Derby County vs Luton Town FC (19th Oct 2021)

Report | Derby County 2-2 Luton Town

The Hatters came from behind twice to take a point from Derby County tonight, extending their unbeaten run in the Championship to four matches.

The hosts took a first-half lead through Tom Lawrence, only for substitute Fred Onyedinma to mark his return from injury with his second goal of the season three minutes after half-time.

Derby regained control again with Jason Knight netting on the hour, but Elijah Adebayo headed in a second equaliser for his sixth of the campaign with seven minutes left to earn the Town a share of the spoils.

Manager Nathan Jones named an unchanged team to the one that won 2-0 at Millwall on Saturday, with the Hatters seeking a first win at Derby since 1990, and third in four Championship matches.

A cagey opening period, played on a pitch saturated by a pre-match soaking from the sprinklers and driving rain, saw the Hatters threaten briefly with Elijah Adebayo forcing his way to the byline and cutting the ball back, but Derby cleared and soon had an openin of their own, Max Bird firing wide from 20 yards in the 13th minute.

Kal Naismith picked up his fifth yellow card of the season a minute later, for a late challenge on Jason Knight, and the hosts were soon in front.

The Hatters were architects of their own downfall, gave the ball away 25 yards from their own goal, with Jason Knight robbing Sonny Bradley and slipping it to Tom Lawrence, who made no mistake from 12 yards out.

It was the first time the Hatters had conceded since the 31st minute at Bournemouth on September 25th, goalkeeper Simon Sluga's run of blanks ended after 349 minutes.

Jones made a double change on the half-hour, taking off Naismith and Jordan Clark and replacing them with Fred Onyedinma and Admiral Muskwe, switching from three centre-halves and wing-backs to a 4-2-3-1.

Derby continued to dominate possession and attacking threat, however, and Knight tried his luck in the 38th minute, his 25 yarder well off target, before Phil Jagielka produced an overhead-kick that flew straight into Sluga's palms with three minutes of added time being announced.

There was time for the Hatters to break up the right, with Cornick crossing for Muskwe to get a header in that was deflected wide for the Town's fourth corner of the half, but nothing came of it and they went in for the break a goal down.

Within three minutes of the restart, the Hatters were level, and the two game changers were at the heart of it.

Muskwe drove down the right and tried to cross, but it was blocked for a throw-in that Cornick arrowed towards the near post. It flicked off the head of Graeme Shinnie, brother of former Hatters midfielder Andrew, and Onyedinma got in front of his man to force the ball home.

Ravel Morrison tried to engineer another opening for the Rams, carrying the ball from inside his own half to the edge of the Town box, where he slipped a pass through for Knight, who Sluga raced off his line to close down, forcing the hosts' forward to lift his shot over keeper and bar.

Town were starting to threaten on a more regular basis, and when Nathan Byrne failed to clear a low cross from Cornick, Adebayo controlled and shot towards goal, but a sliding block from Jagielka removed the sting and Derby keeper Ryan Allsop gathered easily.

Derby were back in front on the hour though when Knight turned Bell inside the box and shot low past Sluga at his near post.

The Hatters mounted an immediate response, Bree fouled on the right, then delivering a free-kick that Bradley met, but couldn't get a clear connection on his header, before Jones made his final change on 63 minutes, replacing Rea with Henri Lansbury.

Bree was looking the best outlet to get the Hatters back into it, Lansbury picking him out with a raking ball with just over 20 minutes to go, but Cornick's attempt at steering his low cross in at the near post was off range.

Home boss Wayne Rooney made a change with just over quarter-of-an-hour to play, taking off Morrison and introducing veteran striker Colin Kazim-Richards, and it was the Rams who had the next sight of goal, Lawrence hitting a 25 yarder wide on 78 minutes.

Town weren't going to lie down, however, and they drew level again in the 83rd minute when Bree stood up a cross that Adebayo rose highest to nod into an empty net, with Allsop racing off his line to try to punch clear.

It had been a frustrating night up to that point for the striker, but he drew level with Cornick at the top of the scoring charts once again, on six, and almost assisted a second goal for Onyedinma moments later, flicking on for the winger to lift the ball over Allsop, only to see it bounce back off the crossbar.

The comeback specialists earned themselves another point on the road, moving up to 9th position in the process ahead of Saturday's match against Hull City.

Goals:

Derby: Lawrence 20, Knight 60

Town: Onyedinma 48, Adebayo 83

Nathan Jones | "We were nowhere near our best"

On a night where the Hatters were far from their best, manager Nathan Jones was relieved his side showed fighting spirit to come from behind and earn a point.

Coming from behind twice on the night through Fred Onyedinma and Elijah Adebayo, Town extended their unbeaten run to four matches in the Sky Bet Championship, a comeback the manager dedicated to Jacob Crawshaw, a Luton supporter who tragically lost his life on the weekend.

“That fighting spirit was for him and we’re delighted we could at least get a point here and not get beat on such an occasion. Really proud of them in the end because performance level was nowhere near enough."

On proceedings, Jones said: “We were nowhere near our best tonight. Derby didn’t have many opportunities to score and the goals were poor. I was thinking about it the other day and I said it to someone, we have never given the ball away in our own box and conceded a goal since I have been here. That happened tonight and it was a poor decision.

“We were sloppy, we were lethargic, we weren’t aggressive enough and we allowed them to dictate. Apart from shots from 25 yards they didn’t look like causing us any problems but then we had to change.

"We were sucker-punched again from absolutely nothing, we lost the first header which we lost all night tonight, lost the second ball which we lost all night tonight and he shouldn’t score from that angle. Credit to the players though, if you don’t play well and you can’t win the game, don’t get beat.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-tN4vcPfYw – Nathan Jones interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBh7umxWB5o – match highlights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnogM9NDZys – Fred Onyedinma interview

Adebayo scores late on to rescue a point for the Hatters at Derby

Championship: Derby County 2 Luton Town 2

Town striker Elijah Adebayo scored a late equaliser as Luton hit back twice to extend their unbeaten run to four games in a battling 2-2 draw at Derby County this evening.

It looked like the Hatters would once again suffer defeat at Pride Park, a ground they have never won at, until Adebayo took advantage of a mistake by home keeper Ryan Allsop to net his sixth of the season and earn the visitors a point.

Luton boss Nathan Jones went with an unchanged side for the clash following their 2-0 win at Millwall on Saturday, while Derby, who began the evening bottom of the table following their 12-point deduction for entering administration last month, threatened first, Max Bird off target from 20 yards.

Although not doing a great deal in terms of attacking sense, the Rams dominated possession in the first 20 minutes, Kal Naismith picking up a booking for a rash challenge that rules him out of Saturday's home game with Hull City.

Derby broke the deadlock though, when Luton were caught out trying to play the ball out from the back, skipper Sonny Bradley having his pocket picked, allowing Kamil Jozwiak to find the unmarked Tom Lawrence who struck firmly into the bottom corner, ending Town's run of three successive clean sheets.

Jordan Clark tried to restore parity immediately, his ambitious 25-yard snapshot skidding off target, but boss Jones, clearly annoyed by what he was witnessing and worried over the booking for Naismith, made two changes on the half hour, withdrawing the Scottish defender and Clark for two attacking options in Fred Onyedinma, getting his first action since late August, and Admiral Muskwe.

Rams attacker Ravel Morrison saw his claims for a penalty turned down by referee Geoff Eltringham after tricking his way past Tom Lockyer and going over inside the area under pressure from Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, much to the frustration of the ex-Manchester United youngster.

Jason Knight's blasted into the stands as despite the double substitution, Luton didn't appear to have any more of a foothold in the contest.

Experienced defender Phil Jagielka's hooked volley was straight at Sluga, before the keeper's clearance saw Cornick do superbly to win the ball from Nathan Byrne and deliver an inviting cross that Muskwe headed wide via a deflection.

Whatever Jones said to his side at the break clearly worked, as the Hatters were level just three minutes into the second period, Muskwe doing well to win a throw which was launched into the box by Cornick.

It flicked off a home defender, with Onyedinma charging into bundle the ball over the line and equalise, Town's first goal at Pride Park since Boxing Day, 2005 when Ahmet Brokvic was on target.

The Rams almost retook the lead straight away, Morrison's jinking run causing havoc, his through ball was met by Knight, who under pressure from Sluga could only divert over the bar.

With the contest finally opening up, Luton went close, Cornick's cross dropping for Adebayo whose goalbound shot had the string taken out of it by a terrific last-ditch block from Jagielka.

Despite Town's pressure, it was Derby who had their noses in front again, Knight rolling Bell inside the box and then powering a shot that went through Sluga's legs, the keeper once again not enjoying his trip to the East Midlands.

Luton made their third change with Henri Lansbury on, as they tried for a second leveller, Bradley heading Bree's free kick over and Cornick prodding the full back's cross wide.

Lawrence attempted to settle the contest from 25 yards, his fizzer always veering away from goal, but with seven minutes of normal time remaining, the Hatters were level once more, courtesy of an error from Allsop.

The former Wycombe stopper came charging out to try and claim Bree's dinked cross into the area when he should have stayed at home, Adebayo, who had a tough evening against the Rams' centre backs, rising highest to cushion his header into the empty net.

Luton were inches away from a third when Adebayo won a flick on, with Onyedinma latching on to the ball, his chip from the tightest of angles beating the back-pedalling Allsop but bouncing off the top of the bar.

Despite the result, the Hatters actually moved up a place in the table to ninth, and now face Hull this weekend looking to make it a more than healthy return of seven points for the week.

Rams: Ryan Allsop, Nathan Byrne, Graeme Shinnie, Phil Jagielka, Kamil Jozwiak (Dylan Williams 82), Max Bird, Tom Lawrence ©, Ravel Morrison (Colin Kazim-Richards 74), Lee Buchanan, Curtis Davies, Jason Knight (Festy Ebosele 88).

Subs not used: Kelle Roos, Richard Stearman, Louie Sibley, Louie Watson.

Hatters: Simon Sluga, James Bree, Tom Lockyer, Sonny Bradley ©, Kal Naismith (Admirak Muskwe 31), Amari'i Bell, Glen Rea (Henri Lansbury 65), Jordan Clark (Fred Onyedinma 31), Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Harry Cornick, Elijah Adebayo.

Subs not used: James Shea, Luke Berry, Cameron Jerome, Reece Burke.

Bookings: Naismith 15, Lawrence 90, Mpanzu 90.

Referee: Geoff Eltringham.

Attendance: 20,258 (1,057 Luton).

Jones admitted he 'went mental' at Luton's players during the half time break at Pride Park

Town chief reacts to 2-2 draw with Derby

Luton boss Nathan Jones revealed he 'went mental’ at his players during half time in tonight’s 2-2 draw with Derby County.

An insipid first period from the Hatters saw them trailing 1-0 at the interval, with an unhappy Jones having already made two substitutions, bringing on Fred Onyedinma and Admiral Muskwe for Kal Naismith and Jordan Clark, with just 31 minutes played.

The manager's strong words clearly worked too, Onyedinma bundling home just three minutes into the second period, as although Derby retook the lead through Josh Knight, Town always carried a goal threat, Elijah Adebayo popping up with six minutes to go to earn the visitors a point.

On his words at the break, Jones said: “I went mental at half time, I haven’t gone mental for a while, but I went mental, as it wasn’t the levels that we attained to.

"The aggression levels, backing up play, we strutted about the pitch as if we were a top, top side and that’s not how we go about our business.

"They got on second balls, they won every header, won every second ball, and that’s not us.

"We pride ourselves on that, but sometimes I’m calm, as it wasn’t solutions today on how to do it, it was we needed a bit more desire and we got it second half, we won the second half, and that’s what got us the point.”

When asked about why the first half display had been so poor, skipper Sonny Bradley caught in possession for Tom Lawrence to fire the Rams ahead and end Town's run of three successive clean sheets, Jones added: “We believe we’ve got goals in as we believe we’re quite rounded, we can go direct, we can play round people, we can go at people, so we know that we can do that, but we were nowhere near our best tonight.

"If we had been, I don’t think Derby had too many opportunities to score.

"The goals are poor, we’ve given the ball away and I was saying it to someone the other day, we’ve never given the ball away in our own box and given a goal away since I’ve been here, considering the amount of football we've played since I’ve come here.

"That happened tonight and it was poor decisions.

"It was symptomatic of us first half, we were sloppy, we were lethargic, we weren’t aggressive, we allowed them to rotate and dictate, but apart from shots from 20, 25 yards, they never looked like causing us any problems.

"We had to change, we had to make a few changes, we came out, and we were the better side, and then sucker-punched again from absolutely nothing.

"A poor goal, lose the first header, which we lost all night tonight, lost the second ball, which we lost all night tonight, and then from an angle shouldn't score from there.

"But credit to them, if you don't play well and can’t win the game, don't get beat.”