Chesterfield vs Luton Town FC (13th Jan 2018)

REPORT & GALLERY: CHESTERFIELD 2-0 LUTON TOWN

Town remain top of Sky Bet League Two, three points clear of second place

The Hatters fell to their first league defeat of 2018 as Chesterfield ran out 2-0 winners at the Proact Stadium this afternoon.

Joe Rowley fired in from Robbie Weir's cross after 19 minutes to give Jack Lester's side the lead, before they doubled their advantage when Jak McCourt fired in from the penalty spot after James Justin was deemed to have fouled Zavon Hines six minutes later.

Town started with the diamond in midfield, with Akin Famewo's impressive midweek performance against Peterborough United enough to earn the 19-year-old his first league start of the season, whilst Elliot Lee came in for the injured Danny Hylton, who missed out due to a tight hamstring.

Chesterfield settled into the game quickly, moving the ball around nicely, but it was the Hatters who had the first real chance of the game, as Aaron Ramsdale doing well to deny Andrew Shinnie at his near post from close range with 15 minutes on the clock, after the Scotsman had been played through by Elliot Lee.

The hosts then took the lead in fine fashion four minutes later, when Rowley got on the end of Weir's low ball into the box from the right, smashing it into the bottom right corner from six yards.

The Spireites had their second 25 minutes in – referee Carl Boyeson pointed to the spot after he adjudged Justin to have tripped Hines in the box as the former West Ham man cut in from the left. McCourt was the man to take it and he dispatched it into the bottom right corner, sending Stech the wrong way to give Jack Lester's side a two-goal cushion.

Shinnie should have halved the deficit ten minutes later after some excellent work on the right from Elliot Lee – the striker nutmegged a defender before teeing up Shinnie eight yards from goal, but he caught it wrong and the ball flew harmlessly over Ramsdale's goal.

After a slow start to the second half, Stech was on hand to keep out Louis Reed's effort on the hour mark, as the Chesterfield midfielder let fly from 25 yards – the keeper diving to his right to palm it away from danger.

The Hatters had it in the back of the net after James Collins picked out Elliot Lee with a quick free-kick, the 23-year-old tapping it through for Harry Cornick to cross in low from the left, Collins tucked it away, but Cornick was offside.

With five minutes remaining, Johnny Mullins powered down the right, before swinging in an excellent cross for Elliot Lee who guided it towards the top left corner, but Ramsdale was able to palm it down before gathering.

Jordan Cook's rasping effort from 25 yards gave Ramsdale something to think about as the keeper did well to get two strong hands on the ball to push it out for a corner with two minutes to go – but the hosts saw out the game to take all three points.

The result sees the Hatters remain top of Sky Bet League Two, now three points clear of second placed Notts County.

Chesterfield: Ramsdale, Talbot, Nelson, Maguire, Weir, Reed, McCourt (Dimaio 90+3), Kay, Hines (Binnom-Williams 83), O'Grady, Rowley.

Subs: Parkin, De Girolamo, Dimaio, Kellett, Ofoegbu, Binnom-Williams, Wakefield.

Goal: Rowley 19, McCourt 25

Yellows: Kay, Maguire

Town: Stech, Justin, Mullins, Famewo, Potts, Rea, Berry, Olly Lee (Cornick 28), Berry, Shinnie (Mpanzu 84), Collins (Cook 84), Elliot Lee.

Subs: Stacey, Cook, Cornick, Mpanzu, Senior, D'Ath Shea.

Yellow: James Justin, Elliot Lee

ATTENDANCE: 5,715

AWAY: 1,244

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9L3sDKGiIc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwuELsN8kw4

NATHAN JONES ON THE 2-0 DEFEAT TO CHESTERFIELD

Town boss Nathan Jones was disappointed with his side's performance as they slipped to a 2-0 defeat to Chesterfield.

Joe Rowley scored from close range after 19 minutes before Jak McCourt fired in from the penalty spot after James Justin was deemed to have brought down Zavon Hines six minutes later.

The result sees the Hatters' lead at the top cut to three points, after second placed Notts County drew 2-2 with Lincoln City.

Jones said: "I am disappointed, I think it was a disappointing performance. I am not taking anything away from Chesterfield, they were better than us in the first half and that was when the game was won. We talked about it not being another Port Vale in terms of getting a foothold in the game, coming out and pressing high and working hard and we didn't do it.

"We didn't press high, we didn't set the tone, we didn't get on second balls and they were better than us first half. They switched the play, their goal was coming from their point of view and they scored a very good first goal. For us we were nowhere near in terms of our performance, out of possession and what we did, and we paid for it.

"I can't categorically say it's not a penalty. There's a little bit of contact – a hand on the back – it was far less than the contact down here in front of the press box with Sid Nelson and Elliot Lee. So how he doesn't give it, we're disappointed.

"It might have been the gamechanger, but I don't think we looked like actually scoring today. We had a few powder-puff shots. We didn't have any real kind of play, we didn't really test the keeper enough until we brought Jordan Cook on and he gave us something of note."

Woeful Hatters suffer Spireites defeat

League Two: Chesterfield 2 Luton Town 0

Luton Town fell to their third successive away defeat in all competitions, after a thoroughly inept performance at struggling Chesterfield this afternoon.

If the Hatters needed a stark reminder that promotion isn't a foregone conclusion yet this season, then they certainly got that with a display to forget against a side struggling at the wrong end of the table.

The hosts had not won in six matches to slip into the relegation zone, but were just too good for Luton on the day, as the Hatters produced a second half display not seen this term, looking anything but a table-topping side as they barely laid a glove on their hosts.

Trailing 2-0 it took until the latter stages to even get close to Aaron Ramsdale's goal, and when they did, the on-loan Bournemouth keeper was never seriously tested, the hosts picking up only their second clean sheet since mid-November.

All the talk before kick off was surrounding the absence of leading scorer Danny Hylton from the starting line-up, with news filtering through of a tight hamstring for the striker, who was at the Proact Stadium in a watching brief.

That meant Elliot Lee came in, while young centre half Akin Famewo made his first league start since September 2016, Glen Rea pushed up into the holding midfield role in place of Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu.

After the hosts made a bright start, snapping into their tackles, Luton created the best chance on 15 minutes, James Collins spying Andrew Shinnie's run into the area, his low left-footed shot from a tight angle saved by Ramsdale.

The hosts then went ahead on 19 minutes, Luton cut open on their left hand side and Robbie Weir's low cross emphatically swept home first time by Joe Rowley, ending his side's run of four matches without a goal.

Chris O'Grady swivelled to shoot wide, while referee Carl Boyeson then opted to take centre stage, not giving a clear free kick on Elliot Lee when he was blatantly shoulder charged over by Sid Nelson as the ball ran out for a goal kick.

Then when possession was transferred up the other end, Zavon Hines went past Justin before appearing to just fling himself over en route to the area, with Boyeson whistling instantly for the spotkick.

It was despatched with ease by Jak McCourt to give Luton an uphill battle after just 25 minutes.

Visiting boss Nathan Jones acted quickly, withdrawing an unhappy Olly Lee for Harry Cornick, as Marek Stech saved McCourt's attempt from far further out this time.

With 34 minutes gone, Town had a great chance to get back in it, Elliot Lee doing superbly to wriggle free, putting the chance on a plate for Andrew Shinnie, who skied over from close range.

The midfielder set off on another purposeful run, before shooting weakly at Ramsdale from 20 yards, while Town screamed for a handball on the edge of the box, official Boyeson waving the appeals away.

Although managing to give Premier League Newcastle a real scare from 3-0 behind at half time last week, there were no immediate signs of a repeat this time, Stech needing to parry Louis Reed's snapshot from 25 yards.

Town then offered literally nothing in terms of an attacking sense for the next half hour, not remotely resembling a side who had hammered Swindon Town 5-0 on their travels just a few weeks ago on Boxing Day, in what was easily their worst half of the season.

Glen Rea's header from a Luke Berry free kick skimmed wide with 12 minutes to go, while Johnny Mullins dispossessed O'Grady and crossed for Lee to loop a header that Ramsdale gathered.

Jones threw on Jordan Cook and Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu with 10 to go, the former at least testing Ramsdale, who pushed his 25-yarder behind, while in stoppage time, Cornick summed the afternoon up, shanking rashly over.

It was then a case of seeing how much damage had been done to Town's lead at the summit, and the answer was thankfully not too much, nearest rivals Notts County cutting the gap to three after holding Lincoln to a 2-2 draw, with Wycombe, in fourth, now eight behind after defeat Colchester.

Spireites: Aaron Ramsdale, Drew Talbot, Sid Nelson, Laurence Maguire, Robbie Weir (C), Louis Reed, Jak McCourt (Conor Dimaio 90), Josh Kay, Zavon Hines (Jerome Binnon-Williams 82), Chris O'Grady, Joe Rowley.

Subs not used: Dylan Parkin, Diego De Girolamo, Andy Kellett, Ify Ofoegbu, Charlie Wakefield.

Hatters: Marek Stech, Jack Justin, Dan Potts, Johnny Mullins (C), Akin Fameow, Glen Rea, Luke Berry, Olly Lee (Harry Cornick 29), Andrew Shinnie (Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu 84), Elliot Lee, James Collins (Jordan Cook 84).

Subs not used: James Shea, Jack Stacey, Lawson D'Ath, Jack Senior.

Booked: Kay 17, Maguire 35, Elliot Lee 87.

Referee: Carl Boyeson.

Attendance: 5,715 (1,244 Luton).

Jones: 'Average' Luton were lacking in leaders

Hatters boss Nathan Jones felt his side were lacking in leadership after being made to look average during their 2-0 defeat at Chesterfield yesterday.

The visitors went into the game missing a number of their most experienced performers, with Danny Hylton, Scott Cuthbert and Alan McCormack injured, plus Alan Sheehan suspended.

Trailing 2-0 at the interval, any thoughts of a come back quickly disintegrated as Luton turned in a dreadful second half performance to barely test home keeper Aaron Ramsdale.

Speaking afterwards, Jones said: “We looked a little bit leaderless today. We’ve got four big players out in terms of Cuthbert, Sheehan, McCormack and Hylton, and that’s four big characters, four big players,

“Sheehan’s lack of discipline has cost us, because it has. He’s missed two games and we’ve lost both games, so that’s cost us and I’m really disappointed with that.

“Danny couldn’t play (tight hamstring), there was nothing we could.

“We’ve been without some big players and it showed, it really did, as it looked like we were a little bit powder puff.

“We know what kind of side we are, we know we’re a good side, but out of possession they were nowhere near.”

The Luton chief was clearly highly annoyed that his side's second display was so far out of keeping with the rest of the season in which Town have swept most aside on their way to the top of the table.

He added: “We want to get a foothold in the game, we like to start games on the front foot, but we didn’t do that and we were nowhere near.

“The work-rate wasn’t there, the defensive discipline wasn’t there, and that’s cost us.

"We looked average second half in terms of a lot of stuff we did and a credit to Chesterfield as not a lot of teams make us look average.

“I’m disappointed, it was a disappointing performance.

“I’m not taking anything away from Chesterfield, they were better than us in the first half and that was when the game was won.

“We talked about not being another Port Vale in terms of getting a foothold in the game, coming out and pressing high and working hard, and we didn’t do it.

“We didn’t press high, we didn’t set the tone, we didn’t get on second balls and then they were better than us first half, they switched the play.

“The goal was coming from their point of view and they scored a very good first goal, but for us, we were nowhere near our levels of performance in terms of out of possession and what we did and we paid for it.”

Luton chief frustrated by refereeing inconsistency

Hatters boss Nathan Jones was left to rue the inconsistency shown by official Carl Boyeson in his side’s 2-0 defeat at Chesterfield this afternoon.

With the visitors trailing 1-0, the official somehow didn’t give a free kick against striker Elliot Lee, who was clearly and blatantly shoved to the ground by Spireites defender Sid Nelson in his attempts to let the ball run out for a goal kick.

Moments later, Town defender James Justin was then adjudged to have tripped Zavon Hines in the area, with the home winger appearing to go over all too easily, plus replays showing the initial incident came out of the box anyway.

Jones said: “I can’t really say too much, I’m going to be in front of the FA if I say what I’d like to say.

“But there’s two decisions. One foul’s worse than the other one, the lesser one gets given and the other one doesn’t.

"It’s frustrating, really, really frustrating, I don’t understand it, but there’s a lot of things I don’t understand.

“I can’t categorically say that it isn’t a pen though. There’s a little bit of contact and a hand on the back, but it was far less than the contact in front of the press box here with Sid Nelson minutes before.

"So how he gives one and doesn’t give the other, we’re disappointed with that.

"But the penalty’s killed it because it’s a bad decision, and not from the referee.

"I think JJ’s too wide and lets a player get in behind him which he shouldn’t do and then that puts the game to bed."

However, Jones was rightly also quick to admit that the decision wasn’t the main reason why his side lost, adding: “That maybe the game changer, but I don’t think we actually looked like scoring today.

"We had a few powder puff shots, when we did have any kind of play, we didn’t really test the keeper enough and it wasn’t until Jordan Cook came on that he actually did anything of any note.

“They were nowhere near it today and I’m very sceptical to always say, 'well we weren’t good.'

"Chesterfield were better than us first half, but we were nowhere near the levels that we can attain, and that’s the real frustrating thing for us.”