Cheltenham Town vs Luton Town FC (11th Nov 2017)

MATCH REPORT: CHELTENHAM TOWN 2 LUTON TOWN 2

Last-gasp Cheltenham equaliser denies Town a return to the top of League Two

The Hatters spurned a host of chances to move back to the top of the Sky Bet League Two table as Cheltenham twice fought back from a goal behind to take a point from this afternoon’s clash in the Cotswolds.

Nathan Jones' Town led twice through Dan Potts, who headed in his third of the season early on, and Elliot Lee, who scored what appeared to be a winning goal with five minutes left, as they travelled in search of a first-ever win at Whaddon Road.

But five minutes into time added on, the Robins struck a second equaliser when centre-half Will Boyle turned goalkeeper Scott Flinders’ goalbound header home and the Hatters – who would have returned to the summit with a win – dropped out of the automatic promotion spots to fourth.

Fresh from picking up the Sky Bet League Two Manager of the Month award, boss Jones made two changes to his starting line-up for today’s return to league action at Cheltenham.

Coming back into midfield after serving a one-match ban in last week’s 1-0 FA Cup win over Portsmouth was Glen Rea, with Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu dropping to the bench, and replacing Andrew Shinnie – who played at the tip of the diamond last Saturday – was Harry Cornick as part of a front three.

The Hatters opened the scoring with their first real attack – and first corner – of the game. Alan Sheehan, as ever, strode over to the right to swing it in with his trusty left foot and Potts found himself in oceans of space at the far post to direct his header back past Robins keeper Flinders.

It was the left-back’s third goal of the season, and within a couple of minutes the only outfield player in the starting line-up not to have netted for the Town so far this season, Rea, was trying his luck from distance, but his 25-yard volley didn’t dip enough to trouble Flinders.

Cheltenham were proving a threat when throwing balls into the Hatters’ box, without creating a real chance, while the Town were stringing together some incisive passing moves down the right, exploiting Cornick and Jack Stacey’s pace.

It was from the left, however, that the next glorious chance arose in the 21st minute as Berry skipped past his man to the byline and stood up a beautiful cross to the back stick for Hylton, who didn’t make a clean connection with his header, perhaps put off by Jordan Cranston’s jump in front of him.

Two minutes later, after another rapid break down the right involving Stacey and Cornick, Olly Lee whipped a dangerous low ball across the six-yard box that Cheltenham defender Jamie Grimes did well to slice over his own bar, rather than into the roof of the net, at full stretch.

The hosts’ first opportunity came just before the half-hour when Brian Graham pulled off onand rose to meet Harry Pell’s clipped cross, but his header drifted wide of the far post, watched closely by Stech, who had been commanding his area by coming through crowds of players to claim several crosses and relieve any pressure.

He could do nothing about the left-wing delivery that led to Grimes’ equaliser, however, in the 37th minute as first a long throw, and then a deflected cross from Daniel O’Shaughnessy, saw the ball find its way to the right-back, who stabbed home from almost on the line at the far post.

The Hatters went in search of a second goal and as half-time approached, Hylton – who had set Rea up for another 20-yard shot just before the leveller – led a quickfire counter-attack from inside his own half, before playing Cornick in on the right to cross low for a sliding Olly Lee, who couldn’t steer his stabbed effort on target.

Then, in time added on for stoppages, the Town spurned two great chances. First, Cornick slipped Collins into the area and, after checking back onto his right foot, the striker’s curling shot went over the bar.

Second later, Cornick raced onto a fine throughball from Lee and bore down on Flinders one-on-one, but couldn’t beat the onrushing Cheltenham keeper who smothered the ex-Bournemouth forward’s shot almost as it left his boot.

Collins had gone down injured in the build-up to that last chance, and the striker didn’t reappear for the second half, replaced by Elliot Lee, who joined Hylton and Cornick in the Hatters’ front three.

The first sight of goal in the second half came when Sheehan stepped forward to take a 25-yard free-kick, but couldn’t clear Cheltenham’s mountain range of a defensive wall, then Cornick burst into the box but couldn’t keep his right-footed shot down as the ball nestled in among the 1,007 travelling fans.

Town were attacking at break-neck pace, and Cornick saw another shot from the edge of the box blocked after Elliot Lee and Hylton combined to set him up, before the younger Lee brother had a go – with the same end result – in the 56th minute.

Cheltenham grew into the half and threatened again in the 65th minute when Boyle rose highest to meet an inswinging right-wing cross from Jerell Sellars, but his header flew over the bar into the home fans in the Speedy Skips Stand.

The Hatters had plenty of possession without creating any further chances, and the next decent opening went Cheltenham’s way in the 77th minute when, after another aerial bombardment on the Town box, sub Danny Wright’s knock-down found Mohamed Eisa, but the Robins striker made a hash of his attempted shot.

Cornick had the Town’s next opportunity, although his 78th minute effort as he drifted along the edge of the Cheltenham box was always rising.

Then, just inside the final ten minutes, Olly Lee hit a rasping left-foot drive from 30 yards that only just cleared the angle of post and bar as Cheltenham keeper Flinders flew across his line.

The hosts’ captain, Kyle Storer, called Stech back into action with an 83rd-minute free-kick after Stacey had been penalised for a foul on Sellars.

It was a free-kick at other end that led to what everyone though would be the key moment for the Hatters two minutes later, after Berry had been fouled by Grimes 20 yards from the Cheltenham goal.

Sheehan’s curling effort made its way around the wall, but it hit a Cheltenham defender further back and fell invitingly into Elliot Lee’s path and the former West Ham youngster gobbled up the opportunity to bundle home his second league goal of the season in front of the gleeful Hatters fans in the Hazlewoods Stand behind that goal.

A bemused Sheehan was booked in the aftermath, then Berry became the third Hatter to go into ref Robert Lewis’ notepad before Jones brought Mpanzu on in place of Cornick in an attempt to see the game out.

It didn’t go accordingly to plan, as five minutes into injury-time Cheltenham grabbed a second equaliser as a right-wing corner was flicked on at the near post and home keeper Flinders, up for one last throw of the dice, headed goalwards and Boyle turned it in from almost on the line for a share of the spoils.

TOWN: Stech, Stacey, Cuthbert ©, Sheehan, Potts, Rea, O Lee, Berry, Cornick (Mpanzu 90), Hylton, Collins (E Lee 46). Subs: Justin, Cook, Shinnie, D’Ath, Shea (GK)

Yellows: Hylton, Sheehan Later corrected to Cornick, Berry, Stech

Goals: Potts 11, E Lee 85

CHELTENHAM: Flinders, Grimes, Cranston (O’Shaugnessy 34), Storer ©, Pell, Winchester, Boyle, Sellars, Eisa (Hinds 79), Graham (Wright 75), Moore. Subs: Flatt (GK), Bower, Davey

Goals: Grimes 37, 90+5

REFEREE: Robert Lewis

ATT: 3,900 (1,007 Hatters)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ky-cdWM4pM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxt2_-RAtiY

NATHAN JONES ON THE 2-2 DRAW WITH CHELTENHAM TOWN

Town boss Nathan Jones was "distraught" as his side conceded a late goal in the 2-2 draw at Cheltenham Town this afternoon.

The Hatters took the lead in the 11th minute when Dan Potts headed in from an Alan Sheehan corner, before the hosts responded just before the break through Jamie Grimes.

Substitute Elliot Lee netted with five minutes of normal time remaining in the second half, but with five minutes of added time played Will Boyle bundled home from close range to see the game end all square.

The result sees the Hatters slip to fourth, two points off Notts County who sit top of the table.

Jones said: "I'll paint the picture, they've got nine six-footers in their team. Every time it goes dead they get it in our box. Every time it goes out of play it goes in your box. What we said was be clinical, we will have opportunities, counters, take them and we could be out of sight. We have had enough chances to win the game. My pre-match thing was 'are we better than last year?' and we made the same mistakes as last year.

"Just see the game out, just see the game out and we didn't. We didn't do enough. We didn't have that killer instinct and I am really disappointed. Maidstone had less chances than us last week and won 4-2 here. If we had any amount of clinical edge we would have been out of sight and then their goal would have been a consolation at the end. Credit it to them, but I am angry and I am distraught.

"There's lots of positives, there really is, the way we dealt with the aerial threat most of the time. But at the moment it's difficult to think. I feel like I did against Blackpool, that's happened too much and it can't keep happening. I am distraught, because it's come out of nothing. We have had to work so hard on our structure, our attacking play, we then allow that to happen [the late equaliser]."

League Two: Cheltenham 2 Luton Town 2

A last-gasp equaliser from defender William Boyle denied Luton a place at the top of the League Two table this afternoon as they once again failed to win at Cheltenham Town.

It had looked like the Hatters were destined to break their duck at the LCI Rail Stadium, when Elliot Lee, on as a second half substitute rifled home with just five minutes to go.

However, in the final minute of stoppage time, keeper Marek Stech, so often the hero for Luton this term, stumbled when retrieving the ball, giving away a needless corner.

When it was swung in, Stech then missed his punch, and visiting stopper Ross Flinders, up from his area, headed it goalwards for Boyle to turn home from on the line to rescue an unlikely point.

Had Luton taken their chances, they could and really should have already been out of sight, the recalled Harry Cornick the biggest culprit, missing a one-on-one and blasting over twice when well placed.

Cornick was one of two changes to the side from last weekend's 1-0 FA Cup win over Portsmouth, with Glen Rea in as well, Andrew Shinnie and Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu dropping to the bench.

Town reverted to the 4-3-3 formation that had served them so well at both Exeter and Accrington last month, although Cheltenham showed first, Mohamed Eisa escaping the attentions of Alan Sheehan and his low cross was just in front of Kyle Storer.

However, Town led with their first attack. Cornick won a corner on the right and Sheehan's deep delivery to the back post saw Dan Potts thump his header beyond Flinders for a third goal of the season.

Cornick was showing just why he was brought back into the side causing havoc on the right hand flank, and when one such advance wasn't properly cleared, Rea put his ambitious volley well wide.

Luton should have doubled their advantage on 20 minutes though as Potts met another corner at the back post where it was cleared and recycled to Luke Berry.

He beat his man and floated over a perfect cross, that bounced off Danny Hylton from a few yards out and fell wide, the striker obviously thinking it was going to be cleared from a defender situated just in front of him.

Midway through the half, Brian Graham's downward header didn't miss by much, Jerell Sellars over from range too.

Rea, who had chanced his arm from range a number of times with little luck, then came the closest he had on the half hour, sending a rasping drive just off target from Hylton's pull back.

The hosts were level on 37 minutes though when after a brief spell of pressure, the ball was sent in from the right and deflected over Town's defence where Jamie Grimes reacted quickest to turn home from a few yards out.

Luton went close to restoring their advantage moments before half time, with a quickfire break, Hylton feeding Cornick whose low cross was cleared into James Collins and away.

Town then had two glorious opportunities of their own in stoppage time, Collins picked out by Cornick and after dumping Taylor Moore on his backside, got too much on his curler, skying into the stands.

Hatters fashioned an even better chance with Olly Lee's vision spotting the run of Cornick who went clean through, but faced with Flinders one-on-one, he was denied by the onrushing keeper.

An injury to Collins on the stroke of half time saw him replaced by Elliot Lee at the interval, for his longest league run out in a Town shirt this term. It was Cornick who went closest though as six minutes in, he picked the ball up and burst into the box, but as was to prove a frustrating theme, powered his effort over from a decent position.

The game then became an end to end encounter, with Town committing men forward, but just unable to find that killer pass or shot, to retake the lead.

Cheltenham appeared to have weathered the pressure and started have their own spell of dominance, dominating both possession and territory as Graham's low shot required a splendid block from Sheehan, Boyle glanced over, with Mohamed Eisa's control letting down at the crucial moment.

The striker then failed again with 13 minutes to go, as sub Danny Wright's header fell into his path, but he couldn't connect with his outside of the foot attempt.

Cornick's frustrating waywardness in front of goal was demonstrated again on 79 minutes as after working the space, he whacked into the stands.

Olly Lee almost showed his team-mate how its done, letting fly from 30 yards with his left foot, inches wide of the top corner.

Stech was called into action to dive across his goal and keep out Kyle Storer's free kick, before a set-piece for the Hatters on 85 minutes finally led to their second.

Sheehan's strike cannoned into the wall, with the ball dropping invitingly for Elliot Lee to clinically find the bottom corner.

It looked for all the world that Luton would see the game out the five minutes of injury time and they were 30 seconds away until Stech's mistake proved costly and Boyle did the rest.

The result saw Luton drop out of the top three, replaced by Exeter City, who defeated Grimsby Town 2-0, although the Hatters remain just one point behind the Grecians and two off top spot.

Robins: Scott Flinders, Jamie Grimes, Jordan Cranston (Daniel O'Shaughnessy 34), Kyle Storer (C), Harry Pell, Carl Winchester, William Boyle, Jerell Sellars, Mohammed Eisa (Freddie Hinds 79), Brian Graham (Danny Wright 74), Taylor Moore.

Subs not used: Jonathan Flatt, Matthew Bower, Alex Davey.

Hatters: Marek Stech, Jack Stacey, Dan Potts, Scott Cuthbert (C), Alan Sheehan, Glen Rea, Olly Lee, Luke Berry, Harry Cornick (Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu 90), Danny Hylton, James Collins (Elliot Lee 46).

Subs not used: James Justin, Andrew Shinnie, Lawson D'Ath, James Shea, Jordan Cook.

Booked: Hylton 73, Sheehan (Later corrected to Cornick) 87, Berry 88, Stech 90.

Referee: Rob Lewis. Attendance: 3,900 (1,007 Luton).

Jones left 'angry and distraught' as wasteful Luton are held by Cheltenham

Hatters boss Nathan Jones admitted that the manner of this afternoon’s 2-2 draw at Cheltenham Town left him feeling ‘distraught’.

Luton were just seconds away from winning the fixture 2-1, until keeper Marek Stech needlessly gave away a corner that was eventually bundled over the line by defender William Boyle.

A bitterly disappointed Jones said: “I paint the picture of they’ve got nine six footers in their team, every time it goes dead it goes in your box.

“So we had to ride the storm, not ride a storm as they didn’t really, but every time it goes out of play, it goes in your box.

“So we knew we’d have to do that, and what we said was just be clinical. “What we do when we have opportunities and counters, take them, and we could be out of sight.

“If we did that we would have been, as we had enough clear-cut chances to have won the game comfortably.

“Then my pre match thing, are we better than last year?

“And it’s the same mistakes as last year, as the 90th minute or 95th minute, Marek has a goal kick, kicks it straight down the middle, when we’re all lined up over here.

“They’ve got an opportunity to put it in our box, no threat, he drops the ball out, then we don’t defend a corner, then we end up 2-2.

“It’s so disappointing, because that’s happened against Blackpool (play-offs last season) and football’s like that.

“But just see the game out, see the game out and we didn’t do it enough, we haven’t got that killer instinct, and that’s what really disappoints me today, because in terms of our play Maidstone had less chances than us last week and won 4-2 here.

“If we’d been any amount of clinical edge to us, we’d have been out of sight and that would have been a consolation but it wasn’t.

“Credit to them for keeping going late on, but I’m angry and I’m distraught.”