Coventry City vs Luton Town FC (26th Oct 2024)

26/10/2024 COVENTRY CITY 3-2 LUTON TOWN

Town let two-goal lead slip at Coventry

Hatters lead 2-0 at half-time at the CBS Arena but concede three second half goals

The Hatters surrendered a two-goal half-time lead as they went down 3-2 at Coventry.

All seemed rosy for the Town at the break as goals from Carlton Morris and Elijah Adebayo put Rob Edwards’ side in control.

However, the lead came against the run of play and the hosts stormed back in the second period to inflict a third straight away defeat on the Hatters.

Unchanged from the 2-1 defeat to Sunderland in the week the Town rode their luck early on with a combination of good defending and profligacy from the hosts keeping the score blank.

But the Hatters got their noses in front from the spot on the quarter-hour mark when Tahith Chong was upended in the box by Tatsuhiro Sakamoto and Morris converted the penalty. It was the captain’s eighth successful spot-kick in Luton colours.

Five minutes later it was almost 2-0 when Chong saw a shot on the turn turned away well by Oliver Dovin but in truth the Town were under the cosh as Coventry continued to dominate.

But the Hatters held firm, defending well with a combination of Mark McGuinness, Daiki Hashioka and Tom Holmes preventing the hosts from equalising from close range with the goal at the mercy of the Liam Kitching.

So you can imagine the Town’s delight on 37 minutes when Adebayo struck his second goal in two games to double the lead. Three days on from receiving racist abuse on Instagram the striker took Tom Krauß’s slide-rule pass to clip a left-foot finish beyond Dovin.

Back came Coventry and the Hatters defence were once again in all the right places to thwart the hosts, this time getting in the way of Haji Wright five minutes before the break.

The Town saw out the remainder of the first half and could have led 3-0 if Dovin had not turned away Mark McGuinness’ towering header.

But Coventry began the second half on the front foot. Wright should have done better with a header from close range on 53 minutes before Kaminski got behind a shot from Ben Sheaf two minutes later.

With the Town pinned back, Coventry’s pressure finally paid dividends on the hour when Simms sent a thumping header from a right-wing corner past Kaminski to halve the deficit.

Now with their tails up, the hosts upped the ante further and with 14 minutes left the Sky Blues were level when substitute Victor Torp curled home a beautiful first-time finish past Kaminski from the edge of the box.

The Hatters had barely had a sniff in the second period with Coventry enjoying almost three-quarters of the ball but they had a chance out of nothing to snatch a third with six minutes left. Jacob Brown chased a lost cause to nip in behind the home backline, nodding the ball into the path of fellow substitute Cauley Woodrow. However, the ball bounced up awkwardly and Woodrow could not divert his shot past Dovin.

It would prove to be a crucial moment.

As six additional minutes were indicated by the officials, the Town were then reduced to 10 men when Holmes was shown a second yellow card.

And within a minute of being a man light the Town fell behind in injury time. Ellis Simms’ header from a right-wing cross fell into the path of Wright whose initial header was stopped by Kaminski but the striker was quickest to the loose ball to bundle home and spark celebrations among the home crowd.

Trailing at the death he Town couldn’t conjure an equaliser and that was that.

Town: Kaminski; Moses, Doughty, McGuinness, Holmes, Hashioka; Krauß (sub Walsh 78), Clark, Chong (sub Nakamba 68); Morris (sub Brown 60), Adebayo (sub Woodrow 78).

Subs not used: Krul, Mpanzu, Taylor, Nelson, Johnson.

Attendance: 26,409, including 1,737 shouting for the Hatters

Terrible second half sees Town let a 2-0 lead slip to lose at Coventry

Championship: Coventry City 3 Luton Town 2

An awful second half performance saw Luton concede a stoppage time winner as they let a 2-0 interval lead slip to suffer an incredibly frustrating 3-2 defeat at Coventry City this afternoon.

Although they had to rely on a last-gasp goal, there was no doubting the Sky Blues deserved to triumph, as they were on top for the entire second 45, and most of the first period too, sending in a mammoth 26 shots in total, the Hatters unable to repeat anywhere near the same level of performance that had raised hopes of a corner being turned against Watford or Sunderland previously.

The unchanged visitors had to keep their wits about them from an early corner as a clever routine saw the ball teed up to Tatsuhiro Sakamoto who had a crack inside the area, Elijah Adebayo out bravely to make a critical sliding challenge. Thomas Kaminski was called into action shortly afterwards as City made a promising start, Milan van Ewijk unleashing a fierce drive on eight minutes, the keeper fisting behind before another clever set-piece went awry.

Town couldn't get out though, City with all the pressure and chances, as van Ewijk got the better of a fortunate bounce to beat Alfie Doughty and find the arriving Ben Sheaf, but the midfielder, a reported target for Luton ahead of their Premier League campaign, didn’t open the scoring, diverting into the side-netting.

Another free kick saw Ellis Simms volley wide as the Hatters just couldn't get going, but the first piece of quality from Rob Edwards' side saw them win a penalty on 14 minutes. A good combination on the left saw Tom Krauß feed Tahith Chong who was tripped by Sakamoto, referee Robert Madley, who was clearly eager to be the centre of the attention, with a number of needless bookings, including one that sees Doughty suspended after he took a free kick too early, pointing to the spot.

Carlton Morris stepped up and maintained his terrific record from 12 yards, as although Oliver Dovin went the right way, he sidefooted powerfully into the bottom corner. Dovin did make a decent stop with 20 minutes gone, Adebayo barrelling forward to find Chong who spun and tried to double the lead, the keeper fingertipping behind.

Unbowed by the opener, Coventry remained a constant danger and looked like they were going to pull level, Kaminski easily collecting Sakamoto's header and another attempt glancing narrowly wide. Despite being nowhere near their best, you couldn't doubt the Hatters' heart as they made three terrific last-ditch blocks when Coventry were awarded a free kick on the edge of the box, making sure City's attempts didn't get through to Kaminski.

It carried on, Daiki Hashioka, who was showing some great positional play to head away a number of threats, with Kaminski able to prevent Simms levelling. You thought that it was only a matter of time before the Sky Blues would score, such was their dominance, and although the ball was in the net again on 37 minutes, somehow it was at the other end.

A long ball to Morris was well controlled by the forward his chest, quickly finding Krauß, the German sliding a terrific ball through to Adebayo, who with his confidence boosted from opening his account in midweek, used his left foot to dink over Dovin and put the visitors into a 2-0 lead they scarcely deserved. City were amazingly kept out with five minutes of the first half to go, indebted to a marvellous block from Holmes who was able to stretch and keep the ball from crossing the line with Kaminski beaten.

Chong then took the ball out from his own area and set off on a quite brilliant mazy run that saw him jink past two with some audacious skill and win a corner, Mark McGuinness's header palmed away by Dovin. After the break, Sheaf tried his luck from range as it flew miles over, before he did get one on target 10 minutes in, Kaminski down smartly to his left to gather.

The Sky Blues just kept on coming, and this time Luton couldn't keep them out as when Wright's drive was deflected behind, Jack Rudoni's first flag kick was tipped over by Kaminski, the second seeing Simms angle his header into the net to halve the deficit with 59 minutes gone. Wright threatened again, turning away from both Doughty and Holmes only to shoot straight at Kaminski, as Edwards looked to freshen and shore things up, bringing on Jacob Brown and then Marvelous Nakamba for Morris and Chong.

Still the waves of Coventry attacks were flooding in on Town’s back-line, Josh Eccles swerving one inches the wrong side of the post, as the visiting defence was just about standing firm in the onslaught. Wright's attempts to beat Kaminski from range weren't coming off, dragging wide with 20 minutes to go, as Eccles won another corner, but his looping header landed safely over.

Town's fortune couldn't last though, as they were breached once more with 76 gone, unable to get out quickly enough with the ball broke on the edge of the box, sub Victor Torp curling beautifully into the top corner. Cauley Woodrow and Liam Walsh came on for the final 12 minutes, as if any side looked like grabbing a winner it was the Sky Blues, although that almost changed when Brown found the unmarked Woodrow, but with Dovin out to meet him, he was unable to force his shot past the Swedish international.

City weren't to be denied though and the red card that had looked to be brandished since the early stages finally was, Holmes dismissed for pulling back Wright for a second yellow, which set off the sequence of events for Mark Robins' side to win it. The free kick was put behind for a corner and from another cross, Simms outjumped McGuinness to nod the ball down for Wright to to turn home from close range, any hopes that Joel Latibeaudiere was offside in the centre of the goal dashed as Doughty appeared to just about be keeping him on.

Kaminski prevented Wright from making it an even bigger defeat, but for the second time in five games, Luton couldn’t emerge victorious despite being 2-0 to the good as the pressure is now firmly back on the shoulders of manager Edwards once more.

Sky Blues: Oliver Dovin, Luis Binks, Bobby Thomas, Tatsuhiro Sakamoto (Victor Thorp 66), Ellis Simms, Haji Wright, Ben Sheaf ©, Liam Kitching (Jack Rudoni 46), Joel Latibeaudiere, Milan van Ewijk, Josh Eccles.

Subs not used: Brad Collins, Jay Dasilva, Ephron Mason-Clark, Brandon Thomas-Asante, Fabio Tavares, Norman Bassette, Kai Andrews.

Hatters: Thomas Kaminski, Victor Moses, Daiki Hashioka, Mark McGuinness, Tom Holmes, Alfie Doughty, Tom Krauß (Liam Walsh 78), Jordan Clark, Tahith Chong (Marvelous Nakamba 68), Carlton Morris (C, Jacob Brown 60), Elijah Adebayo (Cauley Woodrow 78).

Subs not used: Tim Krul, Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu, Joe Johnson, Joe Taylor, Zack Nelson.

Referee: Robert Madley.

Booked: Kitching 13, Doughty 17, Morris 18, McGuinness 23, Holmes 53, Sheaf 80.

Sent off: Holmes 90.

Attendance: 26,409.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecfSgKFFbwI – Match highlights

Hatters chief feeling 'as bad as I've ever felt in football' after Sky Blues loss

Town held a 2-0 lead against City only to lose 3-2

Hatters boss Rob Edwards conceded that he felt as ‘bad’ as he has ever felt in football after witnessing his side fritter away a 2-0 lead to suffer a 3-2 defeat against Coventry City this afternoon.

With the half time whistle going, Luton were two goals to the good thanks to Carlton Morris’s penalty and Elijah Adebayo’s calm finish, although it was never a position they looked comfortable in, the Sky Blues dominating the majority of the opening 45 minutes. Mark Robins’ carried that threat on after the break, never letting the scoreline get to them, as they pulled one back with an hour gone through Ellis Simms’ header.

Victor Torp came off the bench to curl home a brilliant equaliser, as with Tom Holmes sent off for his second bookable offence, Hadji Wright then won it when bundling home from close range in stoppage time, as a clearly upset Edwards said afterwards: “Two-up away from home and we’ve lost the game, I feel as bad as I’ve probably ever felt in football right now, it’s difficult to come out here and speak.

"They put us under a lot of pressure, the press was almost ineffective as they were missing it out, so a lot of the play was in our defensive half as they were swinging it in behind with quality and we had to defend well. It was hard to get out, but we did at times and then got ourselves into a good position. Once we went 2-0 up we had to commit less numbers in the press, but in the end we haven’t defended well enough.

"It's on me, I own it, 2-0 up and we lost the game 3-2, so no-one else to blame but me. It was hard to try and make changes earlier, as even at 2-0 we changed the pressing because they were going fairly direct and in behind anyway, so we wanted the front two to do that and keep more bodies on the back line to deal with it. But ultimately we haven’t defended well enough, they get a glimmer of hope from a set-piece and the momentum is really with them. We tried everything, the players are giving me everything, but ultimately we lost the game from a commanding position and that's on me.”