Everton vs Luton Town FC (30th Sep 2023)

Brilliant Hatters earn first Premier League victory

Everton 1 Calvert-Lewin 41

Town 2 Lockyer 24, Morris 30

On 25th April 1992 the Hatters beat Aston Villa at Kenilworth Road. Little did we know it would be the last time the Town would win a game in England’s top-flight.

Until today. When it happened. 11,480 days later. At Goodison Park. The home of the nine-time champions of England, Everton.

Thanks to goals from two heroes of last season – captain Tom Lockyer and top goalscorer Carlton Morris – the Hatters ended that run. Three points at Everton, via Ebbsfleet in the Conference and Exeter, only last Tuesday.

It was a wonderful day on a horrible day. The rain never ceased from the minute the Town kicked off in their white shirts until the 97th when referee Anthony Taylor blew for the final, glorious time.

Everton, struggling for form – they came into this game having lost all of their three home matches so far this season – dominated for large periods. In the first half they came close on many, many nailbiting occasions. On a day when many unsung heroes dug in, they were kept at arms length.

But after 26 minutes the game changed when the Town opened the scoring for the first time this season in the Premier League. Morris’ thumping header from a brilliant Alfie Doughty delivery hit the bar. Former Watford man Ashley Young desperately tried to hack clear the loose ball but he didn’t count on Lockyer, closing him down – and the ball deflected off the skipper and into the goal. You know, these days, fans talk about “limbs” in the away end. There were scenes of unbridled joy as the away end erupted.

It went from good to great six minutes later. And in some style. Doughty was again was the architect in devastating fashion, arching a beautiful, pin-point cross to the unmarked Morris as the back-post. The finish was first-time, graceful, clinical, unerring. His third goal of the season.

It had been the perfect, almost dream-like, first half for the Town but the Toffees gave themselves hope just before the break.

And what a mess of a goal it was on and off the field. The Hatters couldn’t clear their lines from a left-wing cross and the ball was eventually prodded home by home forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin. A VAR check lasted several agonising minutes. In the press seats the screens showed several replays, and plenty of zooming in from various angles and body parts. The goal was given. The noise went up from the locals but the Town stood firm in the final moments of the first half to lead at the break.

The Town, of course, never do things the easy way. On lookers may have believed the second half would belong to the Toffees. Yet the Hatters, when they lead, are made of stern stuff.

On 63 minutes we thought the two-goal cushion was restored when Morris nosed a goal home from a yard out following Jacob Brown’s header cross goal. But Brown, meeting Doughty’s flighted cross, was offside. 2-1 it stayed.

At half-time, Rob Edwards had introduced Mads Andersen for Reece Burke and five minutes into the second half a second Hatters defended was forced off when Lockyer, having taken a whack in the eye, needed to be withdrawn.

Everton sensed they could take advantage. But every long pass or ball that was launched forward but was dealt with by the Town defence, and met with a groan from the Goodison faithful.

Time ticked down. It was hard not to look at the clock. Everton, for all their endeavour, failed to call Thomas Kaminski into any meaningful action. The locals were not happy.

It was hearts in the mouth stuff. All hands on deck. Seven additional minutes went up. Yet the enthusiasm the home support had in the first half was washed away with the rain – they knew the time was up.

All that was left was to hear the peep of Taylor’s whistle and with it the acknowledgment that three Premier League points were – for the first time – heading to our Bedfordshire utopia.

We had longed to see the scenes we saw at the end. It was special. It was Luton. Thirty points who gives... you know the rest. We’ve come a long way and this is just the beginning.

We’re back at it on Tuesday under those famous lights of Kenilworth Road.

Luton are back and we’re up and running.

See you then.

Town: Kaminski; Kaboré, Doughty (Woodrow 83), Burke (sub Andersen 46), Lockyer (sub Mengi 55), Bell; Nakamba, Mpanzu; Ogbene, Brown, Morris (sub Adebayo 78).

Subs not used: Krul, Berry, Chong, Giles, Johnson.

Attendance: 39,289. Inside Goodison including 2,976 very happy Hatters, singing in the rain.

Rob Edwards dedicates Everton win to Mark Ledsom

Manager Rob Edwards spoke of his pride at securing the Hatters' first-ever Premier League win at Everton this afternoon - then dedicated the 2-1 victory at Goodison Park to Mark Ledsom, a lifelong Town fan and member of the club's media team who tragically passed away last week, aged 50.

"I’m very proud and really pleased," said the manager. "I want to dedicate this win to Mark Ledsom and his family. We lost him and it’s been difficult for a lot of people at the club, and of course his family, so I want to send our love and best wishes to them at this really difficult time.

"It’s times like this when you realise that football, of course is important, but nothing is more important than family and health, so I have to say that first and foremost.

"After that, I’m really proud of the players, really proud of our supporters today, our board and really pleased for them. But we’ve all got to recognise that it’s just three points, it’s just a win.

"I genuinely expected it today. I think we’ve been building the right way and it’s been coming, and now we go back home on Tuesday and we’ve got a really difficult game again and we’ve got to be ready for that."

The home club also paid tribute to our corporate communications manager Mark before the match, leaving a Luton Town scarf and an Everton shirt on an empty seat in the Goodison Press Box in his memory and then showing his picture on the big screen at half-time.

All at Kenilworth Road would like to thank Everton for their kindness at such a difficult time for Mark's family and many friends.

On the rest of the game, Rob said: “The first goal was very important, and it goes to show that first goals are key and we know that. From set-pieces I thought we were a real threat, the staff have worked hard on the set-pieces, the hours they’ve put in and the staff deserve their credit today.

“Alfie’s delivery was spot on, and we attacked them well with crisp, clean finishes which was really pleasing. We had to weather a storm a bit at two-nil towards the end of the first half, it was important that we got in at the break just at two-one so we could adjust one or two bits.

“We had to make some forced changes in the second half, and I thought the boys that came on really got into the game. I thought we saw the game out really comfortably, a lot of balls were coming into the box but we defended them well.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-31aKM5AtI – Rob Edwards post match interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6hlhpNpE4M – Match highlights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKw0pfoTvaA – extended match highlights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sl4KWmWtqpM – behind the scenes

Hatters earn an historic first ever Premier League victory by beating Everton

Premier League: Everton 1 Luton Town 2

A stunning performance full of heart and desire saw Luton earn their first Premier League win of the season with a quite brilliant 2-1 victory at Everton this afternoon.

First half goals from Tom Lockyer and Carlton Morris gave the visitors a 2-0 lead, before Dominic Calvert-Lewin pulled one back before the break.

However, Town then defended superbly for the second period, restricting their hosts to little if any shots on target, as the expected Toffees storm never quite materialised, the Hatters able to keep their opponents out on their way to a sensational three points.

Town made one change to the side who got their first point on the board last weekend, with Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu replacing the injured Albert Sambi Lokonga.

Looking to build on back-to-back victories, Everton made a strong start, going on close on three minutes, Issa Kabore's loose clearance hitting Dwight McNeil, the winger letting the ball bounce up and then volleying inches wide of the target from 20 yards.

Thomas Kaminski had to be alert to gather Calvert-Lewin's header, the England forward easily outjumping Town's back-line, but Luton weren't without their own moments in the opening 10 minutes.

Marvelous Nakamba sent a snapshot over the top and then a slick move saw Doughty's cross deflected behind for a corner that Jordan Pickford claimed.

Everton always looked the more likely though, a counter attacking move seeing James Garner looking to bend the ball inside the far post, only to see his radar awry.

They should have led on 11 minutes, Idrissa Gueye gifted all the time and space in the world to pick his spot, thankfully for Luton, it proved to be in the stands.

Still Everton pressed, Amadou Onana the latest to try his luck after a nifty backheel in the area, only to once more miss the target when trying for a precision finish.

Despite being on the back foot, Town still created chances when they got forward, particularly on the left, Doughty winning a corner and then picking out the unmarked Lockyer, who got too much on his header.

With corners looking the most likely avenue for Luton to get their noses in front, they did just that on 24 minutes as another terrific delivery by Doughty was met by Morris, cannoning his header against the bar.

It bounced down to Ashley Young on the line and as he went to clear, Lockyer slid in to deflect the ball into the net and put the visitors ahead in a Premier League game for the first time.

Calvert-Lewin then nodded a decent chance wide as Everton looked to hit back, but Town were in dreamland on 31 minutes, moving 2-0 in front.

Doughty's free kick beat the Toffees defence as Morris peeled away at the back post to connect with a quite brilliant half volley that scorched beyond Pickford and into the bottom corner to double the visitors lead, sending the away end into bedlam.

Somehow Everton didn't halve the deficit moments later as McNeil's pinpoint cross picked out the completely unmarked Garner who had stolen in, but he directed his header against the bar as Luton breathed a huge sigh of relief.

The hosts did have one back though on 41 minutes when Kaminski made a terrific save from a close-range header, but Calvert-Lewin was able to turn the ball over the line and after a VAR check that went on for an eternity, the goal was given.

Luton made one change at the break, Mads Andersen on for Reece Burke, as Ogbene then went close, simply charging forward and eventually getting into a shooting position, his effort deflecting behind.

Town's defence was then forced into another alteration on 56 minutes, as Lockyer was forced off, recent signing Teden Mengi coming on for his Premier League debut.

Luton thought they had restored their two goal lead on 63 minutes, Doughty picking out Brown whose header back was nodded in by Morris, but the flag was raised as Brown had unfortunately just strayed into an offside position.

Everton threw on Beto and the £26m forward might have drawn his side level on 75 minutes, again unmarked in the area, but like the rest of his team-mates, squandered the opportunity.

As time ticked away, to a man, Luton dug in, as they prevented Sean Dyche’s side from creating any real moments of alarm until Calvert-Lewin whistled a low shot in the side-netting.

Seven minutes of extra time came and went, as the Hatters held on for a famous victory, their first on the road in the top flight since winning 2-1 at Aston Villa in March 1991.

Toffees: Jordan Pickford, James Tarkowski (C), Dwight McNeil (Arnaut Danjuma 83), Amadou Onana, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Abdoulaye Doucoure (Beto 60), Ashley Young (Nathan Patterson 78), Vitali Mykolenko, Idrissa Gueye (Jack Harrison 46), Jarrad Braithwaite, James Garner.

Subs not used: Joao Virginia, Michael Keane, Ben Godfrey, Youssef Chermiti, Lewis Dobbin.

Hatters: Thomas Kaminski, Issa Kabore, Reece Burke (Mads Andersen 46), Tom Lockyer (C Teden Mengi 56), Amari’i Bell, Alfie Doughty (Cauley Woodrow 83), Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Marvelous Nakamba, Jacob Brown, Chiedozie Ogbene, Carlton Morris (Elijah Adebayo 78) .

Subs not used: Tim Krul, Luke Berry, Tahith Chong, Joe Johnson, Ryan Giles.

Booked: Kabore 66.

Referee: Anthony Taylor.

Edwards hails Town's display in both boxes as Hatters boss dedicates victory to Mark Ledsom

Reaction from Luton manager at Goodison Park

Luton boss Rob Edwards hailed his side’s ability to win in ‘both boxes’ as they picked up a first ever Premier League victory when winning 2-1 at Everton this afternoon.

The Hatters had gone into the game without a win in their opening five matches, facing a Toffees side buoyed by back-to-back successes in the league and cup.

Despite a bright opening, it was the visitors who broke the deadlock, Tom Lockyer blocking Ashley Young's clearance into the net on 24 minutes.

Carlton Morris then netted a wonderful half volley seven minutes later to make it 2-0, before Dominic Calvert-Lewin halved the deficit just before the interval.

However, a resolute Luton performance for the entire second 45 saw the Hatters hold on for an absolutely crucial victory, as they climbed out of the relegation zone in the process.

Speaking afterwards, Edwards first wanted to pay tribute to Luton supporter and member of the media team Mark Ledsom, who sadly died in the week, as he said: “I’m really, really pleased, a great day for the football club.

"I want to dedicate it to Mark Ledsom and his family, who obviously we lost and again it just brings home that football comes secondary to health and to family.

"It’s really important that I mention that.

"It’s been a tough time for a lot of people at work and then clearly his family, so our love and our thoughts are with his family at this really, really difficult time.

“On the football, I’m just delighted for everyone connected to the club.

"It was a really good day for us and we believed it was going to be.

"I think we’ve been building in the right way, improving in every game, you’ve heard me saying this for weeks and today we showed probably a different side to what we have been, because we were more ruthless than the opposition.

"So in a game of both boxes we came out on top, so that was the reason we won.

"The performance was arguably better last week against Wolves, but it was different as we were at home and we didn’t maybe get what we deserved.

"Today we get the three points and it’s a great day.

"I’m delighted for the supporters who have been backing us and with us for a long, long time and always will do that.

“I’m delighted for the board to enjoy that moment, you could see how happy they were as well.

"I’m pleased for the lads as it will give belief and confidence, but we’ve all got to recognise it’s three points, that’s all it is and we’ve got a huge game on Tuesday night (against Burnley).”