Derby County vs Luton Town FC (5th Oct 2019)

DERBY COUNTY 2 LUTON TOWN 0

A goal in each half sees the Town defeated at Pride Park

The Hatters fell to a 2-0 defeat at Derby County this afternoon despite a promising second half showing at Pride Park.

A Matty Pearson own goal and a second half strike from Tom Lawrence secured all three points for the hosts.

Town had their fair share of chances but couldn’t extend their unbeaten run having picked up a victory at Blackburn last Saturday and a draw at home to Millwall in midweek.

Derby took the lead in the 11th minute after Simon Sluga mis-controlled Pearson’s back-pass and it rolled into the back of the net.

Town had a great chance to get back into the game eight minutes later, but James Collins fired over the bar from close range after James Bree picked him out well with a low cross.

The hosts had a golden opportunity to double their lead as they broke forward from a Town free-kick ten minutes before half-time - Chris Martin was bearing down on goal and tried to square the ball across to Florian Jozefzoon, but the pass had too much on it and it went behind for a goal kick.

Collins had a second effort just before half-time – albeit a half chance – but his header from Callum McManaman’s cross went well wide of the target.

The Hatters started the second period on top and had a number of chances to show for it.

First Harry Cornick’s cross into the box was just about cleared by Kelle Roos, before Ryan Tunnicliffe fired over the bar from close range.

Town were knocking on the door, but Derby created a good chance of their own amid a flurry of Luton attacks.

Krystian Bielik switched the ball wide to Lawrence, the winger then cut in but wrapped his right-footed shot just wide of the post.

Substitute Izzy Brown produced a brilliant bit of skill in midfield to create space and play Cornick into the left side of the area, but the forward's first touch took him wide, away from a shooting chance, and Roos gathered his cross.

Within a minute, and against the run of play after a sustained period of pressure from the Hatters, Derby scored their second in the 70th minute, as Lawrence’s cross from the right went straight into the back of the net.

Substitute Kazenga LuaLua had a late effort saved by Roos as the Hatters couldn’t find a consolation goal.

Town sit 18th heading into the international break, with Bristol City next up at Kenilworth Road.

TOWN: Sluga, Bree, Pearson, Bradley, Potts, Tunnicliffe, Shinnie (Bolton 81), Mpanzu, McManaman (Brown 63), Cornick (LuaLua 74), Collins.

Subs not used: Lee, Jones, Butterfield, Shea

DERBY: Roos, Bogle, Clarke, Davies, Malone, Shinnie, Bielik (Wisdom 89), Lawrence, Patterson (Holmes 84), Jozefzoon, Martin (Waghorn 73).

Subs not used: Hamer, Dowell, Lowe, Knight

Yellows: G. Shinnie

Goals: Pearson (OG) 11, Lawrence 70

Referee: Geoff Eltringham

Attendance: 27,944 (2,606 away fans)

GRAEME JONES REFLECTS ON DEFEAT AT DERBY

Hatters boss Graeme Jones was disappointed to see his side slip to a 2-0 defeat at Derby County this afternoon, despite a solid performance.

He said: “I think the game was 1-1 or a 0-0 game, there’s very little difference in shots on target, shots off target. I expected James Collins to tap in, in the first-half but you can’t legislate for individual errors.

“It would be easy for me to blame the goalkeeper in the last however many games but I’m not that kind of person, I’m not that kind of coach. Today, I can’t defend him, it’s two goalkeeping errors – that’s the truth, we got beat 2-0 because of two goalkeeping errors that are basics of the game, controlling the ball and defending your near post – not getting shocked and that’s what happened, life of a goalkeeper.

“I’ve given my opinion at the end of the game because I have 13 other boys to think about who give their heart and soul, who were mentally and physically really consistent with three games in seven days.

“I know we’ve had this sort of period once before, but it’s new to the players in the Championship and you have to take them into consideration when they’ve put that level of effort into the game.

“Our game plan today was exactly where I wanted to be without the errors and when you’re chasing the game at 1-0 down, it’s very different to 0-0 and then one opportunity, it’s just disappointing I think that’s the story of the game, I don’t need to go into detail.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9EJFrTMUUs – Graeme Jones interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2YcfigqxzM – Match highlights

Sluga's** errors hand Derby victory as Luton fall to Rams defeat**

Championship: Derby County 2 Luton Town 0

Two howlers from Town's record signing Simon Sluga saw the Hatters fall to a 2-0 defeat at Derby County this afternoon.

Although the first will go down as a own goal by defender Matty Pearson, the Croatian international has to shoulder the blame, letting his backpass roll under his foot and in on 11 minutes, before he was beaten by Tom Lawrence's cross in the second period.

Luton chief Graeme Jones made two changes to his side from the 1-1 draw with Millwall, Callum McManaman rewarded for his goalscoring appearance off the bench on Wednesday night with a start, while Andrew Shinnie returned after missing the last two league games.

The duo came in for Jacob Butterfield, who was on the bench against his former side, joined by on-loan Chelsea midfielder Izzy Brown.

Shinnie was facing his younger brother Graeme, given his first league start by Derby, as the pair were engaged in a early battle, pitted against each other in the middle of the pitch, Graeme getting the better of the opening exchanges.

After dominating the early stages, without really testing Sluga, the hosts then took the lead on 11 minutes with a calamitous goal handed to them on a plate.

He completely failed to control a routine backpass from Pearson, the ball rolling under his boot and into the net, with the embarrassed keeper's attempts to scramble back proving unsuccessful.

The distraught-looking stopper did recover his composure to palm away the dangerous Jayden Bogle's cross and get enough behind Graeme Shinnie's 25-yarder, as County pressed for a quickfire second.

Despite being on the back foot, Luton should have levelled on 18 minutes as James Bree sent over an excellent cross from the right which a stretching James Collins, from a matter of yards out, could only divert over the bar.

The visitors, to their credit, improved after the early error, finally gaining some territory, as the goal appeared to drain some of Derby's intensity.

Once chance saw Martin's pass get away from Florian Jozefzoon, before in the closing stages of the first half, Collins flicked wide while under pressure from McManaman's right wing cross.

After the break, Lawrence was off target from the edge of the box after turning Sonny Bradley well.

However, Town then started to get on top, Harry Cornick's cross shovelled away by Kelle Roos and then Ryan Tunnicliffe rifling over on his left foot as the visitors started to look more and more capable of getting something from the contest.

With the home fans getting increasingly frustrated by County's persistence to go backwards, boos rang out when Scott Malone once more picked out his keeper.

However, that led to a move which saw Jozefzoon scuff wide, before Lawrence was inches away from putting the result beyond Luton from 20 yards.

Boss Jones introduced Brown for McManaman midway through the half, but just as Town started to push men forward to rescue a draw, another error from the increasingly forlorn Sluga sealed the points for Derby.

There seemed little on when Lawrence received the ball out wide, but his cross appeared to catch out the keeper at his near post, flying past him and into the back of the net.

Town still pressed for a leveller, Dan Potts glancing into the net, but the offside flag had been raised while sub Kazenga LuaLua's effort was easy for Roos as ultimately Town just couldn't recover from those two mistakes.

Rams: Kelle Roos, Graeme Shinnie, Krystian Bielik (Andre Wisdom 89), Jamie Paterson (Duane Holmes 84), Tom Lawrence, Florian Jozefzoon, Matthew Clarke, Chris Martin (Martyn Waghorn 72), Curtis Davies (C), Jayden Bogle, Scott Malone.

Subs not used: Ben Hamer, Kieran Dowell, Max Lowe, Jason Knight.

Hatters: Simon Sluga, James Bree, Dan Potts, Sonny Bradley (C), Matty Pearson, Ryan Tunnicliffe, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Andrew Shinnie (Luke Bolton 81), Harry Cornick (Kazenga LuaLua 73), Callum McManaman (Izzy Brown 64), James Collins.

Subs not used: James Shea, Lloyd Jones, Elliot Lee, Jacob Butterfield.

Booked: Graeme Shinnie 76.

Referee: Geoff Eltringham.

Attendance: 27,944.

Jones can't defend Sluga after costly mistakes during Derby loss

Luton boss Graeme Jones offered no defence for Simon Sluga after the keeper’s two mistakes handed Derby County a 2-0 win this afternoon.

The Croatian international first allowed Matty Pearson’s backpass to roll under his foot and into the net on 11 minutes, to give the hosts the advantage.

With Luton wresting the initiative back during the second period, SLuga was then beaten once more from Tom Lawrence’s cross which sailed over him and into the net.

Speaking afterwards, Jones said: “I think the game was a 1-1 game or a 0-0 game, there was very little difference in shots on target, shots off target.

“I expected James (Collins) to tap in first half, but you can’t legislate for those kind of errors.

“It would be easy for me to blame the goalkeeper in the last however many games, I’m not that type of person, I’m not that type of coach.

“Today, I can’t defend him, it’s two goalkeeping errors, that’s the truth, we got beat 2-0 because of two goalkeeping errors, that are basics of the game.

“We’re talking about controlling the ball and defending your near post, not getting shocked, and that’s what’s happened, life as a goalkeeper.

“I’ve never seen two goals like that in my life, Simon goes away with the Croatian national team, it might do him the world of good to get a break from everybody.”

When asked if there was anything said to Sluga in the aftermath of the defeat, Jones continued: “I’ve given my opinion at the end of the game as I’ve got 13 other boys to think about, who give their heart and soul, who mentally and physically were really consistent with three games in seven days.

“It’s new to them in the Championship and you have to take them into consideration, when they’ve put that level of effort into the game.

“Our game plan today was exactly where I wanted it to be without the errors.

“When you’re chasing its very, very different to 0-0 and then one opportunity, it’s disappointing the story of the game, I don’t really need to go into detail, I think everyone can see it.”

Town now face a fortnight off with the international break, but Jones wouldn’t be drawn on whether James Shea would get his chance between the posts they Luton return at home to Bristol City on October 19.

He added: “You need to have more than one good goalkeeper in your club, you need two and three at this level.

“I haven’t looked that far ahead, I need to be fair to my goalkeeper, he’s made two errors today which is plain for everyone to see.

“Life as a goalkeeper, which is damaging, it can be, there’s sometimes no margin for error in that position and it’s the old adage, we need to get back to the training ground and get back to work and work with him.

“It’s the only way you’re going to improve, you have to revisit things and put him in those situations.

“I’ll always work with players, I’m never one of those that’s, that’s it, never, ever.

“It’s just a moment he’s in, you don’t know how he feels.

“He’s played maybe in front of 28,000 people in a stadium like this for the first time, you have to take all those things into consideration.

“But one thing I need to take into consideration is, we can’t give goals away like that, it’s unfair on the other 13 players and that’s my job as a manager to manage that.”