Cheltenham Town vs Luton Town FC (24th Jan 2015)

Hatters held at Whaddon Road

The Hatters came from behind to earn a point at Cheltenham and make it six games unbeaten in League 2.

Cheltenham led after 20 minutes when Zack Kotwica pounced in the penalty area following a right-wing cross but, on a pitch labelled “atrocious” by John Still afterwards, the Town levelled almost immediately when Shaun Whalley fired home after Andy Drury’s shot was saved.

Whalley came close to giving the Hatters the lead, only to see his header cleared off the line as an entertaining first half came to a close.

But the second half was a different story as both sides struggled to create chances and the Hatters, despite a late rally, failed to find a winner.

It all began with the Town unchanged after last Saturday’s win at Plymouth and began shooting towards their 1,200-strong support.

Jake Howells, making his 301st appearance in Luton colours, came close to fashioning a chance in the third minute before Mark Tyler needed to be on his toes a minute later to keep out a swerving long-range effort from the hosts’ Jack Dunn.

The ball continued to zip from one end to the other in a frenetic opening 15 minutes and Cheltenham, without a home win under new boss Paul Buckle, twice came close to taking the lead, firstly when on-loan Liverpool midfielder Dunn clipped a free-kick on the edge of the area just wide before Scott Griffiths was in the right place at the right time to hack clear in the six-yard box after Craig Braham-Barrett had snuck down the Town’s right.

However, the Robins did have the lead on 20 minutes. Jake Gray, on-loan from Crystal Palace, weaved down the right to plant a cross to the back stick and the ball was eventually bundled home by Kotwica in the six-yard box.

But the Town are made of strong stuff these days and Still’s troops wasted little time in hitting back on level terms when a minute later it was 1-1. Drury’s shot from 20 yards was parried by goalkeeper Trevor Carson – but Whalley was first to the loose ball and side-footed a first-time finish beyond the reach of the keeper. It was the winger’s third goal of the season.

Buoyed by the leveller, the Town went in search of the lead. Drury then tested Carson on 26 minutes when his shot from close range was palmed away but Jayden Stockley was unable to reach the loose ball.

Two minutes later, on 28 minutes, Whalley came close to doubling his and the Hatters’ tally when home debutant Gray cleared Whalley’s top-corner-bound header off the line following Drury’s dangerous inswinging left-wing corner.

As half-time approached the Hatters upped the ante. Stockley swiped a shot from 15 yards wide of the target, before Howells thought the Town could have been awarded a penalty when his cross from the left brushed the arm of Kevin Stewart in the penalty area.

Neither defence were covering themselves in glory and another defensive mishap, this time from the home side, almost led to a Town goal but Stockley headed over the bar following a skied clearance from the Robins in their own six-yard box.

After the break Tyler was called into action for the second time of the game on 52 minutes when he palmed away a fizzing low strike from Dunn after the Robins man had robbed Stephen McNulty 40 yards from goal and raced goalwards.

Unlike the first half, the Town failed to seriously test Carson at the start of the second, and shortly after the hour, Still introduced Alex Lawless and Mark Cullen for Drury and Howells. Within two minutes the Hatters’ new introductions were involved when Cullen drove a first-time shot wide after Lawless and Stockley flicked the ball into the striker’s path.

But real clear-cut chances were at a premium and Still made a third and final sub with 22 minutes left, replacing goalscorer Whalley for Ricky Miller.

As time ticked down the Town began to create some half-chances, Cullen collected a fine Michael Harriman pass to shoot wide, before the same player drove a shot wide of the post moments later on 85 minutes.

But the Hatters couldn’t find a late winner in three minutes added time and had to be content with a point on their travels.

The point keeps the Town fourth in League 2, five points off the top with a game in hand.

TOWN: Tyler; Harriman, Griffiths, McNulty, Wilkinson; Doyle, Smith, Drury (sub Lawless 63); Howells (sub Cullen 63), Whalley (sub Miller 68), Stockley. Subs not used: Justham, Lacey, Wall, Robinson.

Attendance: 3,611 including a magnificent 1,282 backing the Hatters.

http://www.lutontown.co.uk/news/article/gallery-cheltenham-1-1-town-2223599.aspx

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7H1Bv54N-I&x-yt-ts=1421914688&x-yt-cl=84503534

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OMrVbgKgDA

Still slams ‘atrocious’ Whaddon Road surface

Hatters boss John Still was scathing in his criticism of the Whaddon Road playing surface after Luton were held to a 1-1 draw by Cheltenham Town this afternoon.

The Town chief labelled the pitch, which the Robins share with non-league side Gloucester City AFC, as ‘atrocious’ and felt it was nigh on impossible for either team to play on.

He said: “It was a battling performance. We’ve worked really hard, I think we’ve had the majority of the game, (Mark) Tyler’s not really had too much, other than the goal, to do, but the pitch is atrocious.

“You’ve got to play in all conditions, so I’m not going to necessarily moan about that, but to play how we want to play, the way we’re best at, touch pass, pass move, not a chance.

“It was get the ball up the other end and challenge and try and win it. We did okay at that, but to try and create a flowing opportunity (was impossible).

“Jake’s (Howells), three or four times he’s got past the man in the wide area, but you can’t cross it, because it’s bobbling as the pitch is atrocious.

“You can’t get a true run of the ball and there were a couple of times in the first half, people have a touch and the ball just bounces all over the place.

“We said before the game, play in the other team’s half, we said at half time, play in the other team’s half and almost play off mistakes because it was so difficult to try and get a decent run.

“That’s both teams as I’m not saying it’s any different for them, but to provide the moments of quality that you hope you can provide was very, very difficult.

“I’m pleased with the effort and determination. I would have liked to come here on a good surface and played the way I think we can play and to provide a bit more quality and entertainment, but for both teams it’s impossible.”

One aspect that did please Still was how Hatters didn’t capitulate the way they had at Morecambe before Christmas, when falling to a 3-0 defeat.

He added: “What I was happy about, we went away to Morecambe and didn’t play the conditions and got beat 3-0.

“We came away and played the conditions, got something from the game, with a little bit of luck might have got something more.

“We’ve learned a lesson from that, players have learned a lesson from that.”