Coventry City vs Luton Town FC (15th Dec 2018)

COVENTRY CITY 1 LUTON TOWN 2

Goals from Pearson and Collins make it five league wins in a row

The Hatters won for the fifth league game in a row for the first time in Nathan Jones' reign as manager as goals from Matty Pearson and James Collins secured a 2-1 victory at Coventry this afternoon.

Pearson tapped in from all of a yard for his third goal of the season before half-time, then Collins did likewise after the break for his eighth as he scored at the club he supported as a boy for the second season in a row.

Last time it was a last-minute equaliser, but this one was much more important as it eventually proved the winner, with Coventry pulling a goal back four minutes into injury-time as Jonson Clarke-Harris converted a penalty to ruin what would have been a fourth clean sheet in a row.

It was the only blot on the perfect away performance, and only the fourth goal the Town have conceded in 11 unbeaten games in Sky Bet League One since the 3-2 defeat at Barnsley in mid-October - a run which includes ten wins.

Overall it is 12 wins in 13 league and FA Cup matches, and remarkably, Jones named an unchanged team for the seventh successive game in those two competitions as they cemented their place in the automatic promotion spots, narrowing the gap on Portsmouth to four points with the leaders drawing 1-1 at Barnsley.

The Town boss also picked the same seven players on the bench as for last Saturday's victory over Fleetwood, with Danny Hylton and Luke Berry once again among the game changers.

That meant James Shea was in goal behind a back four of Jack Stacey, Pearson, Sonny Bradley and James Justin.

Captain Glen Rea anchored the midfield, with Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Andrew Shinnie and Elliot Lee, just behind Collins and Harry Cornick.

In-form forward Cornick had the game's first opportunity in the 16th minute when Lee set him clear in the inside-right channel, but after outpacing centre-half Tom Davies, he dragged his shot across Lee Burge's goal and wide of the far post.

Stacey was soon trying to get in on the right, latching onto a pass from Mpanzu, then Bradley headed over the resulting corner as the Hatters looked to make their early domination of the ball tell.

In the 18th minute the hosts had their first chance when Jordy Hiwula got on the end of Luke Thomas' right-wing cross, but Shea somehow managed to prevent his effort from going in, despite Sky Blue appeals that it had gone over the line.

The Hatters were soon on the front foot again, but a scrappy period of play followed with both sides conceding possession, often playing the ball straight out of play under little pressure, as a difficult playing surface and the weather conditions took their toll.

After Shinnie was fouled to the left angle of the City penalty area in the 37th minute, home defender Jack Grimmer did well to head Lee's wickedly inswinging free-kick over his own bar, but the relief was shortlived.

Justin trotted over to the right to deliver the corner that Bradley rose highest to meet at the far post, sending his header back across the six-yard box for his centre-half partner Pearson to stab over the line from a yard out.

Cornick was next to test Burge, racing onto a Collins flick from Shea's long clearance down the left, then cutting in to send a low shot on target from 18 yards, but the home keeper had his body right behind it.

Town started the second half well, skipper Rea firing just over in the 47th minute, but then had to rely on Shea to make another terrific point-blank save from Clarke-Harris' far post header a couple of minutes later.

The advantage was doubled in the 57th minute when Lee tricked his way to the right byline and fizzed a low ball across the six-yard box for Collins to net against the club he supports, at the same end of the Ricoh, for the second season in a row.

Coventry looked to get back into it and just after the hour Thomas beat Stacey and Shinnie out on the left and crossed low for Clarke-Harris, who couldn't sort his feet out quickly enough and the ball trickled wide.

At the other end, Lee was soon beating his man on the left byline, not once but twice, only for his low cross-shot to be turned behind by Burge's outstretched leg - and the Town were denied a third from the resulting corner only by Clarke-Harris heading Rea's blistering half-volley off the line as it headed towards the top corner.

Jones brought Hylton off the bench for Cornick with just over a quarter-of-an-hour to go, but it was Coventry who had the next shot - although Liam Kelly's effort from 25 yards only troubled the empty seats behind the goal and brought ironic chants of 'We've had a shot' from the home fans at the other end!

Hylton teed up Lee for a low shot that skipped up off the greasy surface with five minutes left, but Burge dealt with it well, then Shea made another good save to keep out substitute Dom Hyam's header.

He was exposed deep into injury-time though when Thomas capitalised on hesitation in the Town backline, and Shea raced off his line and brought him down.

Clarke-Harris converted the spot-kick, but the Town had already done enough to head off on their Christmas party in the best possible mood as a sequence of five games in 18 days over the festive period got off to a flyer!

TOWN: Shea, Stacey, Pearson, Bradley, Justin, Rea (c), Mpanzu, Shinnie (Potts 89), Lee, Collins, Cornick (Hylton 73). Subs: Potts, Berry, Hylton, Grant, LuaLua, Sheehan, Stech (GK)

Goals: Pearson 38, Collins 57

Yellows: Mpanzu, Shinnie

COVENTRY: Burge, Grimmer, Willis (Hyam 65), Davies, Kelly (c), Hiwula (Chaplin 65), Brown, Clarke-Harris, Bayliss (Allassani 78), Thomas, Shipley. Subs: Addai (GK), Mason, Doyle, Allassani, Ogogo.

Goal: Clarke-Harris (pen) 90+5

Yellow: Hyam (EDIT: should be Davies)

REFEREE: Charles Breakspear

ATT: 12,559 (2,598 Hatters)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-xX9qUwfd8&t

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

NATHAN JONES ON THE 2-1 WIN OVER COVENTRY CITY

Hatters break their Sky Blues hoodoo with rare win at Coventry

League One: Coventry City 1 Luton Town 2

Luton Town won for only the fourth time in their history at Coventry City this afternoon thanks to goals from Matty Pearson and James Collins.

Going into the game, the visitors had endured a miserable time of it at the Sky Blues over the years, with just three victories, the last coming back in 1987 thanks to a Brian Stein winner.

Seven defeats and last season's draw had followed by the class of 2018-19 showed how it was done, with a thoroughly professional display, mixed with some moments of real quality too.

Keeping an unchanged side for the seven league and FA Cup games in a row, Luton started well, Harry Cornick just unable to adjust his body to put Elliot Lee's clever ball in at the far post.

With a quarter of an hour gone, he had a far better chance to break the deadlock, sent through when a ball over the top was missed, as he bore down on Lee Burge, but on the angle, could only drag wide.

Sonny Bradley headed over from a corner, while the hosts thought they had had broken the deadlock on 18 minutes when Jordy Hiwula reached Luke Thomas's cross at the far post and prodded goalwards, kept out by a combination of Shea and the woodwork.

The Sky Blues' players and fans bayed for a goal, but the linesman wasn't moved much to the annoyance of the hosts

Town had the lead they deserved though on 38 minutes when a wonderful high and hanging corner was delivered into the area by James Justin.

Sonny Bradley rose highhest to head it back across goal, with Pearson sliding in to turn the ball home from a yard.

Cornick's low shot was well gathered by Burge as the Hatters went into the break a goal to the good, and in the knowledge that when they take the lead, it more often than not ends up in a Town victory.

In the second period, Glen Rea fired over from 20 yards, but Coventry were almost level five minutes in when a wicked cross from Jack Grimmer was met by Jonson Clarke-Harris and Shea did excellently to repel the effort with his legs.

With conditions worsening, the wind swirling and rain getting heavier, Hatters then a crucial second goal on 57 minutes after Cornick escaped the offside trap on the right.

Eventually, the ball made its way to Lee and his low cross was slammed into the roof of the net by Sky Blues fans Collins, who scored for the second successive season at the Ricoh Arena.

Lee headed over the bar, before the striker's mazy run saw him twist one way and the other, his low effort parried behind by Burge with 20 to go.

Justin's set-play delivery almost led to a third when his corner was controlled by the unmarked Rea, and his wonderful left-footed volley was in all the way until a City head got up to nod off the line.

Urged to shoot by an increasingly frustrated home support, Liam Kelly took aim from 30 yards, not missing by much.

They were then denied a way back by a superb save from Shea with five to go, as Dom Hyam met Reise Allassani's cross, his header wonderfully palmed behind by the keeper.

However, Shea then had a moment to forget in stoppage time, rashly charging from his goal to try and prevent Thomas reaching a through ball, needlessly bringing down the midfielder, once he had got the better of him.

Clarke-Harris coolly slotted home to prevent a fourth successive clean sheet, but there was no real time for the hosts to mount a comeback, Luton ensuring a fifth successive League One victory for the first time in Nathan Jones' reign, as they cut the gap on leaders Portsmouth to just four points.

City: Lee Burge, Jack Grimmer, Jordan Willis (Dom Hyam 65), Tom Davis, Liam Kelly (C), Jordy Hiwula (Conor Chaplin 65), Junior Brown, Jonson Clarke-Harris, Tom Bayliss (Reise Allassani 78), Luke Thomas, Jordan Shipley.

Subs not used: Corey Addai, Brandon Mason, Michael Doyle, Abu Ogogo.

Hatters: James Shea, Jack Stacey, James Justin, Matty Pearson, Sonny Bradley, Glen Rea (C), Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Andrew Shinnie (Dan Potts 89), Elliot Lee, James Collins, Harry Cornick (Danny Hylton 73)

Subs not used: Marek Stech, Alan Sheehan, Luke Berry, Jorge Grant, Kazenga LuaLua.

Referee: Charles Breakspear.

Booked: Mpanzu 63, Shinnie 86, Hyam 88 (EDIT:should be Davies)

Attendance: 12,559 (2,598 Luton).

Luton's 'steely side' impresses boss Jones during away day success

Hatters boss Nathan Jones hailed the ‘steely side’ on display from his squad as they picked up a 2-1 win at Coventry City this afternoon.

On a horrible day weather-wise, the visitors rolled their sleeves up to take the lead in the first half through Matty Pearson.

Sky Blues fan James Collins then doubled the advantage just before the hour mark, before Town defended their box with a real dogged determination, only conceding in stoppage time to a late Jonson Clarke-Harris penalty, as the visitors made it five league wins in a row.

Speaking afterwards, Jones said: “I thought we were excellent, I really did.

“As an away team to come here, a real difficult place, they had a couple of chances from headers that we needed to defend better, but we’ve thoroughly deserved it.

“We’ve scored two, Harry Cornick had a great chance, we’ve had a few other little chances and I thought we managed the game fantastically well.

“It was a real, real good away performance, and it shows that with the horrific conditions here.

“We’ve had to really dig in, and showed once again that we have that steely side to us and I’m really pleased.”