Luton Town FC vs Bristol Rovers (15th Sep 2018)

HATTERS 1 BRISTOL ROVERS 0

Shinnie strike seals points for the Town, but O'Kane suffers serious injury

The Hatters made it three successive home wins and four unbeaten at Kenilworth Road in Sky Bet League One this season with a 1-0 victory over Bristol Rovers this afternoon.

Andrew Shinnie was boss Nathan Jones’ only change from the side that lost at Doncaster last week, and it was the Scot who delivered the knockout blow with his first goal in ten months, as the Town turned in an impressive performance that merited more than the narrow winning margin.

Shinnie’s last goal came against Carlisle last November, and the goalkeeper that night was Jack Bonham – the man in between the Pirates’ posts on this occasion, and the main reason why the Hatters didn’t rack up a more impressive scoreline.

Results elsewhere meant that the Town stay 11th in the table, but the afternoon ended on a sad note, with on-loan midfielder Eunan O’Kane suffering a broken leg with just over ten minutes of normal time to go.

Matty Pearson had the Hatters’ first sight of goal in the fifth minute, heading Jorge Grant’s corner well over, before the centre-half played a part – along with Glen Rea, Shinnie, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Elliot Lee and Jack Stacey – in a patient build-up that led to an attempt for Grant, which went wide of Bonham’s near post a minute later.

The Town were playing some delightful football, and Grant was to go closer still in the 15th minute when Shinnie dug out a delightful cross from the right touchline that the midfielder met with a thumping header, but Bonham was in the right place to beat it away.

Grant was revelling in his role at the tip of the midfield diamond, sending two Rovers players the wrong way with a clever drag-back when receiving a pass infield from Potts, who had been found on the left touchline by a raking pass from Rea.

Second later the Nottingham Forest loanee was delivering another pinpoint corner, this one met by the head of Sonny Bradley, who couldn’t direct it at goal when Potts steaming in behind him might have been better placed to get an effort on target.

Another fine passing move ended with the ball in the back of the Rovers net on 22 minutes, but referee Robert Lewis had adjudged James Collins to have pushed his man before Stacey volleyed Potts’ left-wing cross into the bottom corner.

Lee was soon flashing a cross-shot across the six-yard box, the ball eventually finding its way to Rea, whose shot from the edge from the box was deflected wide.

Rovers made an early switch, taking off right-sided midfielder Sam Matthews before half-an-hour was up and putting a second striker on, with Tom Nichols joining Stefan Payne in attack.

But it was the Hatters who continued to play with all the attacking intent, however, Potts and Collins combing down the left to set Shinnie up to deliver another terrific cross that Collins headed straight at Bonham.

Collins was at the heart of the next positive Town move, in the 34th minute, blocking Bennet’s effort from a short free-kick on the edge of the Hatters’ area, then breaking quickly as Lee flicked it to him on halfway, making ground and feeding his strike partner to draw another good save from Bonham.

Two minutes later it was a Lee cross from the right that found Mpanzu at the far post, but the midfielder’s half-volley was somehow kept out by Bonham at point blank range before Collins’ glancing header from Potts’ follow-up cross went well wide.

With half-time approaching, Shinnie fed Mpanzu into the box, but Bonham was quickly off his line to make another fine save, before Rea’s 20-yard shot had the goalkeeper flying across his goalmouth, but the ball was inches too high as the Hatters’ last chance of taking a lead into the break disappeared.

The second half started in much the same vein, the Hatters asking all of the questions and a clever free-kick from Grant played Mpanzu in down the left side of the wall, only for the Pirates’ defence to head clear as Potts lurked, looking to take advantage.

Then Shinnie and Grant combined brilliantly to get the Hatters up the left in the 59th minute, the latter eventually sending in a cross that found Mpanzu 15 yards out, but by the time the midfielder had chested the ball down, three Rovers defenders threw themselves in the way of his half-volley.

Rovers sounded a warning on the hour when Nichols rose at the far post to meet James Clarke’s right-wing cross, but the substitute’s header was thankfully too high.

The breakthrough finally came in the 62nd minute, and inevitably it was Grant and Shinnie at its heart, the former delivering the free-kick from the left side of the area after Shinnie had been fouled by James Clarke, who was already on a booking.

The Rovers defence managed to get the ball half-clear, but only as far as Shinnie, who was lurking in exactly the same position Mpanzu had found himself in moments earlier, and this time the Scotsman crashed his right-footed volley in between Bonham and his near post for a terrific goal.

Four minutes later Lee, in his trademark position cutting into the left-side of the area and looking to bend one with his right foot, almost doubled the lead, but Bonham managed to push his effort away once again.

After Tom Lockyer had headed just over at the other end, the ex-Barnsley striker tested the visiting keeper again in the 71st minute, latching onto a flick-on from Collins, but the keeper tipped this one past the far post.

The Hatters were battling to protect their clean sheet at the other end, and moments after O’Kane had come on for Grant, Pearson threw himself in the way of an Ollie Clarke shot, allowing James Shea – a virtual spectator all afternoon – to gather comfortably in his six-yard box.

Shinnie was another putting his body on the line, winning a crunching challenge on the edge of his own box in the 80th minute, O’Kane picking up the loose ball but then over-running it and having to go in for a tackle with Clarke that resulted in an injury to the on-loan Leeds midfielder.

After an eight-minute hold-up as the Irishman had his leg put in a brace and was carried off on a stretcher, James Justin came on in his place.

Referee Lewis announced 11 minutes of injury-time would be played, and Pearson was on his mettle again deep into that period to head a Nichols cross over his own bar, before Jones replaced man-of-the-match Shinnie with captain Alan Sheehan to help see out a second clean sheet of the season.

A second goal would have put the icing on the cake, and Bonham again denied Collins with virtually the last kick of the game after Justin had done brilliantly to wriggle free of his man on the left byline.

The points were secure and Fortress Kenilworth remains unbreached this season, but thoughts of all Hatters were at the L&D with O’Kane and hopes for a speedy recovery.

TOWN: Shea, Stacey, Pearson, Bradley, Potts, Rea ©, Mpanzu, Shinnie (Sheehan 90+8), Grant (O’Kane 75, Justin 88), Lee, Collins. Subs: McCormack, Cornick, Jarvis, Isted.

Goals: Shinnie 62

Yellows: Shinnie

ROVERS: Bonham, Lockyer ©, Craig, Upson, O Clarke, Payne (Reilly 54), Lines, J Clarke, Bennett, Matthews (Nichols 28), Martin. Subs: Leadbitter, Broadbent, Smith (GK), Sinclair, Jakubiak.

Yellows: J Clarke

REFEREE: Robert Lewis

ATT: 8,912 (519 visitors)

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

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

NATHAN JONES ON THE 1-0 VICTORY OVER BRISTOL ROVERS AND EUNAN O'KANE'S INJURY

Town boss Nathan Jones was delighted with his side's performance in the 1-0 win over Bristol Rovers this afternoon, but confirmed that on-loan midfielder Eunan O'Kane has suffered a suspected broken leg.

Man of the Match Andrew Shinnie got the all important goal as he hammered home just after the hour mark, but the result was marred by what appeared to be a serious leg injury sustained by O'Kane with ten minutes to go.

Jones said: "It's clear the injury is a bad one and we are gutted for the boy. He is a great, great pro and he has been brilliant since he came here.

"He has shown real class since he got here. I really feel for him. Our thoughts are with him, god willing there are no complications with it.

"Hopefully it's a clean break and it's a matter of weeks, rather than months. I will be praying for him tonight.

"Result and performance wise I thought we were excellent. I thought first half was – I wouldn't say perfection because we didn't score, but how we went about our business was magnificent and it's the environment we have.

"I look back on that and I am so proud of the group, how they played, how they went about it, they were excellent.

"We've come up a league and we're a brave team, we have a way of playing. But I thought we were outstanding, the only thing we lacked was the goal that we thoroughly deserved, but I am delighted with the win."

Shinnie was outstanding all afternoon and capped off a fine performance with a goal – but Jones revealed after the game he very nearly didn't start the Scotsman.

"We worked on Thursday with Harry Cornick playing and Shinnie not in the team, but the more we looked at them and when it came down to it, there wasn't the space in behind that we would have liked, all the space was in front of them," the gaffer continued.

"We felt another midfielder with Elliot Lee playing as a clever front man would hurt them more. He needed a goal, Shins, because he gets in wonderful positions as we saw and he is a wonderful, technical player. The only thing that's probably lacking is the goals in his game, so it's a good one."

Shinnie's strike settles it despite Bonham's heroics

League One: Luton Town 1 Bristol Rovers 0

Recalled midfielder Andrew Shinnie's first goal of the season saw Luton Town pick up a third successive home victory in League One against a dogged Bristol Rovers side at Kenilworth Road this afternoon.

In all honesty, the Hatters should have won by more, only denied racking up a far healthier margin of victory by the heroics of visiting keeper Jack Bonham, who made a string of fine saves throughout the contest.

Boss Nathan Jones made just one change from the 2-1 defeat at Doncaster, Shinnie himself coming in for Harry Cornick who dropped to the bench.

It was clear the Pirates intentions early on, as they barely threatened getting out of their own half, obviously content on just containing their opponents.

Town had to work hard for their chances against a packed defence, Jorge Grant's corner finding the unmarked Matty Pearson who couldn't direct his header on target.

Bonham began his one man resistance on 15 minutes, repelling Grant's fierce header from close range, while some brilliant skill from the on-loan Nottingham Forest player led to a corner which Sonny Bradley nodded wide.

Town thought they had the lead on 21 minutes when the isolated Dan Potts was finally found out wide and his delicious cross was turned in by fellow full back Jack Stacey, only for referee Robert Lewis to penalise James Collins for a push.

Collins' search for a goal went on, as he headed straight at Bonham, but he turned provider, sending Lee away, who cut inside and tested Bonham, the rebound ballooned over badly by Grant.

Still Luton looked for an opener, Lee on to his left and swinging a cross to the back post when Mpanzu's measured volley was diverted away from danger by Bonham.

On the stroke of half time, Bonham was at it again, spreading himself superbly to ensure he wasn't beaten by Mpanzu's drilled attempt, although Glen Rea's curler had him clutching thin air, flying inches off target.

After the break, Tom Nichols got up well to head over the bar in a rare Rovers attack, but Luton had the breakthrough on 62 minutes.

Shinnie was brought down just outside the area and Grant's free kick was only cleared as far as the Scottish midfielder who chested it down and buried a low shot inside Bonham's near post for his first goal since scoring against Carlisle back in February, ironically when he beat the same keeper.

Bonham was back into action, palming away Lee's blast, while he then made his best stop of the afternoon, finger-tipping away the same player's left-fooed poke after he escaped his markers.

Town sub Eunan O'Kane then suffered what was later diagnosed as a suspected broken leg with 10 minutes to go, as on a charge forward, he over-ran the ball, coming off worst from a full bloodied challenge, a stretcher immediately called for.

The on-loan midfielder had lengthy on-field extensive treatment, meaning there were 11 minutes of stoppage time, where Rovers finally started to look a minor threat, knocking the ball long.

However, with Pearson, Bradley and also Alan Sheehan on to stand firm, it was Town who could have added to their lead, Shinnie and Collins both unable to get the better of that man Bonham.

Hatters: James Shea, Jack Stacey, Matty Pearson, Sonny Bradley, Dan Potts, Glen Rea (C), Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Jorge Grant (Eunan O'Kane 75, James Justin 88), Andrew Shinnie (Alan Sheehan 90), Elliot Lee, James Collins.

Subs not used: Harry Isted, Alan McCormack, Harry Cornick, Aaron Jarvis.

Rovers: Jack Bonham, Tom Lockyer (C), Tony Craig, Ed Upson, Ollie Clarke, Stefan Payne (Gavin Reilly 53), Chris Lines, James Clarke, Kyle Bennett (Alex Jakubiak 73) Sam Matthews (Tom Nichols 28), Joe Martin.

Subs not used: Daniel Leadbitter, Tom Broadbent, Adam Smith, Stuart Sinclair.

Booked: Clarke 14, Shinnie 49.

Referee: Robert Lewis.

Attendance: 8,912 (519 Rovers).