Luton Town FC vs Burnley (12th Aug 2024)

12/08/2024 LUTON 1 – 4 BURNLEY

Hatters lose on return to Championship

Town go down to opening game defeat against the Clarets

The Town missed out on a winning return to the Championship as they were beaten 4-1 by Burnley at the Kenilworth Road

It was a positive start for the Town but six minutes in Josh Brownhill put the visitors one up after being played through by left-back Lucas Pires, slotting the ball past Thomas Kaminski.

The Hatters responded well with half-chances from Calton Morris and Tahith Chong before having a penalty shout waved away after Alfie Doughty got the best of Maxime Esteve.

The Clarets doubled their lead in the 37th minute, this time Wilson Odobert racing onto the end of a Connor Roberts through ball to put the ball under the keeper’s legs.

The Town almost got off to the perfect start in the second half. Ruell Walters and Chiedozie Ogbene linked up well down the right before Elijah Adebayo’s header from the resulting Walters cross rattled against the bar.

Kaminski then showed why he won save of the season last year pulling off a wonderful save after a Roberts strike from the centre of the box to stop the visitors going three up.

The Hatters were rewarded for their fast start to the second 45, Chong getting onto the end of a Doughty header to pull one back.

But Burnley would add a third goal with 20 minutes to play, Dara O’Shea heading the ball past Kaminski following a corner on the left-hand side.

Joe Johnson would make way for Andros Townsend, but moments later the visitors would yet again score this time Vitinho finishing well after a fast break away from Lyle Foster.

A couple of well-timed blocks from Teden Mengi denied the Clarets another before full-time as the Town were beaten in their opening game of the Sky Bet Championship season.

Town: Kaminski; Ogbene, Doughty, Walters, Mengi, Johnson (sub Townsend 80); Nelson, Baptiste (sub Mpanzu 87), Chong; Morris, Adebayo.

Subs not used: Shea, Bell, Woodrow, Taylor, Holmes, Francis-Clarke, Chigozie.

Report by James Logan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MZ9gz2b42E – Rob Edwards interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuxF9yiPMzE – match highlights

A night to forget for Luton as Hatters are thrashed on home soil by Burnley

Championship: Luton Town 1 Burnley 4

Luton Town's start to life as a Championship club once more got off to the worst possible start as they were thrashed 4-1 on home soil by Burnley this evening.

With both sides having been relegated from the Premier League last term, the onus was there to lay down a marker for the campaign ahead, but with Town's injury crisis still not easing, and having to play three teenagers, giving academy graduates Joe Johnson and Zack Nelson their first league starts, a result like this was always on the cards against what proved to be a clinical and well-drilled Clarets outfit.

Luton gave debuts to summer signings Shandon Baptiste and Reuell Walters, Jordan Clark absent through injury, as although Amari'i Bell was fit enough for the bench, joined by striker Joe Taylor, there were two more youngsters in Aidan Francis-Clarke and Christian Chigozie included. Despite some bright moments in the early stages, with every touch from the Town's three teens being cheered on vociferously, it was the visitors who took the lead on just six minutes when Lucas Pires's defence-splitting pass saw Josh Brownhill escape the attentions of Nelson to go one-on-one with Thomas Kaminski and slot though the Belgian's legs.

The Hatters tried to level immediately, winning the ball back high up, Elijah Adebayo curling tamely at James Trafford, whose every touch was booed by the home fans for his timewasting antics at Turf Moor last term. Rob Edwards’ side began to wrest control of possession back from their visitors, but couldn't do too much in terms of creating any meaningful chances.

Ogbene was able to put the after-burners on just the once to almost get away from Maxime Esteve, Doughty's control letting him down when he tried to go on his less favoured right foot to beat an opponent, while Baptiste swung in a wonderful cross from the left that was just missed by a leaping Carlton Morris.

The buzz in the Kenilworth Road faithful when Tahith Chong got on the ball was audible, but Burnley were doing well to prevent that from happening with any degree of regularity, until he finally made some space for himself and went for goal, unfortunately cracking miles over the top. Burnley then had a modicum of the ball themselves and unlike Luton, made the most of it, with a second goal on 37 minutes that Town won't want to see again.

Undone again by one long ball over the top, Wilson Odobert outpaced Johnson to go through to face Kaminski, Luton's keeper nutmegged for the second time in the evening. The Hatters clung on to get through to the break just two behind. and with the next goal vital, made a bright start, Walters digging in a cross that Trafford flapped at under pressure from Adebayo, the ball hitting Town's forward and cannoning against the bar, the Clarets stopper gratefully gathering the rebound.

Luton were grateful to a terrific sliding block from Johnson as Luca Koleosho barrelled his way through the middle before finding Odobert to his right, Nelson booked for trying and failing to rugby tackle his man. Kaminski then kept Luton in it with 52 minutes gone, a corner dropping invitingly to Dara O'Shea, the keeper showing he has lost none of his wonderful reactions from last season, clawing away the close range blast.

The post then came to Town's rescue, as a cleverly worked free-kick routine saw Vitinho left unmarked, but he could only divert his volley against the woodwork. Luton made the most of the let-off to cut the deficit on 55 minutes and breathe some genuine optimism into the home support. Ogbene found Baptiste who delivered one of his now trademark first time crosses that Doughty did superbly to cushion a header across goal for Chong to arrive on time and bury past Trafford.

Nelson looked for a leveller, his attempt deflecting into Trafford's gloves, as it was all hands to the pump for Burnley, who showed the benefit of having fit and available centre halves, Walters showing bags of confidence to beat his man, his cross just about repelled. Scott Parker’s side weren't going to just hand Town a point though, Pires testing Kaminski low down, as Luton's bubble appeared to burst with 18 minutes to go, O'Shea's downward header from a corner nestling into the net.

The Clarets almost put the result beyond doubt moments later, the impressive Vitinho cutting in from the right and narrowly missing picking out the bottom corner with his left foot, Kaminski a spectator. They did though with 80 minutes on the clock, Lyle Foster setting off on a burst through the middle and with three Luton players unable to stop him, found Vitinho to his right, who thrashed past Kaminski, despite the keeper getting a foot to his effort.

With enthusiasm vanishing both on the pitch and in the stands, the final moments were played out to near silence as referee Matt Donohue thankfully put the hosts out of their misery on an evening to forget.

Hatters: Thomas Kaminski, Chiedozie Ogbene, Reuell Walters, Teden Mengi, Joe Johnson (Andros Townsend 80), Alfie Doughty, Shandon Baptiste (Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu 87), Zack Nelson, Tahith Chong, Carlton Morris (C), Elijah Adebayo. Subs not used: James Shea, Amari'i Bell, Cauley Woodrow, Joe Taylor, Tom Holmes, Aidan Francis-Clarke, Christian Chigozie.

Clarets: James Trafford, Dara O'Shea, Maxime Esteve, Josh Brownhill (C), Connor Roberts, Lyle Foster (Wout Weghorst 82), Vitinho, Lucas Pires (Han-Noah Massengo 87), Josh Cullen, Luka Koleosho (Anass Zaroury 67), Wilson Odobert (Luke McNally 90). Subs not used: Vaclav Hladky, Jay Rodriguez, Manuel Benson, Scott Twine, Andreas Hountondji. Referee: Matthew Donohue. Booked: Trafford 43, Nelson 49, Pires 59, Chong 60, Cullen 62. Attendance: 11,777 (1,335 Clarets).

Edwards left to reflect on a 'difficult night' as Clarets run riot at Kenilworth Road

Town are beaten 4-1 by Burnley

Luton boss Rob Edwards was left to rue a ‘difficult night’ as he saw his Hatters side thrashed 4-1 at Kenilworth Road by Burnley this evening.

With this fixture being a Premier League encounter last term, then the game was meant to see Town lay a marker down for the season ahead, with Edwards speaking before the game about his clear ambitions of winning promotion back to the top flight. However, Luton didn’t deliver the kind of performance that showed they would be capable of that, although that has to come with the pretty hefty caveat that Town are still without six first team players, Jordan Clark missing out on the night as well.

Although Jamaican international Amari’i Bell was fit enough to take his place on the bench, Luton had to field three teenagers in Reuell Walters, Joe Johnson and Zack Nelson, all three making their full league debuts, Nelson and Johnson caught out by balls forward for the Clarets opening two goals. Tahith Chong pulled one back early in the second period, but late goals from Dara O'Shea and Vitinho condemned Town to a heavy defeat.

Although Luton’s fans could accept such a scoreline in the top flight, stomaching such hefty defeats in the Championship will be far harder, but with such a depleted squad available to him, Edwards urged those in attendance to look at that fact, especially with the campaign just one game old. He said: “I just thought two balls in behind, set-piece and a counter attack were the moments that were really frustrating and disappointing for us, things that we were vulnerable to playing this way.

“It was a difficult first night in terms of the result, I’ve obviously got to try and put emotions aside and look at the bigger picture. There was a lot of good things there as well, a lot of good control, a really good 20 minute spell after half time that got us back in the game, but ultimately we showed some vulnerabilities and with their quality, they punished us.

“Those balls in behind, a couple of mistakes, a couple of young lads will learn from those moments and be better for it. I said this before the game, we will get better over the next few weeks. I was doing the talk to the players at the end, I’ve got six or seven pretty key individuals standing behind me in their normal clothes because they’re not quite ready yet, not available.

"That will help us and we’re working hard to try and bring a couple in as well, but a difficult start. I’ve got to now pick people up and go again and I can understand people’s frustration, but looking at the thing as a whole, there were actually a lot of good things we showed against a good team.”

When Chong got Town back in the game before the midway point in the second period, Edwards opted making against any substitutions until Luton were 3-1 behind, the fourth arriving before Andros Townsend had even touched the ball. Long-serving midfielder Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu was the only other alteration with three minutes to go and on why he didn’t make changes earlier, Edwards added: “We had a lot of momentum at this point. I turned round and was thinking, what’s going to improve us at the moment? So that’s why I did what I did.”