Luton Town FC vs Bolton Wanderers (7th Jan 2024)

Report | Replay needed as Hatters held by Bolton

Town 0 Bolton Wanderers 0

And so to Bolton for a replay.

Before a ball was kicked, the Hatters had played 147 different clubs since they had last met the Trotters. Following this goalless cup tie, the number next week will be just one.

Against a battling, confident Bolton, riding high in League One, the Town could not break the deadlock and a first-ever visit to the Wanderers’ stadium awaits despite Rob Edwards’s side best efforts in the second half.

Both teams threw caution to the wind in the final stages – apparent that a replay would do neither a favour in their quest for bigger incentives this season – it became an entertaining, open cup tie that deserved a goal.

It was the Hatters, over the course of the 90 minutes, that had more of the game’s clear-cut chances but, in the face of ten white shirts and the luminous yellow of goalkeeper Nathan Baxter, they couldn’t force the decisive one home to avoid a replay.

As chances went in the first half, the Trotters came closest when Paris Maghoma fizzed a well-hit drive inches wide of the target just after the half-hour mark.

It was a wake-up call that sparked the Hatters, comfortable in position, into action and patient build-up play seven minutes before half-time saw Sambi Lokonga fire a low shot just past the post.

Edwards named a strong side for this. One which ended their previous game impressively against Chelsea, with Carlton Morris, Tahith Chong and Chiedozie Ogbene all starting. The Hatters began the second half in that vein – on the front foot and higher up the pitch.

The Town’s intent was clear from the first whistle after the break but despite the pressure, the visitors held on and Baxter was standing tall – noticeably on 57 minutes when Ogbene’s right-wing cross was met by the head of Morris but the Trotters’ keeper palmed the effort way brilliantly.

As time ticked down, Jordan Clark, on as a substitute shot into the side-netting before fellow change Andros Townsend whipped in a dangerous left-foot shot that Baxter needed to turn away with the ball bouncing under his nose.

Then the final moments came with both sides sensing a late goal in an end-to-end, helter-skelter, cup-tie phase.

With six minutes to go the best chance fell when Alfie Doughty arrowed a firm shot that pinged agonisingly back off the post. Bolton couldn’t clear the danger and when Doughty went down in box VAR had a look, but wasn’t interested – despite replays showing a closer inspection may have warranted a spot-kick.

Finally, the dying seconds almost saw that Town snatch a late winner but Ogbene poked at Baxter from close range and that was that.

Town: Krul; Ogbene, Doughty, Osho, Mengi, Bell; Lokonga (sub Clark 67), Barkley; Chong (sub Townsend 67), Adebayo, Morris (sub Woodrow 76).

Subs not used: Kaminski, Andersen, Berry, Kaboré, Mpanzu.

Attendance: 10,739, including 1,609 from Bolton.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwJuHAoqxqg – Rob Edwards interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtTI1HXf-Nk – match highlights

Rob Edwards on Bolton draw

Manager Rob Edwards was disappointed not to secure a passage through to the FA Cup fourth round at the first attempt, but looked to take the positives from the goalless draw with Bolton Wanderers at Kenilworth Road.

The Hatters boss said: “It was disappointing in the end with the final result. I saw a performance that I thought we started the game very well, the first five or six minutes, then I thought we stopped playing with our normal intensity. It allowed them to get a foothold in the game.

“It’s different. There were different things asked of us today. We were going to be more dominant with the ball, and when we have that, we’ve got to know when to speed the game up at the right times, and we just lost that a little bit in the first half.

“I thought we regained it in the second half, and were the dominant team. I thought the game was really at only one end, so I was pleased with the second half performance.

“We created one or two chances, we hit the woodwork, we’ve had a nailed-on penalty go against us. It’s a penalty on Alfie. I don’t know what the point of VAR is if they aren’t going to over-turn that. I never moan about decisions, you know that, but that was a mistake.

“But look, if we aren’t going to score it’s important that we keep a clean sheet. We’ve done that. We are going to have to change the schedule now and we are going to have to go and do it all over again.”

With the league game at Burnley now brought forward to Friday night, ahead of a midweek replay at Bolton the following week, Edwards added: “We were planning to give the players a rest tomorrow, but they’ll have to come in now, we’ll recover and we’ll build towards the game on Friday. We knew there was a chance of that happening, and that’s it, we’ll deal with it.”

On League One high-flyers Bolton, managed by his close friend and former Blackpool team-mate Ian Evatt, Edwards said: “I thought they were good. They were exactly what I thought they’d be.

“They looked to try and take the ball. I thought it was hard for them against our press then to try and get any control really, so they are going to try and miss the press and go a little bit longer, but we competed well on the firsts and seconds, and it allowed us to get good control in the game.

“But if you allow them tine and space they will play, they will still try to do it even when they haven’t got some time and space. They are brave and they are well coached. They are a good team.

“We were better today, and we should be, but we haven’t won the game and now we’ve got to go and do it at their place, which will be tough. We know that.

“I’ve got a lot of respect for them. They have done a really good job, they are doing a really good job, you could see how tough it was today.

“The FA Cup is unique. That’s why it’s a great cup competition, isn’t it? At least it’s not thrown up an upset today, but we know now we’ve got to go and do a job to make sure we’re in the hat for the next round.”

Wasteful Luton are held to an FA Cup third round replay by battling Bolton

FA Cup third round: Luton Town 0 Bolton Wanderers 0

Luton and Bolton will have to do it all over again for a place in the FA Cup fourth round after a host of missed opportunities in the second half saw the Hatters held by their League One opponents this afternoon.

After a first period in which neither team could really dominate, the second 45 was played almost entirely in the Trotters half, but Town couldn't beat visiting stopper Nathan Baxter, while they also saw a VAR check for a late penalty against Alfie Doughty controversially turned down too. Hatters boss Rob Edwards had gone strong for the contest, making just four alterations from the 3-2 Premier League defeat to Chelsea last time out, Tim Krul, as expected, replacing Thomas Kaminski in goal for just his third start of the season.

Forward Carlton Morris was in too, taking the captain's armband, with Chiedozie Ogbene and Tahith Chong replacing Issa Kabore, Andros Townsend and Jacob Brown. Ross Barkley, Elijah Adebayo and Alfie Doughty all started though in a clear sign the hosts had set their sights on making progress, as Town tried to make a quick start, Adebayo dummying the towering Ricardo Almedia Santos to charge into the area, only to see his shot blocked away.

The Trotters also looked to get forward in an open beginning, a deflection preventing Dion Charles from stealing in with 12 minutes gone, Josh Sheehan's snapshot always rising. Ross Barkley had a go from range, as former Chelsea team-mate Baxter, who was in goal for Hull when Henri Lansbury scored that wonder goal which was followed by his lawnmower celebration last term, saving easily.

Town then struggled to really establish their Premier League class, as it wasn't until the half hour they came remotely close to an opener, Amari'i Bell sending over a cross that Adebayo glanced well wide.

That saw Luton finally begin to build something resembling a head of steam, Barkley having another swerving attempt from distance that was straight at Baxter, as Bolton attacked too, Paris Maghoma's attempt to find the top corner not missing by much. Morris, who had been kept quiet by the visitors' defence, was also sprung by Bell's incisive pass, but in what was a growing theme, couldn't get his shot past the covering defenders.

Town continued to have the better of things in the latter stages, playing the ball across the area, as Sambi Lokonga deliciously cut across his fizzing attempt, only to see it just fail to come back in time and locate the bottom corner. Eager to avoid a replay, Town tried to come out of the blocks quickly in the second half, Doughty's corner once more leading to Morris just missing out, Adebayo putting too much on his follow-up header.

Chong's cross-shot was too close to Baxter, as Luton looked like they had moved ahead just before the hour mark, Ogbene's cross met by Morris, Baxter spectacularly turning his close range header over the bar. Doughty saw his goalbound blast deflected behind as Luton finally began to exert their extra top flight class on proceedings, Morris with another header that Baxter gobbled up.

Edwards brought on both Jordan Clark and Townsend midway through the half as the pair went close in quick succession, Clark's shot flicking a defender's leg on its way behind and then Townsend's bouncing 25-yard curler parried away by an alert Baxter. The keeper was able to watch another crack from Townsend sail into the stands, as Edwards gave Cauley Woodrow his longest run-out since the 1-0 defeat to Spurs in early October, with ex-Hatter Cameron Jerome on for the visitors, Barkley's radar failing him from 20 yards.

It looked like Luton were going to grab the winner in the closing stages, Doughty's fiercely-hit angled drive finally beating Baxter, but not the inside of the post, while he appeared to have been clearly brought down when reacting to reach the rebound. VAR checked the offence, but referee Andrew Madley wasn't sent to the screen, as the Trotters then upped the pressure too, Randell Williams' tame effort dribbling through to Krul, who nervously flapped a high ball just over his own bar.

In stoppage time, Town almost avoided an unwanted second bite at the cherry, when the ball fell to Adebayo and Ogbene in the box, but neither took charge, Ogbene eventually toe-poking straight at Baxter. The two sides will now go again in 10 days and will also find out who lies ahead in the fourth round when the draw takes place on Monday evening.

Hatters: Tim Krul, Chiedozie Ogbene, Teden Mengi, Gabe Osho, Amari'i Bell (C), Alfie Doughty, Sambi Lokonga (Jordan Clark 67), Ross Barkley, Tahith Chong (Andros Townsend 67), Carlton Morris (C Cauley Woodrow 77) Elijah Adebayo. Subs not used: Thomas Kaminski, Luke Berry, Mads Andersen, Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu, Issa Kabore, Ryan Giles.

Trotters: Nathan Baxter, Ricardo Almedia Santos, Josh Sheehan, Dion Charles (Cameron Jerome 76), Josh Dacres-Cogley, Victor Adeboyejo (Jon Dadi Bodvarsson 76), Will Forrester, Eoin Toal, Paris Maghoma (George Thomason 74), Kyle Dempsey (Aaron Morley 74), Randell Williams. Subs not used: Joel Coleman, Jack Iredale, Zac Ashworth, Luke Matheson, Conor Lewis.

Referee: Andrew Madley. Booked: Clark 90. Attendance: 10,739 (1,609 Trotters).

Edwards hits out at VAR 'mistake' as Town aren't awarded a 'clear' penalty against Trotters

Town have to do it all again after third round replay

Luton boss Rob Edwards was left to rue what he deemed a clear ‘mistake’ from VAR that denied his side a clear-cut penalty during their FA Cup third round goalless draw against Bolton Wanderers at Kenilworth Road this afternoon.

With time running out, Alfie Doughty was teed up by Elijah Adebayo inside the area, whistling an attempt that beat Trotters keeper Nathan Baxter, only to hammer against the inside of the post. The wingback was first to react to the rebound though, clearly clipped by visiting defender Will Forrester, the majority of the 10,739 supporters screaming for a penalty.

It was turned down by referee Andrew Madley, before play stopped for a VAR check. However, those making the decisions at Stockley Park, Tim Robinson and his assistants Michael Oliver and Darren Cann, quickly agreed with their fellow official, as Town didn’t get the spotkick that Edwards felt was the only outcome possible.

He said: “We were the dominant team in the second half, we just couldn’t find a way to get the ball over the line. A couple of saves, couple of nearly moments, hit the woodwork and I just think the big decision today, the decision on Alfie, it was a penalty on Alfie Doughty. I never moan about decisions going against us, but I'm not sure what VAR was thinking there with that one.

“There’s a clash of knees and he’s gone down. If the contact doesn’t happen then he's round him and going into a really dangerous position in the box, so it was a pen. I think Andrew Madley should have been told to go to the screen to have a little look at it. It was a big mistake, but credit to Bolton, they’ve got a result and we go and do it again.

Trotters boss Ian Evatt was asked about the incident too, hinting that the visitors might have escaped conceding a penalty, adding: “I wasn't really sure what was going on, we’re not used to that in League One, but what I will say is and I haven’t seen the incident back, the referee’s made a call, and there are two very experienced referees in the VAR hub and if they've all come to the same decision, I’m comfortable with that.

"If we’ve got away with one or not there’s three men there who have had the chance to make a different decision and they didn’t and we have to accept whatever they call. Sometimes it goes for you, sometimes it goes against you, today it went for us.”

Luton chief dished out a 'few reminders' to his Town side after lethargic first half display in Bolton stalemate

Edwards wanted more of what he had witnessed against Chelsea

Luton boss Rob Edwards revealed he dished out a ‘few reminders’ to his players during the half-time interval of their FA Cup third round stalemate with Bolton Wanderers this afternoon following what he felt was a lethargic opening 45 minutes from the hosts.

The Hatters had initially made a bright start to the tie, Elijah Adebayo having an early shot charged down, but then Town struggled to assert their extra Premier League class on proceedings, as bar an Adebayo header that flew wide, two Ross Barkley shots that were easy for visiting keeper Nathan Baxter, plus Sambi Lokonga’s strike that just missed the bottom corner, they managed to create little in the way of clear-cut chances.

That changed after Edwards had his interval chat, as Luton spent the majority of the second 45 on the front foot, with a number of inviting opportunities coming their way, Carlton Morris’s header parried at point blank range by Baxter, who turned aside Andros Townsend’s bouncing effort from range as well. Barkley and Townsend also fired over, before Alfie Doughty rattled the post and saw his penalty appeals waved away late on, while some stoppage time miscommunication between Chiedozie Ogbene and Adebayo led to another comfortable stop for Baxter.

It means the two sides will go again in around 10 days time as discussing the performance, Edwards said: “We started the game, the first six or seven minutes very, very well and then we just dropped our intensity a bit in that first half. A few reminders at half time and I thought we upped it again. I thought there was a little bit of a lethargy in that first half, the message all week and what we wanted to try and do was play with the tempo and the intensity that we played in the second half against Chelsea.

"That was the idea, that was the plan, it didn’t quite pan out that way and Bolton deserve credit for that as well, as we’re still playing against 11 people who are trying to stop us doing what we’re doing as well. They had real energy and they were able to match it in that first half. I thought we’d broken it in that second half, we started on the front foot, started aggressively and the game was pretty much in their half, but we couldn’t find a way to get the ball over the line.

“The last action of game sort of summed it up as well, Cauley (Woodrow) goes up for a header, it drops down and Chieo and Eli almost leave it to each other and it’s maybe a bit of an open goal there. It wasn’t to be today, but the main thing is, I didn’t want to go out and I want us to progress, so we’re not out of the hat, not out of the draw. We’ve got to go and do it in a bit more of a difficult way and it will be a tough game at their place.”

The Luton chief had picked a side that gave Town every chance of ensuring they progressed at the first attempt, only making four changes from the 3-2 defeat to Chelsea, one of those coming in goal, Tim Krul replacing Thomas Kaminski for his third appearance of the season. Tahith Chong, Ogbene and Morris, who all finished the game against the Blues got starts, with Townsend, Jacob Brown and Issa Kabore dropping out, as Edwards continued: “I respect the competition hugely, it’s a competition I love and growing up watching it, I wanted us to progress in.

"I respect Bolton Wanderers and everything that Evo’s (Ian Evatt) done there and the job that they’re doing at the moment. I genuinely feel whatever team I picked is strong and capable of winning the game anyway, but I picked a team that I thought was good enough to win the game today.”

The game means that Town now see their Premier League trip to Burnley, which was due to take place on Monday, January 15, moved to this Friday, as they will face a trip to the Toughsheet Community Stadium next week instead. Although Trotters boss Evatt was understandably happy to get another crack at reaching the fourth round, Edwards was less enthusiastic, adding: “I’m disappointed that we’ve not managed to get the job done today, but the reality is we haven’t, we’ve got to go again, so we’ll concentrate on a different schedule now. We were going to be off tomorrow and have a bit more time to plan for Burnley, but now we’ve got Burnley on Friday night, so that’s just the reality and we’ve got to deal with it.”