Brentford vs Luton Town FC (2nd Dec 2023)

Report | Hatters slip to defeat at the Gtech

Brentford 3 Maupay 49, Mee 56, Baptiste 81

Town 1 Brown 77

A nightmare start to the second half helped condemn the Hatters to a defeat at Brentford.

Having lost captain Tom Lockyer through injury at half-time, the Town conceded twice in a six-minute spell early in the second half to give the hosts a two-goal lead.

The Hatters, so often staying in games this season and scoring goals late in the final 15 minutes, added another to their tally when substitute Jacob Brown halved the deficit.

But the Bees made sure of victory with nine minutes left when Shandon Baptiste made it 3-1 to consign the Hatters to defeat.

Showing two changes to the side that beat Crystal Palace last weekend, the Town started with Issa Kabore and Tahith Chong. A hip injury ruled Alfie Doughty out of the side, while Andros Townsend dropped to the bench.

The first half saw the Hatters defend well to keep the Bees at arms’ length. Clear-cut chances were few and far between – especially for those supporting the Town with Carlton Morris relying on scraps.

Brentford were getting frustrated as the Hatters defence held firm with Lockyer in particular impressing in the centre of the defence.

Bryan Mbeumo has the hosts’ first real effort that looked remotely danger on 37 minutes with a curling low shot that whistled just wide.

The Bees then thought they should have had a penalty five minute later when the ball appeared to strike the arm of Kabore in the box. Referee Anthony Taylor and VAR were unmoved.

Getting to half-time goalless did not come without repercussions, however, as Lockyer remained on the turf inside the penalty area as the players headed for the dressing room and the skipper would not reappear for the second half and was replaced by Brown.

But with the Town still rearranging themselves in defence, it took Brentford four minutes after the restart to the take the lead when Neal Maupay tucked home from close range after the Hatters failed to clear their lines. It came after Chong appeared to be fouled in the build-up but despite the Hatters’ protests the goal stood – and Chong was cautioned for dissent.

And on 56 minutes the hosts doubled their lead. Mbeumo’s corner was met by Ben Mee and the defender’s header was deflected off striker Morris giving Thomas Kaminski no chance.

With a mountain to climb, Edwards made a triple change on the hour with Elijah Adebayo, Andros Townsend and Jordan Clark introduced.

Chances for the Hatters remained slim but just as Brentford appeared to take their foot off the gas, out of the blue, Brown finished well on his left foot from just inside the penalty area after Ross Barkley’s through ball. 2-1 with 13 minutes left.

But hopes of a comeback similar to the draw at Nottingham Forest earlier in the campaign were dashed when the Bees made the game safe with eight minutes left.

The Town defence were again unable to clear their lines to full affect and substitute Baptiste was on hand to find the target from close range.

Two goals behind the Hatters continued to rally. A close offside call denied Chong’s header from making it 3-2 in the final minute but, after an additional eight minutes, the hosts saw the game out and the Town were left to reflect on a disappointing afternoon.

Up next. Leaders Arsenal at the Kenny. See you then.

Town: Kaminski; Kaboré, Bell, Mengi (sub Giles 76), Lockyer (sub Brown 46), Osho; Mpanzu (sub Clark 60), Barkley; Ogbene (sub Townsend 60), Chong, Morris (sub Adebayo 60).

Subs not used: Krul, Berry, Johnson, Nelson.

Attendance: 17,075, including 1,725 supporting the Town.

Rob Edwards on Brentford defeat

Manager Rob Edwards conceded that his side were second best at Brentford, with the hosts running out 3-1 winners after a difficult second half for the Hatters at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Edwards saw Tom Lockyer go off at half-time with the game goalless, his captain having picked up a back injury in the opening minute in West London.

The Wales international was followed onto the sidelines by fellow centre-half Teden Mengi with a knee injury by the 76th minute, with the manager forced into another reshuffle.

“It was a tough day for us,” said Edwards. “Nil-nil at half-time, we’re in the game, and defensively we were good, but with the ball we were off it today. We couldn’t really find our rhythm, and then to lose Locks at half-time was tough for us.

“The timing of that first goal then knocked us as well, and it was a difficult day.

“We lost two centre-backs today, with us already having a few out, and we were very makeshift then for a long period of the second half.

“We kept going. The players kept going. We got a really good goal through Browny, and at that stage then, 2-1, we were back in the game and the third goal, it flattened our comeback then really.

“We kept going and got a goal disallowed through Chongy, which was offside, so we can’t fault the boys with their effort, their commitment, they kept going to the end as they always do, but today we were second best.”

The Hatters now face a big week with Premier League leaders Arsenal visiting Kenilworth Road on Tuesday night, before second-placed Manchester City, the champions, come to town in eight days’ time.

“We look forward to these games, but we’ve just challenged the boys now – we want to get something from the games and we’ll have to be better defensively,” said Edwards.

“The first half today we were good defensively, but in those moments we’ve got to be better than we were today. We’ve got to hope to get a few of our defenders back and on the pitch, because we will be tested in those games, there is no doubt about it.

“But at home, at Kenilworth Road, anything is possible. I know the supporters are going to bring the noise. I know they are going to be looking forward to these games as well. We certainly are.

“We are not going to have any fear, we are going to go into it and try to be brave and to try and get something from the games.

“We will have a plan, clearly. We’ve got to show them respect and I think we’ve done that in the games when we’ve played against Tottenham and Liverpool this season at home. We’ve shown that we can compete with these teams at home, so we are looking to do the same.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mi9zKG1KMLs – Rob Edwards interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-tUZvm0ewk – match highlights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QIssksDD6A – extended match highlights

Luton punished for a disappointing second half showing with defeat at Brentford

Premier League: Brentford 2 Luton Town 1

An uncharacteristically poor second half defensive performance from Luton in which the Hatters conceded times meant they were well beaten by Brentford this afternoon.

Rob Edwards' side had got through to the break at the Gtech Stadium unscathed, their gameplan working to a tee, only for skipper Tom Lockyer to be forced off injured as the half time whistle blew.

Replaced by Jacob Brown for the second period, Luton struggled to adapt to the alteration in their back three, which allowed Thomas Frank's side to score twice in the opening 11 minutes through Neal Maupay and Ben Mee.

Although Brown pulled one back for the Hatters on 76 minutes, Shandon Baptiste quickly netted to seal the points for the Bees and end any hopes Town had of another spirited comeback.

The Hatters made two changes for the contest, one forced, Alfie Doughty out with a hip injury, his place going to the fit-again Issa Kabore, while Tahith Chong came in for Andros Townsend.

The early stages were just as Town would have hoped, Bees with the majority of possession, but it was all in front of the visitors, who were able to stay in their shape and defend their area valiantly when crosses were sent in.

Such was Town's dedication to the gameplan, it took Brentford 25 minutes to really force any kind of opportunity, a clever short corner routine seeing Yehor Yarmoliuk's attempt deflect off Carlton Morris and bounce inches wide.

During his pre-match press conference, Edwards had warned about the Bees looking to restart the game swiftly and attack through the middle, Mbeumo doing just that, picked out by a quick free kick and rattling over the top from 25 yards.

When Luton did get over the half-way line, it was imperative that they had quality into the box, but that was lacking after a fine break from Ross Barkley saw him find Kabore, his cross failing to beat the first man.

Now starting to take a firm foothold, Mbeumo saw another effort deflect off Osho and fly behind, with the Town centre half producing a terrific block on the Bees attacker.

Kamsinki, booked for timewasting, managed to gather Yoane Wissa's drive at the second attempt as Luton were pushed further and further back in the closing stages of the half. However, the best Thomas Frank’s team could manage was a hopeful handball shout against Kabore and Maupay's ambitious swivel and volley that Kaminski watched fly harmlessly into the stands.

The final action of the half saw Mbeumo's volley skew wide as Lockyer went to ground with an injury which required attending to by the physios. Unable to carry on, the Welsh international was replaced at the break by Brown, who took up an unusual right wingback position, Kabore over to the left, despite a natural left-footer Ryan Giles being on the bench.

With Lockyer off the pitch, Town conceded to virtually the first attack of the half, Chong going down theatrically when trying to make progress within his own half, his appeals rightly met with a shake of the head from an unimpressed official Anthony Taylor.

The ball was put into the box, only half cleared by Town's defence, and after it bobbled around, Maupay was left all alone to tuck home as Luton's dreams of a clean sheet were shattered once more.

They might have conceded again moments later, Teden Mengi's poor clearance straight to Frank Onyeka, but fortunately for the Hatters, he curled just wide from 18 yards.

That luck was absent on 56 minutes though as a corner was simply swung into the box and there was Mee left completely unmarked, his downward header hitting Morris and wrongfooting Kaminski to double the Bees' advantage.

Saman Ghoddon put a hopeful attempt over, as Edwards responded with a triple change, Elijah Adebayo, Jordan Clark and Townsend on for Morris, Mpanzu and Ogbene. The changes combined well just after the hour mark, Clark's cross chested down by Adebayo for Brown to shoot waywardly under pressure

Edwards did then bring on Giles for Mengi after he injured himself when making a terrific covering challenge, but just as he came on, Luton were back in it, Barkley finally working some space in midfield and sliding through an inviting ball for Brown.

He was able to get the better of a Bees defender who needlessly went to ground to try, taking a touch and with his confidence boosted by opening his account last week, clinically rolled his shot past Mark Flekken, as Town had their now customary goal after 76 minutes.

Just as soon as the Hatters had their hopes raised though, they were dashed again, Brentford showing it wasn’t just the Hatters subs who could affect the game. This time Keane Lewis-Potter danced into the area and with Town again unable to clear their lines, his shot was parried by Kaminski only for fellow new arrival Baptiste to slam home from a few yards out.

With Town taking the shackles off in the closing stages, they thought they had a goal back on 90 minutes, Chong heading in Townsend's tantalising cross, but he had strayed just offside, and it was disallowed.

Barkley saw a few attempts charged down as Luton looked to cut the deficit again, but the visitors were lucky not to concede again in stoppage time, Lewis-Potter badly wide at the far post.

With Burnley hammering fellow relegation rivals Sheffield United 5-0 at Turf Moor, Luton saw their gap above the drop zone cut to two points, as they now face the daunting task of welcoming Arsenal and Manchester City to Kenilworth Road in the next eight days.

Bees: Mark Flekken, Ethan Pinnock, Christian Norgaard (C), Neal Maupay (Myles Peart-Harris 90), Yoane Wissa, Frank Onyeka, Ben Mee, Bryan Mbuemo (Keane Lewis-Potter, 78), Saman Ghoddos (Mads Roerslev 77), Vitaly Janelt, Yehor Yarmoliuk (Shandon Baptiste 70).

Subs not used: Thomas Strakosha, Charlie Goode, Zanko, Michael Olakigbe, Vincent Angelini.

Hatters: Thomas Kaminski, Issa Kabore, Gabe Osho, Tom Lockyer (C Jacob Brown 46), Teden Mengi (Ryan Giles 76), Amari'i Bell, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu (Jordan Clark 60), Ross Barkley, Tahith Chong, Chiedozie Ogbene (Andros Townsend 60), Carlton Morris (Elijah Adebayo 60).

Subs not used: Tim Krul, Ryan Giles, Luke Berry, Elijah Adebayo, Jordan Clark, Andros Townsend, Joe Johnson, Zack Nelson.

Referee: Anthony Taylor

Booked: Kaminski 37, Chong 57, Norgaard 81.

Attendance: 17,075 (1,713 Hatters).

Edwards accuses Hatters of handing out some 'early Christmas presents' during Brentford loss

Town pay for poor defending at the Gtech Stadium

Luton boss Rob Edwards accused his side of handing out some ‘early Christmas presents’ after they were beaten 3-1 by Brentford this afternoon.

After a goalless first period in which Town had kept their opponents at arm’s length fairly comfortably, they were then hit by an injury to Tom Lockyer, who failed to appear for the second period.

With the Welsh international absent, the Hatters fell behind just four minutes in, Tahith Chong trying and failing to win a free kick in a dangerous position, referee Anthony Taylor waving it away as the Bees were able to capitalise, a spell of pinball in the box ending with Neal Maupay firing home.

They then added a second on 56 minutes, a corner from the left seeing Ben Mee’s header hit Carlton Morris and beat Thomas Kaminski. Although Jacob Brown pulled one back for Luton with 14 minutes left, the Bees swiftly had a victory-sealing third goal as Shandon Baptiste netted from close range, Luton once more falling to clear their lines.

Edwards said: “I’m disappointed to lose the game, bottom line, Brentford deserved the win. The first half we defended well, we were organised, we were resolute, but we couldn’t get any kind of rhythm going with the ball.

"We didn’t take any of our counter-attacking opportunities and weren't able to really get any kind of control with the ball which we’ve been doing better recently, that’s been getting us a few points and keeping us in games as you can’t be just defending for the 90-plus minutes.

"At half time at nil-nil, okay we can adjust a few things better, but we lost our captain at half time in Locks. That doesn’t help and neither does conceding after 49 minutes, it was always going to be an uphill task then.

“They got their tails up and it was difficult for us. The lads kept going as they always do and I’ve got to credit them for that. They found a way whether we deserved it or not just to be in the game in the latter stages.

"Browny’s goal was a really good goal, but I felt like we gave a few early Christmas presents away in the second half. I didn't feel like they had to work too hard for all their goals, and they deserved the win, but we’ve gone away from giving gifts away.

"We did that in the first couple of games of the season, we did that a little bit today, but in the end we’ve got one out and out centre back on the pitch and that’s going to be a bit difficult against a team like Brentford.”

Asked if he felt Chong had been fouled in the lead-up to the Bees’ opener, Edwards added: “They didn’t feel it, if there’s any contact I think it’s minimal. so no complaints from me.”