Dagenham & Redbridge vs Luton Town FC (14th Apr 2015)

Match Report: Dagenham & Redbridge 0 - 0 Town

The Hatters kept themselves in the race for the final Play-Off place in League 2 with a battling 0-0 draw at Dagenham & Redbridge despite being reduced to 10 men late in the first half.

Striker Paul Benson, on his return to Victoria Road, was shown a straight red card seven minutes before half-time for a high challenge on Ian Gayle.

That hindered the Town’s chances of going for all three points and after the break the Town were indebted to a series of excellent saves from goalkeeper Elliot Justham to deny home forward Jamie Cureton.

The Hatters came close to snatching victory with Elliot Lee twice going close but the Town and John Still had to settle for a point which leaves them three points off the Play-Offs with just three games to go.

The Town began showing two changes to the side that lost to Burton on Saturday with Jonathan Smith and Ryan Hall starting in the place of Jake Howells and Alex Lawless.

And winger Hall could have had the Hatters in front inside the first 15 seconds when he raced onto Benson’s flick to poke a low shot just wide of the post.

Three minutes later the hosts’ evergreen striker Cureton engineered a sight of goal by himself only for Elliot Justham to read the situation and deny the veteran forward.

The Hatters’ veteran striker Benson then came close to putting the Town ahead on seven minutes when he stretched his neck to guide Hall’s left-wing corner goalwards but Daggers defender Luke Howells cleared off the line.

Dagenham got a foothold in the game after that chance but the Hatters were forced into a change shortly before the half-hour when Nathan Doyle limped off injured and was replaced by Shaun Whalley.

A classy touch from the dangerous Cureton saw the striker fashion a chance out of nothing but his low shot only found the side-netting.

Whalley’s introduction had given the Hatters some much-needed impetus and he was presented with a decent chance to put the Town ahead on 32 minutes. Elliot Lee skipped past two challenges before unselfishly supplying Whalley in the box but the winger slipped at the vital moment and screwed his shot wide.

With the game still goalless the Town’s task of winning an important three points were made more difficult by Benson’s red card seven minutes before the break. As the ball bounced up by the dugouts, Benson’s high boot caught Gayle and referee Sheldrake pulled out a red card.

A man down the Hatters were almost a goal down when play resumed when Matt Partridge’s low shot flashed across goal when any touch from a team-mate would have left Justham stranded.

John Still made a change at the interval, bringing on Luke Guttridge for Hall as the Hatters went in search of the breakthrough but the hosts should have taken the lead on 53 minutes when Cureton broke clean through on goal following Stephen McNulty’s error but Justham stood tall and pounced bravely on the ball at the striker’s feet to snuff out the chance well.

The Hatters were struggling to create any chances on the break and they had Justham to thank on 58 minutes when Cureton got the better of McNulty to blast a shot goalwards that the Town keeper had to parry away to safety.

As time ticked down the Town needed more threat going forward and Still hauled off Whalley with 24 minutes left and replaced him with Mark Cullen.

Four minutes after his introduction Cullen helped tee-up Lee to fire the Hatters’ first chance of the second half but the striker’s curling first-time shot whistled just over the bar.

As the Hatters upped the ante, backed by their 875 supporters behind the goal, Justham saved again from Cureton before Lee then forced home keeper Mark Cousins into his first serious save of the game on 71 minutes when he kept out Lee’s curling free-kick from 20 yards.

The Town continued to probe in search of the opening goal and Cullen’s flick released Lee down the left with 15 minutes to go but the West Ham striker’s effort flew over the crossbar.

As time ticked down it was the home side that pushed forward in search of a winner and Ashley Hemmings’ low shot from the left was deflected over by Michael Harriman in his own six-yard box.

Two added minutes were added at the end of the 90 but neither side could find the breakthrough and the Hatters had to settle for a point.

Town: Justham; Harriman, Griffiths, McNulty, Wilkinson; Doyle (sub Whalley 27 (sub Cullen 66)), Smith, McGeehan, Hall (sub Guttridge 46); Benson, Lee.

Subs not used: King, Lacey, Howells, Cullen, Guttridge, Kinsella.

Attendance: 2,461, including 875 backing the Town.

http://www.lutontown.co.uk/news/article/gallery-dagenham-and-redbridge-v-town-2401028.aspx

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8MXGzQApL4

League Two: Dagenham & Redbridge 0 Luton Town 0

Ten man Luton Town kept their play-off hopes in tact, just, as they were were held to a goalless draw at Dagenham & Redbridge last night.

The Hatters were forced to play for almost an hour with the numerical disadvantage after striker Paul Benson was shown a straight red for a high foot on Ian Gayle.

John Still’s side remain in with a slim chance of the top seven though as despite Stevenage beating Portsmouth, Plymouth Argyle were held to a 1-1 draw by AFC Wimbledon, meaning Town trail the Greens by three points, albeit with a hugely inferior goal difference.

The Hatters made two changes to the side beaten 1-0 by Burton as Jonathan Smith, who became a father at the weekend, and Ryan Hall replaced Alex Lawless and Jake Howells.

Town included a host of ex-Daggers, with Benson, Luke Wilkinson, Scott Griffiths and Hall lining up against their former team, with boss Still afforded an excellent reception before kick off too.

Luton looked like they had taken the lead in the opening 20 seconds when a back header fell short allowing Hall to pounce, but his sliding effort went inches wide.

The Daggers veteran forward Jamie Cureton then turned Steve McNulty inside out, although over-ran the ball and Elliot Justham was out to collect.

In an open start, Benson reached Hall’s corner and arched a header over Mark Cousins, but not Luke Howell, covering on the goal-line.

Justham was called into action once more, handling Billy Bingham’s free kick well, while the visitors were forced into an change with Nathan Doyle limping off to be replaced by Shaun Whalley on 27 minutes.

Wilkinson volleyed Hall’s corner into the night sky, before Cureton once again showed his years of experience, with quick feet to rifle into the side-netting.

Lee showed a superb change of pace to set up Whalley, but a desperately poor first touch saw him scuff disappointingly off target.

Town were then dealt a huge blow when Benson went in with a high foot on Gayle and was shown a straight red by referee Darren Drysdale, his 10th dismissal of the season.

Although Benson’s boot definitely was raised, the intent was questionable to tay the least, but he had to go and Daggers almost took immediate advantage, Matt Partridge’s fierce drive deflected inches wide.

In the second period, Town swapped Hall for Luke Guttridge, but they had a huge let off when McNulty’s mistake was pounced on by Cureton who raced clear only to see Justham nick the ball off his toes.

The Town skipper was then culpable once more allowing Cureton to beat him and was thankful that Justham made a fine reaction stop.

Still then opted to take off Whalley for leading scorer Mark Cullen in search of a late winner, as Lee’s curler flew over.

The on-loan West Ham striker looked Hatters’ most likely outlet, as he forced Cousins into action, the keeper palming his free kick behind and then firing an angled volley over.

However, Town just lacked the manpower to launch a sustained rally and now know nothing less than a victory at home against Hartlepool on Saturday will do.

Daggers: Mark Cousins, Scott Doe, Billy Bingham, Jamie Cureton (Alex Jakubiak 77), Abu Ogogo (C), Luke Howell, Matt Partridge, Ian Gayle, Ashley Hemmings, Andre Boucaud (Jodi Jones 77), Joe Widdowson.

Subs not used: Lewis Moore, Christian Doidge, Joss Labadie, Ade Yusuff, Frankie Raymond.

Hatters: Elliot Justham, Michael Harriman, Scott Griffiths, Steve McNulty (C), Luke Wilkinson, Jonathan Smith, Nathan Doyle (Shaun Whalley 27, Mark Cullen 66), Cameron McGeehan, Ryan Hall (Luke Guttridge 46), Paul Benson, Elliot Lee.

Subs not used: Alex Lacey, Craig King, Jake Howells, Lewis Kinsella.

Referee: Darren Sheldrake.

Booked: McNulty 35.

Sent off: Benson 38.

Attendance: 2,461 (875 Luton).

Hatters MOM: Elliot Justham.

Dismayed Still will appeal Benson’s red card

Hatters boss John Still confirmed the club would appeal striker Paul Benson’s red card received at Dagenham & Redbridge last night, but isn’t expecting it to be overturned.

The Luton forward was dismissed after 38 minutes against his former club, for a high boot on defender Ian Gayle, and could now miss Town’s final three league matches of the campaign.

Still said: “We’ll appeal, but when Steve McNulty got sent off earlier this season (against York) and their player got sent off as well, they were so far away from sendings off, I thought it was embarrassing and neither of them got off.

“Well we’ll appeal but I don’t give ourselves any chance, I don’t. I’m dismayed at some of the things, but we can’t do anything about them.

“If someone goes in maliciously, but he doesn’t even know where the player is. His foot is up to the ball, but there’s no good moaning about it as it is what it is.”

Keeper Elliot Justham felt official Darren Sheldrake could have taken more time before brandishing the red as he said: “I couldn’t see it personally, but the boys have said, if the referee used a bit of common sense.

“Benno’s not even looking at the player, he’s not that sort of bloke, the ref’s just made a snap decision and unfortuately its gone against us.”

While midfielder Jonathan Smith also thought it was a hasty decision, as he said: “It’s one of those, I’d have to see it again, but in League Two you get challenges like that.

“It’s not always a red card if a high challenge goes in and I think the ref was quick to get the red card out.”

Meanwhile, Still was also highly critical of referee Sheldrake’s decision not to award Town a penalty when Luke Wilkinson tumbled in the area from a corner.

The boss added: “I must have cracked 20 mirrors to lose players to injury, sent off and how many penalties have we had not given this year?

“I’ve just looked at and it’s a penalty, it’s not even close. The thing that does me is he’s (Sheldrake) looking at it and not given it.

“It’s so blatant it was embarrassing. Both arms are around his waist, even Wayne (Burnett, Daggers boss) said to me it was a penalty. But it wasn’t just a penalty, it was an unbelievable penalty.

“How many have we had now though? I can’t for the life of me fathom it out, I really can’t.

“Officials have a really difficult job, particularly on corners as there’s pushing from both ways, but I said to him, if one of my players pulls someone down, give a penalty, he won’t do it again.

“I find that hard to accept, I don’t want anything, but if we get something, we got one penalty at Tranmere and when was the last time before that?”