Luton Town FC vs Barnet (24th Mar 2018)

REPORT: LUTON TOWN 2 BARNET 0

Hylton and Collins both on target as Town move back to the top of the table

The Hatters moved back to the top of Sky Bet League Two with a huge 2-0 win Barnet in front of the Sky cameras at Kenilworth Road this evening.

The division’s bottom club arrived having appointed Martin Allen as their manager for a fifth time in the week, but Nathan Jones’ side brought a five-match winless run to an end with a thoroughly professional performance.

Strikers Danny Hylton and James Collins continued their neck-and-neck battle to be leading scorer with a goal each, Hylton netting his 18th of the season to put the Hatters in front in the 47th minute and draw level with Collins, before the ex-Crawley man bagged his 19th of the campaign – and the Town’s second of the game – 20 minutes later.

The win took Jones’ men back above Accrington Stanley – who weren’t playing due to Yeovil’s international call-ups – on goal difference, and opened up an eight-point gap over fourth-placed Notts County, who are in action tomorrow at Chesterfield.

Jones made five changes to his starting line-up, the main one being in goal, where James Shea came in for his Town league debut in place of Marek Stech, whose wife Louise gave birth to their second child, son Mason, early yesterday morning.

The outfield changes came at right-back, where James Justin returned to the side, while Olly Lee, Andrew Shinnie and Alan McCormack – making his first start since mid-September at Wycombe – were brought into the midfield.

The Hatters started well, Dan Potts climbing highest to meet Alan Sheehan’s second-minute corner, but Barnet keeper Craig Ross gathered at the second attempt as both Scott Cuthbert and Hylton looked to turn it home.

Olly Lee was next to have a go, bending one towards the top corner – but just off target – from fully 30 yards after orchestrating a patient passing move himself, before Bees striker John Akinde tried his luck from similar distance at the other end.

Shea started the next move, with an inch-perfect drilled pass out to Justin, that again ended with Olly Lee unleashing a 25-yard shot that Ross did well to push behind for another corner.

Then, in the 28th minute, Potts rose well again to get his head on another left-wing corner from Sheehan, but Ross was equal to it once more.

McCormack, who was everywhere, popped up on the right wing just after the half-hour and teed Justin up to deliver an inviting cross that both Hylton and Collins looked to get on the end of, before Luke Berry chipped one up for Hylton, whose glancing header was easy for Ross.

Berry brought the best out of Ross in the 37th minute, testing the visitors’ keeper with a curling shot from outside the box, before Olly Lee volleyed inches over the bar after Akinde could only head the resulting corner from Sheehan as far as the midfielder 25 yards from goal.

At the other end, the Hatters were reminded of the threat Akinde always carries when the former Bristol City striker capitalised on a loose pass from Potts in the centre circle to drive forward and hit a 20-yard shot just past the foot of Shea’s right-hand post.

It was goalless at the break, but the deadlock was broken within two minutes of the restart when Potts got on the end of another Sheehan free-kick and directed his header back across the face of goal for Hylton to nod over the line from a yard out.

The shackles were well and truly off, and Justin was soon raiding down the right and playing Shinnie inside, but the Scottish midfielder’s low shot was blocked, before the same combination almost brought a second, this time Ricardo Santos unwittingly getting in the way of Shinnie’s effort.

From the resulting corner, Berry whipped in a 20-yard shot that was tipped spectacularly over the bar by Ross, before Akinde, set up by Nicholls, called Shea into action from the edge of the box, but the Town keeper made a routine save.

Sheehan was keen to cap his 100th Town appearance with a goal, but he was off-balance when he let fly with a 65th minute shot that flew well wide after engineering the opportunity himself by linking a fine move together after a short free-kick on the right wing.

The Hatters didn’t have to wait long for the second though, as Berry picked out Collins lurking on the right edge of the area, and the striker didn’t need a second invitation to smash a 67th-miunute volley into the bottom corner, although Ross – who got a hand on it – might have done better.

Akinde, ploughing pretty much a lone furrow up front for the Bees, soon fired another effort high into the Oak Road End, before he had the ball in the net on 76 minutes – only for referee Michael Salisbury to rightly penalise, and yellow card the striker for a clear foul on Shea.

The Town were dominant at the other end, however, and both Olly Lee and McCormack, with 30-yard drives, had Ross flying across his line to tip over before Sheehan and Collins’ backheel short corner routine worked once more, but Cuthbert’s header was just wide.

Shea was called spectacularly into action in the 87th minute when sub Simeon Akinola’s free-kick from just outside the area took a deflection off the wall and looked destined for the top corner, but the former AFC Wimbledon keeper produced a brilliant tip over to preserve a first clean sheet in eight matches.

It capped a superb first league appearance for the Town for the 26-year-old - and the Town were back on top with a solid display.

Next up is a trip to Colchester on what we hope will prove a very Good Friday!

TOWN: Shea, Justin, Cuthbert ©, Sheehan, Potts, McCormack, O Lee (Stacey 90+5), Berry, Shinnie (Rea 88), Hylton (Jervis 90), Collins. Subs: Cook, Mpanzu, E Lee, Stech (GK)

Goals: Hylton 47, Collins 67

BARNET: Ross, Brindley (Akpa Akpro 81), Clough, Santos, Tutonda, Sweeney ©, J Taylor, Blackman (Akinola 55), Weston, Akinde, Nicholls. Subs: McKenzie-Lyle, Nelson, Watson, Fonguck, Coulthirst, Akpa Akpro

Yellows: Brindley, Akinde, Tutonda

REFEREE: Michael Salisbury

ATT: 8,140 (272 away)

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5FrW5-Nux4

NATHAN JONES ON THE 2-0 WIN OVER BARNET

Town boss Nathan Jones was delighted to see his side get back to winning ways as they defeated Barnet 2-0 at Kenilworth Road this evening to move back to the top of Sky Bet League Two.

Danny Hylton nodded in from close range two minutes into the second half before James Collins saw his half volley from the edge of the box beat keeper Craig Ross.

The victory saw the Hatters overtake Accrington at the summit of the fourth tier on goal difference, with results elsewhere meaning the Town are also eight points clear of fourth place.

Jones said: "It was an important win. The media have made a big thing about us not winning and getting draws and so on and so forth. I think we needed to shut a few people up and answer a few questions and we did.

"It was emphatic, it really was. We were outstanding, the way we moved the ball. It was all setup today for us to lose the game. Martin Allen coming back, live on Sky, but we were outstanding from start to finish.

"I keep saying to people, it's not easy to win games here. 4-4-1-1, they don't normally play like that. People don't normally play like that, but they do for us. I though we were excellent start to finish – we were brave and it could have been more.

"We didn't rest on our laurels (after the first goal) and we showed what a real good side we are because some teams that are struggling for wins will sit back and defend it but we didn't, we went for the second. We got the second, we should have had more and I am proud of them.

"We've had to dig deep and we've had some tough games, we've had some real tough games here, the Accrington result as I said, if it wasn't for the Accrington result it would have been a great month. A really, really good month. But others have made more of it and we've answered a few and that takes a lot of character and we have got bags of it."

Hatters back on top after beating Bees

League Two: Luton Town 2 Barnet 0

Luton began their mini season in the perfect fashion, as they went back to the top of the table with a 2-0 win over Barnet this evening.

With previous leaders Accrington not in action and Notts County in fourth not playing until tomorrow, the clash against League Two's basement boys resembled a perfect chance for the Hatters to put yet another marker down after going five games without a win.

That they did too as second half goals from Danny Hylton and James Collins were enough to overpower a Bees side who had new manager Martin Allen back in the dug out for the first time after being appointed for his fifth spell in charge earlier this week.

Prior to kick off, Town were also boosted by the news filtering through that they hadn't been overtaken by Wycombe, the Chairboys held to a 0-0 draw by struggling Port Vale, with fellow challengers Mansfield losing 2-0 at Forest Green.

Knowing a win would take them to the summit, Hatters boss Nathan Jones sprung a surprising five changes to his side, which included a league debut for James Shea, after regular number one Marek Stech recently became a dad.

Also in were Olly Lee, James Justin, Andrew Shinnie and Alan McCormack for the first time since September 16, as Elliot Lee, Jack Stacy and Glen Rea dropped to the bench, Luke Gambin away on international duty with Malta.

A slow start from both sides saw Olly Lee curl one over from distance, John Akinde doing the same for the visitors soon after.

Lee had another go on 20 minutes and was far closer, his purposeful run and low shot requiring Craig Ross to parry behind for a corner.

Ross made another comfortable stop just before the half hour, falling to his left to gather Dan Potts' header from Alan Sheehan's free kick as the dynamic duo combined once more.

Try as they might, the hosts just couldn't get any kind of real momentum in the first period, struggling to break through a congested Barnet midfield and back-line, the Bees acquitting themselves doggedly to the task ahead.

Hylton and Collins got in each other's way attempting to head in Justin's excellent cross with Hylton's glancing effort from Luke Berry's delivery seeing Ross punch clear.

Berry lined up a curler from 30 yards that Ross easily turned behind, and from the corner, Lee once again showed sublime technique to whistle a volley inches over.

Barnet almost had a shock opener on 40 minutes, Potts' loose pass picked up by Akinde who didn't miss the bottom corner by much from 25 yards.

If Town were left frustrated from their first half exertions, they were all washed away just moments after the break.

Sheehan's excellent free kick was met superbly by, surprise, surprise, Potts who arched and twisted magnificently to head goalwards, Hylton making sure from a yard out for his 18th of the campaign and first since Newcastle in early January.

Now with the bit between their teeth and free from any tension, Luton began to push forward in the rampant manner home fans had been used to witnessing earlier in the campaign.

Justin's cross was cleverly dummied by Collins for Shinnie's blast, Ricardo Almeida Santos getting a vital block.

Berry then tried his luck from distance, Ross getting himself in a bit of a pickle, readjusting in the nick of time to tip over the bar.

A rare error from the otherwise excellent McCormack saw Barnet had a sniff, Akinde's daisycutter well handled by Shea.

Hatters then had real breathing space on 68 minutes though when Berry picked out Collins on the edge of the box and his angled drive, although hit low and true, should have been stopped by Ross, only to burst through his gloves and into the net.

The Barnet stopper did redeem himself partially on 77 minutes, Collins teeing up Lee who hit it right out of the screws, the Bees keeper acrobatically turning it over the bar.

He was soon called on again, when McCormack fizzed a glorious 40-yarder that was about to bring the house down, until the custodian leapt to his right to turn aside.

Luton then tried what is now known as the 'Accrington' corner routine with Sheehan, on his 100th appearance for the club, taking Collins' backheel and crossing for Cuthbert to head inches wide.

Late on, Barnet went longer to try and find a way back, but with McCormack dominating, while Cuthbert and Sheehan cleared their lines with no-nonsense regularity, it was always a lost cause.

In stoppage time, Shea produced a fine tip over from sub Simeon Akinola's deflected free kick, to ensure a first clean sheet in seven games and a place at the top of the table once more with just seven games to go.

Hatters: James Shea, James Justin, Dan Potts, Scott Cuthbert (C), Alan Sheehan, Alan McCormack, Olly Lee (Jack Stacey 90), Luke Berry, Andrew Shinnie (Glen Rea 87), James Collins, Danny Hylton (Jake Jervis 90).

Subs not used: Marek Stech, Jordan Cook, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Elliot Lee.

Bees: Craig Ross, Richard Brindley (Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro 81), Charlie Clough, Ricardo Almeida Santos, Curtis Weston, John Akinde, Jack Taylor (Shaquile Coulthirst 67), David Tutonda, Alex Nicholls, Andre Blackman (Simeon Akinola 54), Dan Sweeney (C).

Subs not used: Michael Nelson, Ryan Watson, Wesley Fonguck, Kai McKenzie-Lyle.

Referee: Michael Salisbury.

Booked: Brindley 62, Akinde 76, Tutonda 79.

Attendance: 8,140 (272 Barnet).

Hatters MOM: Alan McCormack.

Jones hopes Barnet win will 'shut a few people up'

Luton boss Nathan Jones felt that the 2-0 win over Barnet this evening has helped to ‘shut a few people up’ who questioned his title-chasing side.

Goals from Danny Hylton and James Collins saw Hatters end a run of five games without a win, Town only losing once with four draws in that time, and climb back to the summit, replacing non-playing Accrington Stanley.

With the game live on Sky, Jones was clearly annoyed with some of the pre-match comments made on the station, as speaking to the press afterwards, he said: “It was important because the media have really made a big thing about us not winning and getting draws and so on and so forth and I think we needed to shut a few people up and answer a few questions, and we did.

“It was all set up for us today to lose the game. Martin Allen coming back, live on Sky, but we were outstanding from start to finish.

"It’s not easy winning games here. They set up, they’re 4-4-1-1, they don’t play like that normally, but they do for us. I thought we were excellent from start to finish, we were brave and it could have been more.

“A couple of results sort of went for us (Wycombe drawing and Mansfield losing), but it was important that we answered a few people.

“I’ve watched Sky this afternoon, I’ve had to knock it off, because people are dissecting what we do. They haven’t watched the games, we’re a brave side, we get on it, we play, we develop players here, we do well.

“They should be lauding that, but they don’t as they can’t wait to shoot you down. That’s the nature of society today and the nature of the pundits on Sky, so it’s real big win for us, it really is.”

Hatters** boss felt changes were justified**

Hatter boss Nathan Jones felt his decision to make five changes for the clash against Barnet at Kenilworth Road yesterday was totally justified after the 2-0 victory.

The Luton chief was always going to have to make one, with Luke Gambin away on international duty, but he didn’t stop there, bringing in James Shea, Alan McCormack, Olly Lee, James Justin and Andrew Shinnie to the team who had drawn 1-1 at Newport last weekend.

Out went Marek Stech, Elliot Lee, Glen Rea and Jack Stacey to the bench, as Jones said: “According to Iain Dowie on Sky, that’s a big thing, chopping and changing.

“We made changes because the system we play, we felt those were the best available for that.

“We’ve waited a long time to bring Alan McCormack back and I thought he was excellent, but we’ve waited a long time for that.

“I listened to John Coleman (Accrington boss) as well and he’s kept with the same side regularly and he’s been very fortunate, because his big players have not got injured.

“We’ve missed our big players, they’ve got injured, so we wanted to bring our big players back.”

Shea was making his league debut for the club having played five times previously in the Checkatrade Trophy and made a superb save in injury time, flicking Simeon Akinola’s deflected free kick over the bar as Town managed a first shut out in seven games.

Jones continued: “The one I’m delighted for is Sheasy, because he was outstanding today and he’s had to be patient, really, really patient.

"We’ve stuck by Marek through a big period for him, but we felt with the birth of Marek’s child, which we congratulate him for, that it was the right time and Sheasy was excellent.

"It was important we kept a clean sheet as we haven’t done that and it’s not been for the want of trying.”

Meanwhile, on the return of Justin to right back, a position he occupied for the first time since January 13 when Luton were beaten 2-0 at Chesterfield, as his last two starts had come on the left, Jones added: “We’ve got a fantastic squad, so when people are having a dip with energy levels and I don’t think there’s many right backs, or full backs in the division, that put in bigger shifts than Jack Stacey.

"So sometimes they have a dip and we’re fortunate enough to have a strong squad that we can replace that, we can do that.

"I thought he (Justin) was excellent today, I thought everyone who came in was excellent.

"Shinnie, Olly Lee, got on the ball, Olly took time to get on the ball, once he did, he showed a lot of quality, same with Shinnie.

"Alan McCormack was outstanding, Sheasy was brilliant, so everything was justified.

"Suddenly I’m a genius again, I was the worst manager in history 10 hours ago, I’m suddenly now I’m a genius.”