Luton Town FC vs Accrington Stanley (10th Mar 2018)

REPORT: LUTON TOWN 1 ACCRINGTON STANLEY 2

Hatters knocked off the top by injury-time winner for Stanley

The Hatters suffered a late blow at Kenilworth Road this afternoon as Accrington Stanley netted an injury-time winner to knock Nathan Jones’ side off the top of the League Two table for the first time in almost four months.

Stanley, who started the afternoon a point behind the Town, scored with virtually the last kick of each half after Sean McConville put them in front a minute before half-time, then the division’s top scorer, Billy Kee, bagged a 93rd-minute goal to nick the victory.

The Hatters had been the better side overall but spurned several good opportunities, both before and after Elliot Lee had hauled them level with his tenth goal of the season just after the hour.

Ultimately it was Stanley, however, who brought the Town’s five-match unbeaten run to an agonising halt, and extended their own sequence without defeat to eight matches, seven of them victories that see them move two points above the Town.

Jones made two changes from last week’s draw at Cambridge, with midfielder Andrew Shinnie and Elliot Lee, making his first start since suffering a shoulder injury against Wycombe at the end of January, coming back into the team in place of the injured Lawson D’Ath and James Collins, who was serving his one match ban after being sent off at the Abbey.

The Hatters came racing out of the blocks and within the opening minute Danny Hylton almost got in on the end of a long clearance by Marek Stech, then Dan Potts rose highest to meet the resulting corner from Alan Sheehan, but his towering header was cleared off the line.

The same combination provided the next opening a couple of minutes later, Sheehan picking out Potts with a free-kick, and although the left-back didn’t connect cleanly with his header, there were claims for a penalty for handball as referee Darren Drysdale pointed for another corner.

The Hatters were playing some cracking stuff, while the back four stood strong to a series of crosses

Elliot Lee was looking lively and just after the quarter-of-an-hour mark the forward took a ball from Berry to the byline and tricked his way past Mark Hughes, only to be denied with his poke towards the near post by a deflection from a sliding challenge by skipper Seamus Conneely.

The ex-Barnsley man was next to have a go too, picking the ball up 25 yards out and firing right-footed at goal, but Stanley keeper Aaron Chapman saved well diving low to his right.

Stech was called into action in the 20th minute when Jordan Clark’s speculative effort deflected high into the air off Glen Rea’s head and the Czech keeper had to race back to his line to paw the ball over the bar.

Then, with 26 minutes on the clock, Sean McConville’s 15-yard shot from Kayden Jackson’s knock-down went safely over as Accrington started to have a go.

The Town had been the better side though, and after a spell of possession on the half-hour, working the ball in both halves as they probed for an opening, the lead almost came when Hylton took Sheehan’s long pass on his chest and Shinnie arced in a cross from the right that just eluded Elliot Lee’s outstretched boot, and Berry racing in behind him.

More patient passing around the edge of the area brought another chance on 32 minutes, this time for Shinnie, who took Hylton’s short ball and tried to bend one around Chapman from 20 yards, but it flashed just past the wrong side of the post.

In the 38th minute, Hylton received a ball from Berry and hit a rasping drive that Chapman did well to turn behind, then Potts rose to meet Sheehan’s left-wing corner in an exact repeat of his first chance in the opening minute, only for Jimmy Dunne to clear off the line for a second time.

Town had played well to that point, but were made to pay for not converting their chances when McConville bent a terrific effort into the top corner from 25 yards a minute before half-time.

Accrington finished the half strongly, Billy Kee firing straight at Stech – and then they started the second well too, Jackson creating space for himself 25 yards out, but again the Town keeper was equal to his tame effort.

The Hatters had a great chance to mount a counter attack in the 52nd minute when Hylton and Shinnie combined to set Berry free inside his own half.

The midfielder burst forward only to be tripped by Hughes, with Drysdale quick to blow his whistle – then show the Stanley defender a yellow card – without waiting to see the ball had reached Hylton on the verge of the visitors’ box.

The Town kept pouring forward, and Hylton met a Stacey cross with a header that was easy for Chapman, then – in the 56th minute – Flynn Downes spread the ball wide to Elliot Lee on the right, but the striker’s low left footed shot went the wrong side of Chapman’s near post.

Just after the hour his moment came, however, when he was picked out brilliantly by Jack Stacey at the end of a move down the right that started with Stech.

The keeper claimed a cross at the far post, then threw the ball out to Stacey on the touchline and the full-back looked up and bent a fantastic cross-field pass that beat two defenders in the air and found Elliot Lee just inside the area.

The striker bided his time and checked back onto his right foot to fire low past Chapman for the leveller and make it into double figures for the season.

Jones introduced Harry Cornick for Downes in the 63rd minute, and the pacey forward immediately brought another surge to the Town’s attacks as part of a front three, with Olly Lee dropping deeper to anchor the midfield.

Accrington had a chance in the 67th minute when Brown’s shot flashed just past the post, but seconds later Chapman had to tip Cornick’s cross-shot over the bar, then he had to pounce on a loose ball by the post as Potts met the resulting corner with another towering header and Glen Rea attempted to turn it in from close range.

It was all one-way traffic now and in the 74th minute Olly Lee threaded a ball through for Stacey, but Chapman once again produced a fine save as the full-back let fly from inside the box.

A minute later it was Eliott Lee’s turn again, cutting in from the left only for his right-footed curling shot to fly over, then Olly Lee and Shinnie combined to put Stacey in again on the right, and the full-back’s cross found Hylton, but his glancing header went just wide.

The Hatters continued to knock on the door and did everything they could to break down the visitors’ defence, but were hit by the ultimate sucker-punch when Kee picked up a loose ball 25 yards out and shot low past Stech into the bottom corner.

There was an air of disbelief around Kenilworth Road, and the Hatters were off top spot with little time to respond.

But with Cambridge netting a late leveller at Wycombe, the gap to fourth place is still a healthy six points – seven when the Hatters’ goal difference is taken into account – with a chance to improve on that when they head to Coventry on Tuesday night.

TOWN: Stech, Stacey, Rea, Sheehan, Potts, Downes (Cornick 63), O Lee, Berry, Shinnie (Gambin 85), E Lee (Jervis 90+1), Hylton. Subs: Justin, Cuthbert, Mpanzu, Shea (GK)

Goals: E Lee 61

Yellows: E Lee, Sheehan, O Lee, Gambin

STANLEY: Chapman, Dunne, Hughes, Donacien, Clark, Brown, Jackson, McConville, Johnson, Conneely ©, Kee. Subs: Richards-Everton, Nolan, Zanzarlan, Williams, Maxted, De Sousa, Rodgers

Goals: McConville 44, Kee 90+3

Yellows: Hughes, McConville, Donacien, Jackson

REFEREE: Darren Drysdale

ATT: 9,503 (205 away)

NATHAN JONES ON THE DEFEAT TO ACCRINGTON STANLEY

Town boss Nathan Jones was annoyed about the result but felt his side put in a good performance in the narrow defeat to Accrington Stanley at Kenilworth Road this afternoon.

After Sean McConville's brilliant strike just before the break to give John Coleman's side the lead, Elliot Lee equalised with his tenth of the season on the hour mark. However, Sky Bet League Two's top scorer Billy Kee netted late on as he saw his effort from outside the box nestle in the bottom left corner.

The result sees the Town move off top spot for the first time since November, with Jones' side six points clear of fourth.

He said: "Look it's disappointing in the context of everything. We couldn't do too much about the first, it's a wonderful strike.

"But I thought we dominated for 80, 90 per cent of the game and I thought we had enough chances to have put the game to bed, but when you don't defend properly at the end – it's cost us.

"In terms of performance levels I couldn't really moan too much, we had enough chances. We had a few cleared off the line, we had a penalty shout, the keeper has made an unbelievable save from Jack Stacey and look, I felt we were the better side. They scored two, we scored one. That's the facts.

"Others have slipped up today and it's going to be tense until the end of the season. What we have got to do is try and win games. We tried to win this game today, we made positive changes to try and win the game and then he's shot from 25 yards and it's trickled in the corner.

"We will have a look at it and see if we can do anything better, they've had two opportunities today and their goal lived a far more charmed life than ours, so I can't be too down with the performance, but it's the result I have got to swallow.

"We had that sickening feeling at the end of last year, of losing the game really late. Now we have a little bit more opportunity with ten games to go, so we can use that feeling to motivate us and to move forward. We are a good side, we have been in good form, we've been on top for a majority of the season.

"We have lost it today and credit to Accrington, but there are still ten games to go. We have got a good side and we have just got to make sure we prove that."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D584vukd2po

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWaz1CQBtB4

Hatters are knocked off top spot as Stanley strike in stoppage time

League Two: Luton Town 1 Accrington Stanley 2

Luton Town were knocked off the top of the League Two table for the first time since November after suffering a gutting 2-1 stoppage time defeat against Accrington Stanley this afternoon.

After falling behind in the first half to Sean McConville's stunning hit, the Hatters looked to have earned a point when Elliot Lee netted with a cool finish on the hour mark.

However, in the very last minute of time added on, Kee took aim from 25 yards and drilled into the bottom corner to see the visitors leapfrog Town at the summit.

Defeat was desperately cruel on the Hatters as they had deserved at the very least a point, only to once again pay the price for not making the most of their opportunities in front of goal, and conceding yet another late, late strike.

Boss Nathan Jones made two changes for the match, Elliot Lee and Andrew Shinnie replacing James Collins and Lawson D'Ath, meaning Luke Gambin remained on the bench once more.

The Hatters looked full of beans from the kick-off and could have been ahead inside a minute, Marek Stech's clearance deceiving the defence for Danny Hylton to win a corner, Dan Potts' towering header cleared off the line.

The full back then was left unmarked to meet Alan Sheehan's free kick, with it deflecting behind, the hosts' screaming for handball, with a corner the outcome.

Elliot Lee tried to go it alone from 25 yards, Aaron Chapman saving comfortably, while Stech was almost beaten by Jordan Clark's blast that rebounded off Glen Rea, the already committed keeper just managing to readjust and palm over.

With Stanley, who had come with the aim as many teams do, to spoil the encounter and frustrate the life out of the hosts, finally starting to open up, they might have had the lead midway through the half, McConville sidefooting over when well placed.

Shinnie created some space to send over a wicked cross that was missed by Elliot Lee and then Berry at the far post, while Shinnie went alone next, his swerving drive inches away.

Hylton's effort was rather ungainly parried by Chapman and from the resulting corner, Potts once more outjumped his markers, seeing his header beat the keeper, but not Jimmy Dunne stationed on the line once more.

Out of nothing, Town fell behind on the stroke of half time when McConville bent a glorious effort from 25 yards beyond the clutches of Stech and into the top corner.

He then taunted the home fans and Luton dug out during his celebrations, which somehow escaped punishment from referee Darren Drysdale.

After the break, Town struggled to break down their opponents, who continued taking their time-wasting tactics to the extreme, given little hurry-up from by the officials.

Hylton's downward header was easy for Chapman, while Elliot Lee worked some space only to drag off target, but Luton were level just after the hour mark, a move starting from the gloves of Stech.

He found Stacey in the right back position, who from deep inside his own half, sent a searching ball to Elliot Lee, the striker cutting inside his man and finished low beyond Chapman to reach double figures for the first time in his professional career.

With Harry Cornick now on to add the pace on Luton's right hand side, most of the 9,503 in attendance expected the Hatters to go on and complete the turnaround, with the substitute's cross palmed over by Chapman.

Stanley were a whisker away from restoring their lead though, as Stacey had to make an absolutely crucial block on Kee, Scott Brown leathering the rebound just wide.

The visiting keeper then ensured it remained 1-1 as Olly Lee's lovely through ball was met by Stacey who did little wrong, but Chapman stuck out a strong right hand to divert it behind.

Both sides committed men forward in the closing stages, but despite winning a number of set-pieces, Town's delivery was off, as they couldn't pick their men out in the area and when they did, Hylton's glancing header didn't trouble Chapman.

What would have been a decent enough point, became nothing in the cruellest of sucker punches in the very last minute of injury time.

Kee found a slither of space and pulled the trigger, drilling beyond Stech from 25 yards and into the bottom corner to spark wild scenes of celebration from the visiting bench.

Although Luton were knocked off the summit, results elsewhere once again went in their favour, the Hatters still six points in front of fourth placed Wycombe, who conceded a late leveller at home to Cambridge.

Hatters: Marek Stech, Jack Stacey, Dan Potts, Alan Sheehan (C), Glen Rea, Flynn Downes (Harry Cornick 63), Olly Lee, Andrew Shinnie (Luke Gambin 85), Luke Berry, Elliot Lee (Jake Jervis 90), Danny Hylton.

Subs not used: James Shea, James Justin, Scott Cuthbert, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu.

Stanley: Aaron Chapman, Jimmy Dunne, Mark Hughes, Janoi Donacien, Jordan Clark, Scott Brown, Kayden Jackson, Sean McConville, Callum Johnson, Seamus Conneely (C), Billy Kee.

Subs not used: Ben Richards-Everton, Liam Nolan, Offrande Zanzala, Danny Williams, Jonny Maxted, Erico Sousa, Harvey Rodgers.

Referee: Darren Drysdale.

Booked: Hughes 52, McConville 64, Elliot Lee 76, Olly Lee 77, Sheehan 83, Gambin 90, Donacien 90, Jackson 90.

Attendance: 9,503 (205 Stanley).

Hatters MOM: Jack Stacey. Wonderful assist for Lee and a fine block at the back too.

Luton boss believes Accrington defeat could be a 'reality check'

Hatters boss Nathan Jones believes that losing top spot for the first time in just under four months could act as the ‘reality check’ his side need to ensure automatic promotion this season.

With one minute to go at Kenilworth Road and Town drawing 1-1 with nearest rivals Accrington Stanley this afternoon, the Hatters had retained their places at the League Two summit.

However, Billy Kee drilled home from 25 yards with virtually the last kick, as the 2-1 victory saw the visitors leapfrog their hosts, with Jones saying: “It would be a different story if they hadn’t scored, we’d be coming up here saying, ‘look we were very unlucky to have drawn that game, but we still would have been top of the league.’

“It’s a bitter blow, it’s a real bitter blow to have to suffer, but that’s football.

“It’s happened to us in recent weeks in terms of conceding late goals and we’ve got to make sure we eradicate that because it happened at Stevenage, it happened last week (at Cambridge) and it could be such a different story.

“But maybe it’s a little reality check that we need because we’ve been top of the league for four months, been cruising, we’ve had a gap, been playing some wonderful football, now we’ve got to dig in and see this through.”

Despite the frustration at the timing of the goal, Jones wasn’t too harsh on his side’s overall display, as he continued: “In terms of performance, I thought at times we were very good and thought we deserved far more from the game, it’s just we didn’t get that.

“So if we didn’t deserve anything from the game or we didn’t play well, I’d be slightly more worried.

“We couldn’t do much about the first goal, it was a wonderful strike, but I thought we dominated for 80, 90 per cent of the game.

"We had enough chances to have put the game to bed, but when it wasn’t and when you don’t defend properly late on, it's cost us.

"In terms of performance levels, I couldn’t really moan too much because I felt we had enough chances.

"We had a few cleared off the line, a penalty shout, the keeper has made an unbelievable save from Jack Stacey and I felt we were the better side, but they scored two, we scored one, that’s the facts."

Jones will use Stanley’s wild celebrations as extra motivation to go up

Luton boss Nathan Jones admitted the scenes of Accrington’s players and staff raucously celebrating after yesterday’s 2-1 victory will only fuel his desire to win promotion this term.

Billy Kee’s strike in the last minute of stoppage time to claim a dramatic win saw the visitors’ bench pile on to the pitch and head towards the 205 away supporters situated in the far corner of Kenilworth Road.

The new League Two leaders followed that up on full time whistle too, in what was a similar experience for the Hatters to how Blackpool had rejoiced after knocking Town out of the play-offs at the death last season.

Jones himself made a point of looking over and taking it all in as he left the field and when asked if he will use it as a catalyst for the run-in, he said: “We will because that feeling, we had it at the end of last year, that sickening feeling of losing the game really late.

“Now we have a little bit more opportunity, we’ve got 10 games to go, so we can use that feeling to motivate us and to move forward.

“We’re a good side, we have been a good side, we’ve been top of the league for the majority of the season.

“We’ve lost it today and credit to Accrington, but there’s still 10 games to go. We know we’ve got a good side and we’ve just got to make sure we prove that.”

Although Accrington came with the intent of spoiling the game from very early on, taking an age over most set-pieces and time-wasting throughout, as has depressingly become the norm for most sides on their visits to Luton, Jones was gracious in defeat, preferring to use it as a compliment.

He continued: “Most teams do that when they come here and that shows they have a respect for us in terms of they’re flying, they’re the form team in the league and if they come here to slow it down or spoil it, then that shows that we’re doing something right.

“But we can’t affect what other people do. There were a lot of things I could say about the referee at times, we were clean in on their back four and he pulled it back and booked the player and then did exactly the same for them and let them play on and they got a corner from it.

“That’s the frustrating thing, that’s what I can’t understand, but we had enough chances to win the game and we didn’t.

“So I can be sour grapes and I can moan about so many refereeing decisions and I can moan about certain things, but with the chances we had, we needed to score a second and if we’d have scored a second, it would have been different.”

One thing Jones was less than impressed with though was the manner at which Sean McConville celebrated his stunning opener, taunting Town’s fans and then running right in front of the hosts’ dug out.

He added: “Those are the kind of things we pick up and he’s shown massive disrespect, but if he’s that good a player then fair enough.

“He’s in good form, we’ve beaten these by fours and stuff like that and we’ve shown far more respect than they’ve shown us, but I don’t expect anything different.

“So I wouldn’t worry about that, and Sean if that’s what Sean wants to be like then fine.”