Luton Town FC vs Cambridge United (14th Jan 2014)

Match report from Luton Town 0-1 Cambridge United in the FA Trophy

A young Town side bowed out of the FA Trophy as Cambridge progressed to the quarter-finals with a narrow win at Kenilworth Road.

The average age of the Hatters’ starting XI was just 23 and for long spells the Town impressed against a strong United side.

However, it was a heavily deflected goal six minutes before half-time that did the damage. Ashley Chambers’ shot looked destined to reach the gloves of goalkeeper Elliot Justham until Ryan Inniss deflected the effort into the back of the net.

The Hatters made three changes to the side that drew 2-2 on Saturday with teenagers Luke Trotman, 16, and Ian Rees, 17, given starts along with Jon Shaw.

The winning goal, on 39 minutes, came came when Chambers was allowed time and space to get a shot away but Inniss’ intervention diverted the ball away from its intended path and it rolled agonisingly over the line passed a stranded Justham.

It was harsh on a young Town side who were helped by senior pros Anthony Charles, Solomon Taiwo and Shaw throughout the 90 minutes.

The first half had seen the Hatters test visiting goalkeeper John Sullivan with Brett Longden and Rees both going close.

After the restart the Town continued to huff and puff in their quest for an equaliser. Shaw’s towering header from Shaun Whalley’s left-wing corner was pawed away by Sullivan on 64 minutes in the pick of the chances for the hosts.

Cambridge were threatening on the counter with Chambers and Nathan Arnold’s searing pace causing the Town defence plenty of problems, but the Hatters were aggrieved with 10 minutes to go when substitute Zane Banton tucked home Mark Cullen’s cross from six yards only for the linesman’s raised flagged to rule the goal out for offside.

Undeterred, the Hatters plugged away as the rain teemed down on an already boggy Kenilworth Road turf. And the Town thought they’d forced extra-time in the dying moments when Cullen’s first-time curling effort seemed for all the world it would find the top corner, only for Sullivan to fly to his left to keep the shot out. And that was that.

It was a first home defeat of the season and the Town’s first at Kenilworth Road in the FA Trophy. Disappointment and frustration maybe but there are bigger sights for the Hatters to concentrate on now.

Town: Justham; Longden, Trotman, Charles, Inniss; Taiwo, Rees, Whalley (sub Viana); Shaw, Wall (sub Banton), Cullen.

Subs not used: C. Smith, Chabata, King.

Attendance: 2,132, including 326 from Cambridge.

http://www.lutontown.co.uk/news/article/cambridge-gallery-140114-1295092.aspx

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=or-Ff351Kr4

Own goal sees battling Hatters bow out of the FA Trophy

FA Trophy Third Round Replay: Luton Town 0 (0) Cambridge United 1 (1)

Luton Town suffered a first-ever home defeat in the FA Trophy as they were knocked out by Cambridge United in their third round replay tonight, writes Mike Simmonds.

Just before the break, Ashley Chambers’ strike took a wicked deflection off Ryan Inniss for the game’s only goal as the visitors earned a trip to Skrill South side Eastleigh in the next round.

Defeat for Town will not matter one iota though in the grand scheme of things, with title rivals Cambridge now facing a further fixture to cram into their already congested schedule.

Hatters made three changes to their side from the 2-2 draw at the weekend, as they rested Jake Howells and Kane Ferdinand with Saturday’s home Skrill Premier clash against Wrexham firmly in mind, while David Viana dropped to the bench.

Right-back Luke Trotman, 16, came in for his Town debut, Jon Shaw started for the first time since August and Ian Rees came into midfield.

Town fashioned the first shooting opportunity when Rees, who impressed especially in the first half with his composure when in possession, found Alex Wall with a cute pass, but U’s keeper John Sullivan saved easily.

Liam Hughes and Josh Coulson flashed headers wide, while Chambers’ long range free-kick was straight at Elliot Justham.

Shaw had a rare sight of goal only to see the ball nicked off his toes by Sullivan, who was then fully extended as he palmed Brett Longden’s daisycutter behind.

The keeper was called upon again, turning Mark Cullen’s bobbling drive away, before the U’s took the lead on 39 minutes.

There was a huge slice of luck about the goal though as Chambers took aim from just outside the box only for Inniss to divert the ball past a completely wrong-footed Justham.

Luton almost made an immediate response when Trotman, another who gave a decent showing, sent over a deep cross and Cullen’s side-foot volley was bravely blocked by Richard Tait.

The visitors started the second period by far the more dangerous as Justham saved well low down from Chambers, before Ryan Donaldson scorched narrowly off target and Town’s keeper had to parry Luke Berry’s effort away too.

Hatters struggled to get going, although Wall had huge shouts for a penalty turned down, but he was quickly subbed as, on a booking, the red mist started to descend.

Sullivan then came to the U’s rescue when Shaw escaped his marker to power a header goalwards from point blank range.

Second half sub Zane Banton thought he had a leveller on 79 minutes, turning in after Cullen’s shot was half stopped by Sullivan, only to see his celebrations cut short by the linesman’s flag.

The youngster, a real livewire once more, went close again, toe-poking into the side netting, while Sullivan made possibly his best save of the night in the closing stages, palming Cullen’s well placed curler away.

With that stop went Town’s chances of an equaliser, but when the final whistle went, it’s doubtful there wouldn’t be more than a few Hatters fans secretly raising a smile over the outcome.

Hatters: Elliot Justham, Luke Trotman, Brett Longden, Anthony Charles (C), Ryan Inniss, Solomon Taiwo, Ian Rees, Shaun Whalley (David Viana 68), Mark Cullen, Alex Wall (Zane Banton 63), Jon Shaw. Substitutes not used: Charlie Smith, Tinashe Chabata, Craig King.

U’s: John Sullivan, Greg Taylor, Josh Coulson, Ian Miller (C), Ryan Donaldson (Michael Spillane 75), Tom Champion, Richard Tait, Liam Hughes (Kevin Roberts 68), Luke Berry, Ashley Chambers, Nathan Arnold. Substitutes not used: Will Norris, Ryan Horne, James Akintunde.

Referee: D Trelevean. Assistant Referees: N Pratt and C Husband. Fourth official: G Kinnear.

Bookings: Wall 48, Spillane 81.

Attendance: 2,312 (U’s 326).

Star Hatter: Brett Longden. Promising display from the young full-back, both in defence and going forward.

Harris: We wanted FA Trophy progress

Hatters assistant boss Terry Harris didn’t see Town’s defeat to Cambridge United in the FA Trophy on Tuesday night as a blessing in disguise, writes Mike Simmonds.

Town once again went with a development squad side for the 1-0 third round replay defeat, while the U’s picked a vastly more experienced team.

Although the result means Town can now focus fully on the league, with United facing further fixture congestion, Harris denied that had come into their thinking.

He said: “I can be really serious, if we could have won, we would have done.

“We’d have gone and played on February 1 at Eastleigh as we wanted this FA Trophy journey to continue.

“I said to the guys, they don’t get many opportunities to play at Wembley in their career. So don’t pass it over and I don’t think they passed it over, I thought they did ever so well.

“We just wanted to win the game if we could, but if we didn’t, get something out of the game and I think we did.”

Town could indeed take plenty from the match too, with 16-year-old Luke Trotman making an assured debut at right-back.

Youngsters Brett Longden and Ian Rees both impressed too, as did striker Zane Banton who came off the bench in the second half.

On Trotman, Harris continued: “He got off to a great start, went down the line and put a fantastic cross in the first five minutes, which settled him down a bit.

“We played Reading last week in a squad game and he was superb then.

“As John (Still) has always said, it doesn’t matter how old they are, if they’re good enough they’ll go in.

“Luke went in and looked very, very comfortable.”

Longden, who had undergone a tough examination on Saturday, was switched to left-back, but was the star performer as Harris said: “Anybody will tell you it’s difficult for a right footer playing left-back.

“We said to him, sometimes just take a swing with your left foot and he did.

“He tried to do it right every time, and I thought he was absolutely fantastic.”

Rees and Banton also showcased their talents, with Harris saying: “Ian Rees in the middle of the park, he’s up against (Tom) Champion and (Luke) Berry, two very, very good players.

“I thought he did exceptionally well. Zane came on and nearly nicked a goal, so the future’s bright, the future’s orange.”

The only frustration aspect on the night for Harris was the manner in which Hatters conceded as Ashley Chambers was allowed too much space to shoot, with the ball taking a huge deflection off Ryan Inniss.

Harris added: “The one disappointment was the goal really because it was from a throw in, we should have marked better, but we never, we didn’t pick up and they got a deflected goal.

“In the second half, Elliot (Justham) was fairly redundant. Did we look like scoring? Not really, we had the offside goal, but the linesman put his flag up straight away, so that was disappointinh.

“But against a very strong Cambridge side, we have to be delighted.”