Luton Town FC vs AFC Wimbledon (16th Aug 2014)

Luton Town 0-1 AFC Wimbledon - Full report

Town 0 AFC Wimbledon 1 (Tubbs 41)

The Town’s return to the Football League at Kenilworth Road ended in defeat as a first-half Matt Tubbs strike gave AFC Wimbledon the points.

It was a result harsh on the Hatters who saw plenty of the ball throughout the 90 minutes but couldn’t find a way past the Dons’ defence and goalkeeper James Shea, despite creating a number of chances.

Starting brightly from the off, and backed by over 9,000 supporters, the Town thought they should have had a penalty in the 10th minute when Fraser Franks’s header from a Luke Guttridge corner hit what seemed a hand in the box but referee Oliver Langford remained unmoved.

The Hatters were playing some neat, patient football, happy to wait to pick their pass, and three minutes later an intricate move down the left flank saw Guttridge’s shot blocked after the midfielder – making his first start for the Town since 1st March – was found by Jake Howells. Matt Robinson then saw his follow-up effort charged down.

With the Town well on top, John Still’s side went mighty close to breaking the deadlock on 35 minutes when Robinson’s eye-of-the-needle pass forward found Franks. The defender, playing at right-back against his former employers, was clattered in the box, but, playing on, Guttridge was first onto the loose ball, and his firm shot was beaten away well by the hands of Shea.

The Hatters had kept the visiting strikeforce of debayo Akinfenwa and Tubbs quiet up until the 41st minute – when the visitors took the lead. Akinfenwa’s flick-on found the feet of his strike-partner and Tubbs made no mistake with an unerring finish across Mark Tyler. It was the Dons’ first real chance of the game.

After the break the visitors started the best. And Neal Ardley’s side should have doubled their lead four minutes after the restart. George Francomb’s deep right-wing free-kick found Akinfenwa unmarked inside the six-yard box but the striker somehow missed from a yard out, poking a shot wide.

Back came the Town, and on 52 minutes half of the Kenilworth Road crowd celebrated what they thought was a leveller when Guttridge leapt highest at the back-post to meet Paul Benson’s cross only for the midfielder’s header to find the side-netting.

As the hour-mark ticked round, the Hatters upped the ante – not before Tubbs tested Tyler with a snap-shot inside the penalty area.

Cullen came close with a drive from the edge of the box that kissed the outside of the post before Guttridge and Andy Drury combined to tee-up the latter on 62 minutes but his shot was deflected into the arms of Shea.

Still introduced Alex Wall and Pelly Ruddock Mpaznu in an attempt to find an equaliser. Benson volleyed over following Howells’ centre on 74 minutes, before a lovely move again involving Howells with 12 minutes left saw Benson set-up Wall to shoot over.

As time ticked down into the final 10, Wall shot straight at Shea and Luke Wilkinson glanced a header wide from a dangerous inswinging free-kick from Howells.

Still the Town pushed and probed in the final moments but the Dons held firm. Howells’ shot bobbled into Shea’s arms before the same player almost teed up Benson for an equaliser with a minute left – the striker’s touch rolling agonisingly wide of the target inside the six-yard box.

In added time Mark Cullen’s hooked shot again found Shea, before Wilkinson thumped an effort into the side-netting with the final chance. And that was that.

TOWN: Tyler; Franks (sub Stevenson), Griffiths, McNulty, Wilkinson; Robinson, Drury (sub Ruddock Mpanzu); Guttridge (sub Wall); Howells, Cullen, Benson. Subs not used: Lacey, Lafayette, Williams, Justham.

Attendance: 9,101, including 640 from AFC Wimbledon.

http://www.lutontown.co.uk/news/article/gallery-luton-town-0-1-afc-wimbledon-1833143.aspx

http://www.lutontoday.co.uk/news/in-pictures-luton-town-0-afc-wimbledon-1-1-6245312

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8MHUyRs2L8

Luton Town 0 AFC Wimbledon 1

Luton Town saw their party well and truly pooped as they went down to a narrow defeat against AFC Wimbledon this afternoon.

After having on balance the better of the first half, the step up in quality from the Conference to League Two was highlighted in one moment, Adebayo Akinfenwa flicking on for Matt Tubbs to clincally bury past Mark Tyler.

Town had chances, notably in the second period through Luke Guttridge and Paul Benson, but couldn’t break down a stubborn Dons back-line who were more than happy to see the game out in whatever way they could.

Town boss John Still made two changes to his side from the Capital One Cup defeat to Swindon Town as Guttridge and Jake Howells came in for Luke Rooney (suspended) and Paul Connolly (injured), with Fraser Franks moving to right back.

Hatters looked very positive from the opening whistle, with Guttridge trying to get on the ball as often as possible.

The hosts had shouts for a penalty when Franks headed a corner, but as was to become a regular occurence, referee Oliver Langford gave nothing.

Dons’ new summer signings upfront were hardly in the game for the opening exchanges, but Akinfenwa served notice of his danger, escaping his markers, only for his volleyed attempt not matching the chest control.

Hatters finally put together a wonderful move on 38 minutes, instigated by a glorious dinked pass from the impressive Matt Robinson, who was dominant in the first half.

The overlapping Franks took it down out of the sky, and looked to be clipped in the area, but Guttridge picked up the loose ball and his fierce drive was denied by an excellent save from James Shea.

Some more decent build-up play led to half a chance at the back post for Cullen, but he got got in a tangle and the opportunity went begging.

After barely threatening, AFC scored what turned out to be the winner from their first attack on 41 minutes as Akinfenwa’s flick was latched upon by Tubbs who lashed past Tyler.

The visitors should have been 2-0 ahead moments after the restart as George Francomb sent over a dangerous free kick and Akinfenwa headed wide at full stretch.

Dons had the ascendancy now and it took a brave block from McNulty to prevent Sean Rigg adding a second.

Hatters then came close to a leveller as Benson’s lofted cross was met by the towering Guttridge, and despite the cheers from half of the home fans, unfortunately for them it had gone behind the goal.

McNulty and Akinfenwa then squared up to each other to the delight of the majority of the 9,000 plus supporters, with the Dons striker jeered mercilessly every time he touched the ball afterwards.

Cullen was desperately unlucky not to make it 1-1 as he cut inside from the left flank and sent a low 20 yarder against the outside of the post.

With the action becoming end to end, Tubbs outfoxed McNulty with a cute drop of the shoulder, but faced with Tyler, he lacked the clinical instinct this time, with the keeper parrying.

Alex Wall was introduced for Guttridge, although his first action saw him not on the same wavelength as Drury and Town were carved open, thankful for the legs of Tyler denying Callum Kennedy.

Akinfenwa lashed over, but Luton finally had their second wind as Howells’ cross was teed up by Benson for Wall, who lent back and skied it embarrassingly over.

Both Akinfenwa and Wall exchanged meek efforts, while a good free kick by Howells was glanced just wide by Wilkinson.

Set-pieces were proving fruitful for the hosts as McNulty jumped highest to reach a corner, thumping his header over.

Hatters managed to create plenty of attacking posistions, but a lack of real quality in the final third was to prove the theme of the afternoon.

In the closing stages, Town almost had the equaliser their overall play deserved as Howells reached the byline and his cross was volleyed agonisingly across goal by Benson

The final opportunity went to Wilkinson as he was left unmarked at the back post, only to send his effort into the side netting.

Hatters’ fans left beaten but unbowed as a good few hundred stayed behind, chanting through the players’ warm down and then giving them a standing ovation as they left the field.

Hatters: Mark Tyler, Fraser Franks (Jim Stevenson 78), Scott Griffiths, Steve McNulty (C), Luke Wilkinson, Matt Robinson, Andy Drury (Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu 70), Luke Guttridge (Alex Wall 66), Jake Howells, Mark Cullen, Paul Benson.

Subs not used: Alex Lacey, Elliot Justham, Ross Lafayette, Curtley Williams.

Dons: James Shea, Barry Fuller, Dannie Bulman, Alan Bennett (C), George Francomb (Kevin Saint-Luce 79), Sammy Moore, Matt Tubbs (Adebayo Azeez 74), Adebayo Akinfenwa, Sean Rigg (Harry Pell 79), Callum Kennedy, Adam Barrett.

Subs not used: Ross Worner, Mark Phillips, Jake Nicholson, Tom Beere.

Bookings: Griffiths, Pell.

Attendance: 9,101 (690 Dons).

Hatters MOM: Matt Robinson. Really dominant performance, particularly in the first half.

Hatters boss John Still is looking for the final piece of the jigsaw after his team slipped to a 1-0 defeat against AFC Wimbledon at Kenilworth Road on Saturday.

Despite dominating possession for long periods, Hatters, who netted over 100 goals on their way to the Conference title, never really tested Dons keeper James Shea enough for Still’s liking.

The Town chief said: “I look at it two ways, I was really happy with how we played and if I’m disappointed, it was our final third play, final pass, final cross, final finish.

“It wasn’t quite on it, but in general, I was quite happy with how we played.

“People asked me that last year, but it’s the last bit of the jigsaw normally, that side of your game.

“We’ve worked really hard pre-season, looked sharp and scored goals pre-season, we did that the year before.

“We carved out probably eight, nine, 10 good opportunities to deliver the ball in and it wasn’t quite right, but we’ll carry on working how we’ve always done.

“We found a way last year and we’ll find a way this year. It’s really, really important we don’t over focus on what was not quite right, but we focus on all the good things we’ve been doing and finetune it a little bit.”

Hatters had a number of penalty shouts turned down by referee Oliver Langford as Still mused: “It didn’t go our way the other night when we had a penalty.

“I can moan about lots of things, if we get a penalty we get a penalty, but that wouldn’t take away from the fact we have to make the opportunity work for us.

“It’s a difficult situation. Everyone tells me we should have had a penalty, even their guy, but it wasn’t and I can’t do anything about it.

“Control the controllables, here we go again, what can I do about something out of my control.”