feeling 'physically sick' after Rovers score late on to clinch victory

Jones can't believe Gallagher is left free to set up Rovers' winner

Luton boss Nathan Jones admitted he was left feeling ‘physically sick’ after falling to a 1-0 defeat at Blackburn Rovers this afternoon.

With five minutes to go, the Hatters looked on course for another point in their Championship campaign, before Dan Potts went down after a cross hammered into his midriff from close range.

Referee Jeremy Simpson stopped play and gave a drop ball, which was quickly pumped into the area by Lewis Holtby where Sam Gallagher nodded down for Adam Armstrong to score, with Town's players bemoaning they hadn't been given a warning play would restart by the official.

Jones himself was left bitterly disappointed with the architect of the winner, as he said: "We probably should be talking about a real good away performance but I’m not as for 10 seconds we switched off and that's cost us the game and that's the thing that makes me feel actually physically sick if I’m honest.

“It’s a drop ball, all my players are standing around and the thing that really, really kills me is, we actually said at half time, sooner or later when they get frustrated, they’re going to bring Gallagher on as they’ve done it in two games previously.

“Now we haven’t lost against these yet, but they bring him on, they go direct, he heads it in, he heads it back across and they score.

“They’ve done it twice against it, so I said 'that doesn't happen to us today.'

"It's like a self fulfilling prophecy, and I can’t believe it's happened because that's the thing that costs us at Championship level.

“I actually said to them at half time, 'they are going to go direct later on in the game, because they will not be able to find a way through us so they'll bring Gallaher on.'

“Make sure that when he peels away that he's marked as he’ll nod it back in and they'll score, because they've done it twice and I don't want that to happen again.

“I don’t know how much more information I could have given them and that’s the only time we switched off in 90 minutes.”

Jones didn’t lay the blame at the officials either though, saying: “It’s inexcusable, they go to cross the ball, ours goes down, so he brings the ball back, 25 yards further back away from our goal.

"He drops it, I've got my right back and my right winger actually chatting, when he's peeled into an area and that for me is baffling, that's what makes me sick, as we shouldn't have lost that game today.

“I should be giving a totally different interview here, in terms of how proud I was, for us to compete with Blackburn and to nullify a real good fluent Blackburn side.

“A lot of them are earning rave reviews, we nullified them today, I thought we were excellent, but I can't actually say that as we've just lost the game.

“I wouldn’t say robbed, we’ve been the victims of our own downfall, so I'm not going to say robbed as that would be disrespectful to Blackburn.

"It was an even game, but to come here away from home and to compete, the fine margins has gone with them today.

“Two minutes earlier we have a glorious opportunity, didn't take it, then we switched totally off and get punished.”

Town then thought they had equalised through Harry Cornick’s effort into the top corner, but it was disallowed for offside in the build-up to the goal, which saw Sonny Bradley meet Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's free kicked, his attempt cleared off the line, before Cornick struck.

Jones added: “I’m not really sure about the offside rule anymore.

"There’s a phase of play in there, the ball’s gone backwards, there's a phase of play first of all, earlier on in the move, I don't know, I really don't know.

"I haven't actually seen it back yet and I haven't gone to see the referee, but I shouldn't be talking about that really."