Bristol Rovers vs Luton Town FC (30th Mar 2019)

BRISTOL ROVERS 1 LUTON TOWN 2

Collins and Berry on target as Town equal another two club records

The Hatters equalled the club record unbeaten league run today and moved seven points clear at the top of Sky Bet League One.

First half strikes from James Collins - netting his 150th career goal - and Luke Berry proved enough to see off a spirited Rovers, who hauled themselves back into the game on the stroke of half-time through Jonson Clarke-Harris.

The victory meant that the Hatters equalled the 27-match run without defeat that was set in the Conference title-winning season of 2013-14, having already broken the club’s Football League record last month.

With second-placed Barnsley being held 2-2 at home by Coventry, and third and fourth-placed Portsmouth and Sunderland not in action due to tomorrow's Checkatrade Trophy final, it also meant the Hatters opened up a seven-point advantage over the Tykes having played the same number of games, and a 12 and 13-point cushion over Pompey and the Black Cats.

Mick Harford made two changes, Luke Berry returning to the starting XI after coming on as a first-half substitute for Dan Potts during last week’s 4-0 home win over Doncaster, and top scorer Collins coming straight back into the team after his time away with the Republic of Ireland, replacing Danny Hylton, who didn’t travel with the squad due to injury.

Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, the club's longest-serving player, made his 200th appearance for the Hatters in the midfield holding role.

The hosts started brightly, but the Town defended stoutly and managed to break forward to win a couple of early corners, the second of which resulted in a half-chance for Matty Pearson after Sonny Bradley won the initial header, but the centre-half’s shot was blocked.

Berry sent a daisy cutter straight into keeper Jack Bonham’s hands soon after, but it was Rovers who had arguably the clearest opening of the opening quarter-of-an-hour, top scorer Jonson Clarke-Harris cutting in from the left and crossing low for strike partner Tom Nichols, whose shot was cleared from inside the six-yard box by James Justin.

The breakthrough came in the 17th minute, and it was Collins who was there to steer in his 21st goal of the season after good work from Elliot Lee found Andrew Shinnie to the right side of the Rovers penalty area.

The Scottish midfielder slipped Jack Stacey in to the byline and the right-back fizzed an inviting ball across the six-yard box for Collins to bag his first goal in four matches.

The Town's next opportunity came on 28 minutes after good work down the left by Justin, Berry and Lee, but Kazenga LuaLua's attempted curler towards the top corner was too high.

Three minutes later it was Berry's turn, after another incisive counter-attack down the left started by James Shea plucking a high ball out of the spring air and setting Justin away. LuaLua and Lee then combined to roll it into the midfielder's path 25 yards from goal, but this time his effort flew high over the bar.

LuaLua and Lee were revelling in the space down the right side of the home defence, but a couple more low centres went begging before Matty Pearson had to be alert at the other end to smother the attempts of Nichols to get to the left byline, winning a free-kick himself from referee Charles Breakspear in the process.

It was from that long ball forward by Shea that the second goal arrived. Collins brought the ball down and switched it left to Justin, ten yards inside the Rovers half. The left-back made his way towards the hosts' box and his 20-yard shot was deflected towards Lee, who laid it back for Berry to hammer his effort into the ground and into the bottom corner after a couple of bounces for his second goal in as many games.

Rovers were back in the game before half-time when Clarke-Harris cut in from the left touchline and in between Bradley and Pearson, before lifting his shot over the onrushing Shea.

The Hatters ought to have restored the two-goal advantage in the 52nd minute when Stacey skipped past his man again down the right, taking advantage of Michael Kelly's slip, and cut the ball back for Lee, but the ex-Barnsley forward's side-footed effort flew over the bar.

The hosts reverted to cynical means to halt the Hatters' attacking threat from then on, Shinnie, LuaLua and Berry all fouled within seconds of each other, as treatment for the former - who wasn't even awarded a free-kick for a late challenge on his knee by Abu Ogogo - caused a lengthy delay.

Thankfully the Scot was able to return to action, and Justin was the next to be thwarted by a late challenge from a Rovers defender - this time Ollie Clarke, the midfielder, the perpetrator.

The Hatters were furious with just over 20 minutes to go when Rovers centre-half Tony Craig took the ball from Collins' toe as the Town striker was about to play the ball back to Bonham at an uncontested drop-ball, after Berry had been down, and set the home side on the attack.

Bradley remonstrated with Craig as hosts prepared to take a free-kick won on the right as they looked to profit from the incident.

Eventually the Town cleared the ball, and Rovers midfielder Liam Sercombe became the first player into Breakspear's notepade for a trip on Mpanzu as the midfielder brought the ball away, and chance of any fluency returning to the half disappearing once again.

Rovers threatened in the 82nd minute when a cross from the right found its way to Clarke-Harris at the far post, but Stacey did well to get a block in to send it wide for a corner.

Harford brought George Thorne on in the 83rd minute for Berry to help stem the flow of home attacks, then George Moncur for Lee with two minutes left.

It proved effective as the Hatters managed six minutes of injury-time without a scare to seal a big three points in the bid to win promotion.

TOWN: Shea, Stacey, Pearson, Bradley ©, Justin, Mpanzu, Shinnie, Berry (Thorne 83), Lee, Collins, LuaLua (Cornick 74). Subs: Baptiste, Cornick, Moncur, Cummings, Sheehan, Isted.

Goals: Collins 17, Berry 39

ROVERS: Bonham, Lockyer ©, Craig, Upson, Sercombe, O Clarke, Nichols, J Clarke, Clarke-Harris, Ogogo (Reilly 83), Kelly. Subs: Smith, Jakubiak, Partington, Sinclair, Kilgour, Russe.

Goals: Clarke-Harris 45+2

Yellows: Sercombe 71

REFEREE: Charles Breakspear

ATT: 9,037 (1,145 Hatters)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICBdA3TXWcM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pdCUugDxSE

Hatters equal a club record with first league victory at Rovers since 1980

League One: Bristol Rovers 1 Luton Town 2

Luton equalled a club record of 27 league games unbeaten and took yet another a huge step towards playing Championship football next season with a 2-1 win at Bristol Rovers this afternoon.

With Sunderland and Portsmouth not in action, the two sides facing each other at Wembley tomorrow in the Checkatrade Trophy final, Town went into the game knowing it was a huge chance to put real daylight between themselves and the chasing pack.

They did just that by showing both sides of their game too.

A superb first half performance in which James Collins and Luke Berry scored, Jonson Clarke-Harris pulling one back for Rovers just before the interval, was then followed by a second period where the visitors professionally saw the game out.

It enabled Town to win for the first time at the Memorial Stadium in their history, as they also won a league game on their travels against the Pirates for the first time since 1980.

Boss Mick Harford made two changes to the side who had hammered Doncaster, with Collins back from international duty to partner Kazenga LuaLua upfront, Danny Hylton missing out due to injury.

Midfielder Berry came in for Dan Potts as well, the full back failing to recover from his knee injury, meaning Alex Baptiste was on the bench.

After an early Rovers effort, Tom Nichols' shot kicked away from the line by James Justin, the Hatters took over.

Monopolising possession and territory in the early stages, they moved in front with a move of glorious simplicity on 17 minutes, Andrew Shinnie, Jack Stacey and Collins combining as per usual.

As he has done so often, Shinnie drove forward from midfield, perfectly finding the run of overlapping Stacey, who delivered a wonderful low cross for an unmarked Collins to tap home goal number 21 of the season at the back post.

Luton looked for a second, Collins almost picking the pocket of a defender, keeper Jack Bonham there in the nick of time.

LuaLua the might have doubled the advantage, found inside the area, but his top corner attempt flew harmlessly over the bar.

Berry drilled over from 25 yards, while Collins wasn't too far off doubling his own tally, picked out by LuaLua, a defender making a crucial block.

Town then got the second they were fully deserving off on 39 minutes when Justin was found on the left.

He cut inside and shot, the attempt deflecting to Elliot Lee, whose touch back was pounced on by Berry to somewhat scuff a shot into the bottom corner for his second goal in two games.

It was also the perfect way for Berry to mark a year's anniversary to the day of the horrific double leg break suffered at Colchester United.

With Town just seconds away from completing the ideal first half, their defence was breached by a superb individual goal from Rovers' top scorer Clarke-Harris.

Pouncing on a ball forward, he beat Bradley for pace and as Pearson tried to get back, raced into the box to beat James Shea, giving his side a real lifeline.

Luton should have restored their two goal advantage early in the second period.

Stacey was once more the architect, getting round the back of the defence and putting it on a plate for Lee, who leaning back, fired well over from eight yards.

Town could never quite regain the level of dominance they had enjoyed in the first half, getting into some good positions, but unable to find the final ball.

Rovers definitely tightened up defensively and improved on the ball too, but they never seriously threatened Shea's goal, the keeper mopping up expertly whenever called upon, plucking a number of crosses out of the air.

Clarke-Harris almost had an equaliser when left unmarked at the back post, only to see his shot deflect behind by Matty Pearson.

Lee's luck was out once more, curling way over from outside the box, as Town rang the changes in an attempt to run the clock down, both George Thorne and George Moncur getting run-outs.

They did so with relative ease as well, never allowing the hosts a significant sight of goal even during six minutes of injury time.

With news of second placed Barnsley being held at home by Coventry as well, there was even more cause for celebration, as Luton moved seven in front of their nearest rivals, now with just six games to play.

Rovers: Jack Bonham, Tom Lockyer ©, Tony Craig, Ed Upson, Liam Sercombe, Ollie Clarke, Tom Nichols (Alex Jakubiak 76), James Clarke, Jonson Clarke-Harris, Abu Ogogo (Gavin Reilly 83), Michael Kelly.

Subs not used: Adam Smith, Joe Partington, Stuart Sinclair, Alfie Kligour, Luke Russe.

Hatters: James Shea, Jack Stacey, James Justin, Matty Pearson, Sonny Bradley (C), Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Andrew Shinnie, Luke Berry (George Thorne 83), Elliot Lee (George Moncur 87), Kazenga LuaLua (Harry Cornick 73), James Collins.

Subs not used: Harry Isted, Alan Sheehan, Alex Baptiste, Jason Cummings.

Booked: Sercombe 70.

Referee: Charles Breakspear.

Attendance: 9,036 (1,145 Luton). [Actually 9,037]

Harford: Rovers win was massive for Town's promotion hopes

Hatters boss Mick Harford labelled his side’s 2-1 win at Bristol Rovers this afternoon as a ‘massive’ victory in their push for the Championship this season.

Goals from James Collins and Luke Berry were enough to secure Luton's first ever victory at the Memorial Stadium and equalled a club record of 27 league matches unbeaten in the process.

Harford said: “It was a massive win in terms of the season, where we are, a really, really difficult game, and after the first 20 minutes when the game settled down until half time, I thought we were excellent. “

The game could have been out of sight, it could have been a lot more than 2-0, and we were a bit annoyed in terms of giving away a goal just before half time.

“They broke on the counter attack and scored, (Jonson) Clarke-Harris took it well, it was very frustrating, and I personally think it knocked us back a bit.

“We were frustrated in their (dressing room) at half time.

"But the players came out, we weren’t as fluent as we normally are second half, and without them really hurting us apart from one chance at the far post that Clarke-Harris had, I thought we defended really well.

“The two centre halves were immense again, the goalkeeper (James Shea) came and caught a lot of crosses and took the pressure off.

“So it was a real hard, tough performance which we ground out a good result.”

The win saw Luton move seven points clear of second placed Barnsley, with just six games to go, the Tykes held 2-2 by Coventry City at Oakwell Town also extended their advantage over Portsmouth in third to 12 points and moved 13 clear of Sunderland in fourth, with the two sides playing each other in the Checkatrade Trophy tomorrow.

Harford added: “It helps, but we concentrate on ourselves, we concentrate on our business.

“We keep working hard, we keep trying to put a team out to win games, and that’s all we can concentrate on.