Burnley vs Luton Town FC (8th Mar 2025)

08/03/2025 BURNLEY 4-0 LUTON TOWN

10-man Town well beaten at Burnley

Naismith sent-off for the Hatters as hosts ease to victory

The Town slipped to a heavy defeat on the road against promotion-chasing Burnley after playing three-quarters of the game with 10 men.

It was always going to be a tough assignment for the Hatters against a side unbeaten in 22 Championship games and who had not lost at home all season.

But the challenge became an all-mighty one once Kal Naismith was red-carded for a second-bookable offence on 22 minutes.

And Burnley took full advantage. Mark McGuinness – only on as a substitute following Naismith’s dismissal – put the home side in front with an own goal and a second arrived before half-time when Lyle Foster turned home from six yards out.

The Town’s uphill task at Turf Moor – a venue they had not lost at in eight previous visits – became even greater after the break when Josh Brownhill added a third just after half-time when it appeared the ball had run out of play in the build-up.

And although the Hatters pushed for second-half consolation, the home side added a fourth goal when Ashley Barnes slid home from close range with the final kick of the game.

After an even start to a game that all changed in the 22nd minute when Naismith was shown a second yellow card – his second booking in seven minutes.

And the Clarets wasted no time in making the most of their man advantage.

Connor Roberts shot over on 23 minutes and McGuinness was straight into the action to divert a dangerous cross from the right away from Foster in the box moments later.

But a nightmare spell for the Town was compounded on the half-hour when McGuinness – who had only been on the pitch five minutes after replacing Liam Walsh – steered Roberts’ cross beyond Thomas Kaminski to give the hosts the lead.

You felt the Hatters needed to get to half-time trailing by just one in order to reassess their options but, six minutes before the break, Burnley doubled their lead when Marcus Edwards’ right-wing cross was side-footed home by Foster from six yards with the Hatters believing the referee had impeded Zack Nelson in his attempt to clear the initial danger.

The Town were frustrated once more eight minutes after the restart when the home side made it 3-0. Edwards was again the creator, darting down the right. However, the Hatters seemed certain that the winger had carried the ball out of play before crossing for Brownhill to fire home from close range.

Brownhill fired wide with a first-time shot from the edge of the penalty area moments later before Matt Bloomfield made a triple change, introducing Millenic Alli, Lamine Fanne and Jacob Brown.

It was Brown who had the Hatters’ first chance of the afternoon on 65 minutes, nipping into the box after two home defenders collided with one another to force James Trafford into a smart save.

Burnley had taken their foot off the gas since the third but still chased a fourth goal – substitute Manuel Benson curling a shot from distance on 77 minutes.

Back came the Town and Brown – who looked lively in attack – volleyed an instinctive volley wide moments later.

Burnley should have made it 4-0 with five to play when Josh Laurent somehow skied an effort over the bar from 10 yards with time on his side.

As time ticked down Chris Makosso thought he should have had a penalty after receiving a kick to the face in the final moments as the Town chased a consolation but it was the hosts who had the final word when Barnes crashed home a fourth goal with the last kick of the game to rubber-stamp another defeat on the road for the Hatters.

With Cardiff and Stoke losing the Town remain five points from safety – heading to South Wales for a huge game on Tuesday night.

Thanks for your support. We’ll see you then.

Town: Kaminski, Doughty (sub Lamine Fanne 59), Jones (sub Bowler 79), Bell, Naismith, Makosso, Clark (sub Alli 59), Walsh (sub McGuinness 25) Nelson, Aasgaard, Adebayo (sub Brown 59).

Subs: Krul, Andersen, Morris, Nordås.

Attendance: 19,453, including 599 Town fans making themselves heard in the away end.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Fyf-ii1834 – Matt Bloomfield post match interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jon_DxPlli4 – match highlights

Ten-man Luton are simply brushed aside by title-chasing Burnley

Championship: Burnley 4 Luton Town 0

Ten-man Luton suffered yet another in what is a lengthy line of miserable afternoons on the road as they were brushed aside 4-0 by title-chasing Burnley at Turf Moor.

The Hatters' chances of becoming the first team to win at the Clarets looked remote before kick-off and then swiftly evaporated once Kal Naismith was sent off in the 19th minute for his second yellow card, Scott Parker's side going on to rack up the easiest of victories. As they have done so often on their travels, Luton, who brought in Elijah Adebayo and Zack Nelson for Carlton Morris and Jacob Brown, started well enough, the only real moment of concern seeing Naismith booked for a lunging challenge on 12 minutes after a mix-up with Christ Makosso.

Josh Cullen also followed him into the notebook, but Naismith's indiscretion was to prove hugely significant, as with just 19 minutes on the clock, the on-loan centre had a moment of brain fade when the ball was played to Josh Brownhill. Despite it being in an innocuous position, and the midfielder going nowhere, the experienced defender opted to needlessly slide in and catch his opponent, leaving referee Stephen Martin with no option but to show a second yellow, meaning Luton had 70 minutes to play against 10 men.

Connor Roberts fired over as Town were forced into an immediate reshuffle at the back, boss Matt Bloomfield sacrificing midfielder Liam Walsh for Mark McGuinness. The imposing centre half did superbly to avert the danger when Burnley attacked on their right moments after coming on, as the game became an exercise of attack versus defence, Luton unable to do anything but pump the ball away to no-one, and then watch Burnley mount a seemingly endless period of pressure.

MGuinness's next intervention was also a crucial one, but for all the wrong reasons, as on the half hour, Roberts escaped on the right to deliver a low cross that saw the substitute prod into his own net and give Burnley a lead that had looked on the cards from the moment Town were a man light. The game was well and truly over on 40 minutes although Luton could have a degree of frustration as Zack Nelson looked to run the ball out of danger, only to see referee Martin get in his way, as he ended up losing it.

Possession was then instantly transferred to Jaiden Anthony whose cross was swept in from close range by Foster, Jordan Clark not doing enough to prevent him tapping in. After the break, Luton opted to try for some damage limitation, Maxime Esteve dragging wide of the target from range. However, even that went wrong, as Marcus Edwards got to the byline and despite the ball appearing to go out of play, his cross was swept home by Brownhill for the third.

Clark saw yellow for his protests as Town should have been picking the ball out of the net once more on 57 minutes, an unmarked Brownhill volleying wide from the penalty spot. With one eye on Tuesday’s night trip to Cardiff City, Bloomfield made a triple swap on the hour, Lamine Fanne, Millenic Alli and Jacob Brown introduced, one of them, Brown, almost pulling one back, clean through when two Burnley defenders collided with each other, but as the angle closed, fired against the legs of James Trafford.

The closing stages saw Burnley remain on top as Luton offered little, Manuel Benson curling over, although Brown did go close with nine minutes to go, deflecting Josh Bowler's cross-shot narrowly wide of Trafford's goal. Town somehow didn't concede a fourth with five minutes remaining, Josh Laurent left unattended just 10 yards out, only to sky into the stands. It was 4-0 though in the final seconds of stoppage time, veteran striker Ashley Barnes escaping to slam into the roof of the net.

Clarets: James Trafford, Maxime Esteve, CJ Egan-Riley, Josh Brownhill (Jeremy Sarmiento 62), Jaidon Anthony (Ashley Barnes 74), Connor Roberts, Lyle Foster (Nathan Redmond 82), Marcus Edwards (Manuel Benson 62), Lucas Pires (Oliver Sonne 74), Josh Cullen, Josh Laurent. Subs not used: Vaclac Hladky, Joe Worrall, Zian Flemming, Hannibal,

Hatters: Thomas Kaminski, Christ Makosso, Kal Naismith, Amari’i Bell, Izzy Jones (Josh Bowler 79), Liam Walsh (Mark McGuinness 25), Jordan Clark (C, Lamine Fanne 59), Zack Nelson, Thelo Aasgaard, Alfie Doughty (Millenic Alli 60), Elijah Adebayo (Jacob Brown 60).

Subs not used: Tim Krul, Mads Andersen, Carlton Morris, Lasse Nordas.

Referee: Stephen Martin.

Booked: Naismith 12, Cullen 15, Pires 40, Nelson 80, Esteve 89.

Sent off: Naismith 19.

Attendance: 19,453 (599 Hatters).

Frustrated Bloomfield hits out at 'big decisions' going against Luton following Clarets loss

Town chief disappointed with the officials at Turf Moor

Hatters boss Matt Bloomfield was left to rue Town coming on the wrong side of some ‘major decisions’ once more during this afternoon’s 4-0 defeat at title-chasing Burnley.

With the scores goalless, defender Kal Naismith was booked twice in the space of 19 minutes to see red, leaving the visitors having to play well over an hour with 10 men. Bloomfield felt the first yellow shown by referee Stephen Martin shouldn’t have been given, before also criticising the official for getting in the way of midfielder Zack Nelson just before the hosts added their second goal.

After the break, Town were breached once more, the ball clearly appearing to go out before Marcus Edwards picked out Josh Brownhill to sweep home, another call that Bloomfield went against Luton, while the Hatters’ boss was also aggrieved his side were denied a late penalty when Jeremy Sarmiento caught Christ Makosso with a high boot inside the area.

Speaking afterwards, he said: “These things are having a big impact on us at the moment. I don’t want to be talking about refereeing decisions, our supporters don’t want to listen to me talking about refereeing decisions, it’s not what I want to do, but the facts are there at the moment. There’s big decisions that are going against us.

"For the first 18 minutes I thought we were excellent, our shape was very, very good. We were disciplined, there were a few turnover moments where we were able to hit Burnley on the counter attack and we limited them to very little with 11 men, but with 10 men it was always going to be a tough afternoon for us. It was a penalty, the third goal the ball’s off the pitch, the second goal Zack has to dribble around the referee and then gets tackled and we have a penalty, Christ heads the ball and then gets kicked, not given.

"I think (for the Nelson incident), the rule is if the ball hits the referee it has to stop, but it’s a grey area. If he gets in the way but it doesn’t hit him you would expect him to stop the game, but he didn’t. I’ve watched (the third goal) back and it's out. He has to (see it). At 2-0 we’ve come out and you fancy trying to get one and you’re still in the game. At 3-0 it’s tough, especially coming so soon after half time. These are major decisions that affect results of football matches and they have to be seen, but they weren’t.”

Going into more detail on Naismith’s dismissal as well, the experienced defender needlessly sliding in when already cautioned, Bloomfield added: “After getting sent off he knows he doesn't (need to make the tackle). In my opinion, the first one's not a yellow. It's right in front of me, he gets the ball. I know his momentum takes him into the player, but Kal's disappointed, understandably so. He’s an experienced boy, he knows the game, he understands the game and he's extremely disappointed in there, but I'm not going to stand here and criticise him.”