Crawley Town vs Luton Town FC (7th Nov 2015)

PUBLISHED 18:00 7th November 2015 by Ross Lawson McQuoid double puts Town into round two

CRAWLEY TOWN 1-2 LUTON TOWN

Josh McQuoid’s last-gasp winner put the Hatters into Round Two of the Emirates FA Cup after a 2-1 victory at the CheckATrade.com stadium.

McQuoid took advantage of a missed-clearance from the home defence to slot in his second goal of the game after excellent work from substitute Paul Benson down the right-hand side.

Matt Harrold had earlier levelled the game from a corner, following McQuoid’s superb curling effort 10 minutes after the break.

The win gives the Town their second successive win, and their first in their history at Crawley after losing at the same ground a couple of weeks ago.

John Still elected to give Elliot Justham a start for the cup fixture, his first since 29th August, while Olly Lee came in for an injured Nathan Doyle for the Town’s other change since last Sunday’s victory at Dagenham and Redbridge.

And Justham was in the action early on when Rhys Murphy had two shots in as many minutes, both flying wide of the target as all the players struggled with the underfoot conditions in the opening stages.

Crawley were on top, boasting the chances in the first ten minutes, with Christian Scales and Roarie Deacon both wriggling through the Hatters defence, but the duo were both thwarted by Luke Wilkinson when in good positions.

The Town upped their game, and came close to opening the scoring when Jonathan Smith took aim from 25 yards following good build-up play down the left, forcing keeper Darryl Flahavan to tip round the post to keep the game at a stalemate.

That prompted the best spell of pressure from the Town in the opening half, with McQuoid and Wilkinson having efforts deflected out for corners, yet Crawley still held a threat.

The hosts perhaps should have taken the lead following a one-two from Matt Harrold and Jimmy Smith, yet the former could only scuff his shot wide when in a decent position in the penalty area.

Jack Marriott, up front on his own, was as determined as ever, and his endeavour almost paid off when he chased down what seemed like a lost cause behind the Crawley backline.

Marriott found Guttridge, who wrong-footed his defender before stroking the ball inches past the post for arguably the Town’s best chance of the first 45 minutes.

Deacon still remained a tricky problem for the Hatters to deal with, threatening on another two occasions, but he was unable to prevent the tie from being a goalless affair at the half-way mark.

The Town started in the ascendancy in the second half, and gained their reward through McQuoid’s wonderful effort 10 minutes after the restart. Marriott capitalised on a slip from home skipper Sonny Bradley before feeding Alex Lawless on the right wing, who in turn found McQuoid on the edge of the box, curling an effort which Flahavan couldn’t stop.

The Hatters looked the likeliest to get the next goal too, with Lee’s long range strike flicking Benson – who replaced Marriott just moments previous – before going wide.

But from the next attack of the game, Crawley were level. Lewis Young’s 50-yard run resulted in a set piece for the hosts, whipped in for Harrold to nod past Justham, despite the efforts of Sean Long on the goal-line.

The Red Army were stoked up with their equaliser, prompting another change from John Still as Danny Green took the place of Lawless for the final 20 minutes, almost linking up with Benson straight away, although the striker was unable to connect to a overhead kick attempt.

Both teams were limited to half-chances in the game’s finale, McQuoid looking to double his tally when cutting inside and shooting over, while Edwards repaid the favour at the opposite end to keep it at 1-1.

And just as the Town looked as though they may have to settle for a replay, McQuoid fired home his second of the game to win it. Benson’s hard work down the right led to him putting a ball in, which the Crawley defence could only fire against each other, allowing McQuoid to unleash a lethal finish to send the Town faithful into pandemonium behind the goal.

The Hatters, punished with late goals this season, were now rewarded a late strike of their own, and can eagerly await Monday’s second-round draw for the second successive season.

Town: Justham; Long, Griffiths, Cuthbert, Wilkinson; Smith, Lee, Lawless (sub Green 68), Guttridge, McQuoid; Marriott (sub Benson 60).

Subs not used: Tyler, Potts, McGeehan, McCourt, O’Brien

Attendance: 1,929, with 487 Hatters fans making the trip to Sussex.

http://www.lutontown.co.uk/news/article/gallery-crawley-1-2-town-2789799.aspx

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/34758417

FA Cup, first round: Crawley Town 1 Luton Town 2

Striker Josh McQuoid scored an excellent second half double as Luton Town moved through to the next round of the FA Cup with a last-gasp victory at Crawley Town this afternoon.

The forward, who had already netted a cracking first to open the scoring, pounced with a lethal finish in injury time after Crawley made a hash of clearing their lines, with the ball rebounding invitingly into McQuoid’s path.

After losing 2-1 in the League Two clash three weeks ago with a performance that Town manager John Still labelled Luton’s worst 45 minutes of the season, this victory was all about Hatters’ display after the interval for the right reasons, as they wrested the initiative back from their hosts.

Although conceding shortly after McQuoid’s opener, the introduction of Paul Benson and Danny Green proved key midway through the half as Hatters moved into Monday’s draw.

Luton opted to rotate their goalkeepers for the first round tie with Elliot Justham coming in for his first action since August, while Olly Lee replaced Nathan Doyle in midfield.

The visitors had the first chance as Rhys Murphy, who scored against Luton in the 2-1 League Two victory, turned Luke Wilkinson to send a volley over Justham’s bar.

Full back Christian Scales then eased past Jonathan Smith with a mazy run, as his dangerous cross was just turned behind by Luke Wilkinson.

Crawley definitely had the better of the opening 10 minutes as Roarie Deacon’s goalbound shot was deflected for a corner by a last ditch Scott Cuthbert, while Jimmy Smith’s volley flew off target.

However, Luton then managed to get Luke Guttridge on the ball and he began knitting play together, as Jonathan Smith took aim from 30 yards, Darryl Flahavan acrobatically palming behind.

McQuoid and Wilkinson saw efforts deflected for corners but Luton couldn’t fashion anything at the Red Devils’ goal from the set-pieces.

The hosts then took charge as their movement was too much for the Town defence, Gwion Edwards’ snapshot comfortably held by Justham.

Luton’s keeper should have been fishing the ball out of his net though on 30 minutes when Jimmy Smith burst clear, sidefooting badly wide with just the stopper to beat.

Both sides had excellent opportunities before the half came to a close as good work by Marriott saw Guttridge free in the area, but with both McQuoid and Lawless screaming for the cut-back, he opted to shoot, dragging narrowly wide.

Crawley then went straight up the other end and an Edwards shot fell into the part of Murphy, but Justham readjusted well to stick out a leg and boot the danger away.

The hosts might have also led as a cross fell at the feet of Deacon, who dallied, allowing Cuthbert to block, the rebound shanked well wide by Murphy.

In the second period, Luton, clearly determined not to produce a repeat of their league showing, got off to a decent start too, Sean Long’s deep cross turned over by the back-pedalling Flahavan and Griffiths’ close range attempt easier for the home stopper.

Luton were then in front on 54 minutes when Lawless’ burst saw him pick out McQuoid who took a touch and curled a delightful 25-yarder over the diminutive Flahavan and into the net.

Edwards set off on a mazy run from the edge of his own box, to try and level the scores, carrying the ball deep into Luton territory before teeing up Matt Harrold who was denied low down by Justham.

Hatters swapped Marriott for Benson with Luton almost adding a wonderful second when Lee’s sweetly struck half volley from 30 yards took a nick of the Luton sub and flashed wide.

However, Crawley restored parity on 63 minutes when old adversary Harrold wasn’t tracked and he easily nodded home a corner from a matter of yards.

The home fans were off their seats again shortly afterwards as Sonny Bradley connected with Walton’s deliciously whipped cross only for it to hit the side-netting.

Lee tried his luck once more, just unable to keep it down, while Green came on for a rare appearance and looked sharp, sending in a cross that Benson failed to connect with an ungainly overhead attempt.

McQuoid sensed his second, cutting in and beating two players before failing to find the target from 20 yards, while Justham was called into action as he collected Christian Scales’ goalbound flick low down.

However, Hatters won it in the final seconds as a long ball forward saw Benson produce a fine impression of a winger, beating Bradley and delivering a cross that eventually fell at the feet of McQuoid to crash home a later winner.

Daggers: Darryl Flahavan, Christian Scales, Simon Walton (Luke Rooney 85), Sonny Bradley (C), Gwion Edwards, Jimmy Smith, Lewis Young, Matt Harrold, Roarie Deacon (Shamir Fenelon 86), Josh Yorwerth, Rhys Murphy (Lee Barnard 81).

Subs not used: Callum Preston, Jon Ashton, Gavin Tomlin, Ross Jenkins.

Hatters: Elliot Justham, Sean Long, Scott Griffiths, Scott Cuthbert (C), Luke Wilkinson, Jonathan Smith, Olly Lee, Alex Lawless (Danny Green 68), Luke Guttridge, Josh McQuoid, Jack Marriott (Paul Benson 60).

Subs not used: Mark Tyler, Paddy McCourt, Mark O’Brien, Dan Potts, Cameron McGeehan.

Attendance: 1,929 (Luton 487).

Booked: Walton 21.

Referee: Nick Kinseley.

Hatters MOM: Josh McQuoid. Two fine finishes from the forward who looked hungry for goals.

Still revels in Hatters’ second half showing

Hatters boss John Still praised his side’s second half display this time as Luton reached the second round of the FA Cup with a 2-1 win at fellow League Two side Crawley Town yesterday.

A Josh McQuoid double saw Hatters progress at a venue where they were beaten by the same scoreline just three weeks ago.

Then, Still had been highly critical of Town’s performance after the interval in which they let a 1-0 lead slip, but his players clearly learnt from the errors of their ways, producing a far better showing in the second period as the Luton chief said: “It’s always good to win a cup game, our cup form has been good this year.

“I thought we started slow for the first 20 minutes, the boys were moaning about the wind and the rain and the pitch, I don’t know why it was so long, and they found it hard to move it.

“But once we got into it and saw the half out, conditions improved second half, the rain stopped, wind stopped and we played really well.

“We played like Luton, moved the ball well and I thought we had good variations as well. When we’ve gone into front people early, we’ve got around them well and moved the ball much quicker in the second half than we did in the first half.

“They play a longer game, I’m not knocking that, they play the big diagonals to the front men, we don’t do that, and it was difficult to move the ball.

“I felt we were too long moving it and that gave them a chance to close us down, second half they couldn’t close us down as well.”

One thing that had frustrated the boss though was the goal Luton conceded as from a corner, Scott Cuthbert was beaten far too easily in the air by Matt Harrold for Crawley’s equaliser.

He continued: “I’m really disappointed with their goal, we’ve got to do better than that with the goal as at that time I thought we were in control.

“I know why I’m disappointed and I’ll deal with that, we shouldn’t have conceded that.”

However, McQuoid bagged an injury time winner after great work by Paul Benson as Still felt the last-gasp effort furthered his claims that Hatters will always push for the victory.

He added: “The thing that pleases me is that I want to win. We’re 1-1 away from home in the cup and we’re trying to win, that’s what’s important to me, to go to win.

“I’m not worried about losing if we try to win and we could have settled for 1-1, got people behind the ball, gone with one up front when Jack (Marriott) come off, but we didn’t.

“We stayed as we were and we are going for the winner, we got the goal and we won.”

Crawley Town 1 Luton Town 2

Josh McQuoid turned two-goal hero to send Luton into the second round of the FA Cup as, just for once this term, they came up with a late winner.

Five times this term, Town have conceded decisive goals at the death so this was welcome relief. The magic of the cup? Maybe.

Certainly it was payback for the League Two defeat of the same score that the Hatters suffered against Crawley on this very ground three weeks ago. But, more importantly, it prevented a replay and a third quick-fire instalment of the fixture this season – unwanted, judging by almost 1,000 Hatters fans that didn't make this return trip to Sussex. Who could blame them after their first visit?

They would have been justified in their absence on the evidence of the first half, because if there was any abracadabra in the tie at that stage, it was that Luton were even in a position to win this game at all.

McQuoid's strikes on 54 and 89 minutes were both stunners but, for the second time running at the Broadfield Stadium, they were poor for 45 minutes.

After the break, though, a proper cup tie broke out and the visitors were a different proposition, largely due to their substitutions, with Paul Benson introduced for the ill Jack Marriott – his first outing since August 25 – and Danny Green playing for the first time since October 6.

McQuoid will also have something to say about that. His opener was an audacious lob, while his second, after Matt Harrold had levelled, was lashed in with aplomb after good work from Benson and a defensive mix-up. There was no way back for the Reds at that late stage.

"It's always good to win a cup game," said Luton boss John Still afterwards, adding: "our cup form has been good this year."

The 65-year-old also admitted his side's first half wasn't up to scratch. Bar a ten minute period midway through, where they looked to have settled after a slow start, it was déjà vu – just minus the Crawley goals.

It was not for the lack of trying as the hosts carried on where they left off in their previous meeting and, if lessons had been taught to Town in the aftermath of that, it didn't look like anyone had paid attention.

Roarie Deacon, Gwion Edwards, Rhys Murphy and Jimmy Smith all went close, while Harrold – who scored the comeback winner last month against the Hatters – caused all sorts of concern with a towering aerial performance that Luton couldn't get to grips with.

Luton's response was minimal with a Jonathan Smith sizzler, which required a superb top corner save from Darryl Flahavan, their first and best effort on 14 minutes.

Crawley namesake Smith should have put the hosts ahead just before the half hour mark but he screwed wide of the target.

Luton's goalkeeper Elliot Justham, who made his first appearance for two months in a customary cup outing, also had to be quick off his line to keep out Murphy as the attacker almost profited when Deacon's scuffed shot nearly ricocheted kindly.

Flahavan at the other end had been a virtual spectator before half time, but had to be alert early in the second period as Sean Long's deep cross needed tipping over the bar. Perhaps it was a tactic with the keeper a relatively small 5ft 11ins, but McQuoid exploited it to the full, firing in over his head from 20 yards for his second of the season.

Suddenly it was end-to-end as Harrold, who had become increasingly incensed by the officials' decisions, tested Justham with a skidder from the edge of the area soon after.

Olly Lee, back in the side in place of the injured Nathan Doyle, had his head in his hands when a volley, that looked destined for the bottom corner, deflected off a red torso and just wide.

Man-on-a-mission Harrold then clawed Crawley back into the tie, heading in from a corner. It was yet more sloppy defending and it frayed Hatters' nerves somewhat but they after a panic-stricken few minutes they steadied themselves.

The grand finale looked to have been a Justham goal-line stop to set up a less than mouth-watering replay, but then McQuoid hit another firecracker.

Crawley: Flahavan, Scales, Walton (Rooney, 85), Bradley, Edwards, Smith, Young, Harrold, Deacon (Fenelon, 87), Yorwerth, Murphy (Barnard, 83)

Unused subs: Preston, Ashton, Tomlin, Jenkins

Luton: Justham, Smith, Cuthbert, Lawless (Green, 69), Griffiths, Marriott (Benson, 60), Lee, Long, Guttridge, McQuoid, Wilkinson

Unused subs: Potts, McGeehan, McCourt, O'Brien, Tyler

Referee: Nick Kinseley

Attendance: 1,929 (487)

Josh McQuoid revealed that Luton manager John Still has told him to shoot more and the advice paid off as his two stunning strikes saw off Crawley in the FA Cup.

The attacker had to wait until his 16th game for the Hatters to open his account after his summer move to Kenilworth Road, but his brace in the first round 2-1 triumph – including an 89th minute winner – moved his tally up to three in three games.

McQuoid said: "The gaffer has had a word with me and a few of the coaching staff have said that I just need to shoot more.

"I'm maybe, sometimes, trying to be a bit too clever, or trying to pass it when I should maybe be shooting. I've tried to take that into my game a bit more and have a few more efforts at goal. Thankfully today it paid off."

It was a measure of revenge for the Hatters to claim Crawley's scalp and book a second round spot, just three weeks after they'd lost by the same score at the same Sussex ground in the league.

Luton were poor in the opening half but improved markedly after the interval and McQuoid said: "I'm pleased after my performance and the team's performance in the first half.

"We were nowhere near good enough in the first half, so to come out in the second half and react like we did, to give it a real go and get a goal in the last minute was very pleasing for us."

McQuoid's 20-yard lob on 53 minutes began the turnaround and he said: "I was angry before it because I don't think I was playing that well. I was a bit annoyed with myself and then I got the ball, looked up and hit it. Thankfully it went in, so I was pleased."

Reds forward Matt Harrold levelled nine minutes later but the former Bournemouth ace was in the right place at the right time to smash the winner at the death, which was a welcome relief after Luton have conceded five decisive goals in a similar fashion this term.

"It's always nice to win that way," the 25-year-old said, adding: "We don't think we should have conceded the goal we did. I think we were unlucky but then to get the winner in the last minute was obviously good for the team."

With Town now in the hat for the second round draw and McQuoid said: "You always want to do well in the cups, especially the FA Cup. It's such a massive one, growing up and watching it. It's just an honour to play in it and hopefully we can get through the second round and get a big team."