Luton Town FC vs Cardiff City (31st Jan 2023)

Report | Luton Town 1-0 Cardiff City

The Hatters moved up to fourth in the Championship table with a late Elijah Adebayo winner to see off struggling Cardiff at Kenilworth Road on transfer deadline night.

Adebayo saw a second-half penalty saved, but made sure of scoring for the fifth game in a row with an 88th-minute header to make it eight goals for the season as Town made it four matches unbeaten in all competitions.

Manager Rob Edwards handed Leeds loanee Cody Drameh a debut from the start against the side sitting one place above the drop zone, but with new manager Sabri Lamouchi in the dugout for the first time.

Right-back Drameh was ineligible for the Emirates FA Cup draw against Grimsby Town on Saturday, but was in from the off. Elsewhere in defence, Tom Lockyer captained the side alongside Reece Burke, in the absence of the injured Dan Potts.

Top scorer Carlton Morris made his first start in four matches, partnering Elijah Adebayo up front, while new signing Jack Walton was amongst the substitutes along with Fred Onyedinma, who made his first appearance in more than three months at the weekend.

Town started well, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu seeing a shot blocked from the edge of the box and Drameh looking lively down the right before Cardiff fired two warning shots in the eighth minute, Sheyi Ojo shooting straight at Ethan Horvath before Callum Robinson hit a 25-yarder that skimmed the top of the crossbar.

Ojo tested Horvath again on 15 minutes, though the USA keeper was comfortably behind it at his near post.

Town were asking questions of their own, however, with the threat coming initially down the right with Drameh - who survived one attempt to pull him back by Jack Simpson to put a dangerous ball across the six-yard box - and Woodrow, dug a deep cross out that Adebayo met with a towering 27th-minute header, saved by Ryan Allsop.

Mpanzu and Amari'i Bell then combined on the left for the latter to whip in an inviting cross, which Mark McGuinness did well to head behind as Adebayo readied himself to pounce at the far post.

The Hatters came flying out of the blocks after half-time, Drameh playing the ball inside for Woodrow to bend one just over the bar, then Ojo hit a free-kick at the other end that flew over the frame of Horvath's goal.

Mpanzu did well to beat his man by the left corner flag and deliver a low ball into the six-yard box, but McGuinness again was on his mettle to lift it over his own bar and clear the danger.

Ojo was proving Cardiff's main threat, and the right winger brought a flying save out of Horvath just after the hour, but Drameh and Adebayo soon combined down the Hatters' right, with the latter fizzing a low cross towards strike partner Morris, who couldn't quite connect at the near post.

With just over 20 minutes to go, Edwards made his first changes with Onyedinma coming on for Drameh and Luke Berry for Woodrow.

Within seconds, the Town had a chance to make the breakthrough when ref Geoff Eltringham pointed to the spot for handball against Cedric Kipre as Adebayo looked to lift the ball over him in the box. The Town man saw his spot-kick saved, however, as Allsop dived to his right to push his low shot away.

Ryan Wintle spurned a clear-cut chance for Cardiff when Robinson floated a ball over the top for him to volley at goal, but he sliced his effort well wide from the edge of the box.

Onyedinma was flying down the right, firing three beautiful crosses in that begged to be finished, with Doughty smashing the middle one first time on the volley, but off target.

The breakthrough finally came in the 88th minute when Doughty crossed and Adebayo rose highest to head past Allsop and set the Kenny alight.

Goal: Adebayo 88

Att: 9,031 (544 away)

Reaction | Rob Edwards on Cardiff victory!

Manager Rob Edwards said he was ‘delighted’ for Elijah Adebayo who put a penalty miss behind him to step up and score the winning goal against Cardiff City this evening.

The striker scored his fifth goal in as many matches with an 88th minute header and the Hatters now find themselves in fourth place following a first home win since Boxing Day.

“It’s a really good win, Edwards admitted. “It was a really difficult game as you could all see. Sabri is obviously new in and it’s always difficult to come up against a new manager who is a really experienced coach. They’ve had a bit of time to get to work and it was always going to be really hard to break them down, we knew that.

“We went with the right intentions, we tried to do the right things, we tried to mix our game up by playing around them, over them or into our strikers. We did create chances and half-chances, lots of crosses flashed across and we couldn’t quite get on the end of them. Then we missed a penalty and you’re starting to think maybe it’s not our day today but I’m delighted for Eli. Just told him the character he has shown there, to be in the right place at the right time, after missing the penalty is excellent.

“It takes a brave person to step up and take a penalty, scored one the other day and he didn’t today, it’s no problem. I’m delighted for him because we got a great reaction and he’s found the winning goal.

“There’s always a chance, we have to keep believing and keep asking the questions. I want more people in the box at the right times, we have to keep working on that. I want us to be braver and we are, outside centre-backs overlapping, getting at people one versus one and getting crosses in the box but we need to carry on working on suffocating teams. I’m seeing lots of good things but there are still elements to keep working on.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5qZSEr56G8 – Rob Edwards interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0n-83AqTo3w – Full time scenes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCgQLItAkBg – Match highlights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROfELezW4Tc – Elijah Adebayo interview

Adebayo makes amends for penalty miss with late Cardiff winner

Championship: Luton Town 1 Cardiff City 0

Luton striker Elijah Adebayo turned from villain to hero as after missing a penalty, he headed home a late winner as the Hatters climbed to fourth in the Championship by beating Cardiff City this evening.

With striker Harry Cornick not in the Luton starting line-up, increasing the speculation he is on his way out of Kenilworth Road, the absent forward was one of four changes from the FA Cup draw with Grimsby on Saturday, Leeds United loanee Cody Drameh handed an immediate start, with Carlton Morris, Cauley Woodrow and Reece Burke recalled.

It meant Allan Campbell and Gabe Osho dropped to the bench, Dan Potts missing out and new keeper Jack Walton named as a substitute.

Town looked to have made a good start, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu seeing his piledriver blocked and Drameh sending one cross just beyond Elijah Adebayo.

The Bluebirds hit back though, Tom Lockyer caught in possession and Sheyi Ojo shooting straight at Ethan Horvath who was almost embarrassed by Callum Robinson, thinking his long range piledriver was going over, only for it to clip the top off the crossbar.

Alfie Doughty's pace saw him eat up the grass and avert the danger when Ojo broke, while the former Liverpool man was clearly not afraid to shoot, testing Horvath at his near post.

With 26 minutes gone, Luton looked to attack on the right once more, Woodrow escaping to hang up a cross that Adebayo, under pressure could only head at Allsop.

That was pretty much it for the rest of a difficult on the eye first half, referee Geoff Eltringham's odd decision making winding up an increasingly frustrated Kenilworth Road crowd.

Drameh caught the eye though, with his intent to get forward and impressive delivery, plus showing plenty of willingness to get back and defend when needed as well.

Needing a far better start to the second period, Luton almost had it in the opening minute, Burke finding Woodrow in the area whose first-time shot was narrowly over.

Ojo sent a free kick hopelessly over the bar, as the play didn't really improve a great deal until the hour mark, the Cardiff winger once more the dangerman, his curler drawing a terrific and important stop from a full stretch Horvath.

Luton then had a glorious chance to open the scoring on 70 minutes when Adebayo tried to turn in the area and saw his flick cannon off a Cardiff hand in the area.

Referee Eltringham signalled for the spot, but in keeping with the contest, Adebayo's effort was weak and Allstop was able to shovel behind.

Somehow Cardiff didn't make the most of the miss as five minutes later, Ryan Wintle somehow escaped the attentions of the entire Luton defence, left completely unmarked to receive Robinson's pass, but could only slice woefully wide.

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An ambitious Doughty volley whistled into the stands, as with Fred Onyedinma on, he looked a real menace on the right, beating his man again and seeing a cross-shot fingertipped away by Allsop.

Luton stayed patient though and with time running out, Bell fed Doughty on the left, his cross taking a nick and met by Adebayo who thumped his header past Allsop to great relief amongst the home fans.

Town learned from their error at the weekend and dug in, seeing out the stoppage time with ease, to secure only a fourth home win of the season, Morris and Mark McGuinness both picked up bookings after the final whistle for a bad-tempered altercation.

Hatters: Ethan Horvath, Cody Drameh (Fred Onyedinma 70), Reece Burke, Tom Lockyer (C), Amari'i Bell, Alfie Doughty, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Jordan Clark, Cauley Woodrow (Luke Berry 69), Elijah Adebayo, Carlton Morris.

Subs not used: Jack Walton, Elliot Thorpe, Louie Watson, Gabe Osho, Allan Campbell.

Bluebirds: Ryan Allsop, Mark McGuinness, Ryan Wintle, Joe Ralls (C Rubin Colwill 77), Sheyi Ojo, Romaine Sawyers, Cedric Kipre, Jack Simpson, Mark Harris (Jaden Philogene 77), Perry Ng, Callum Robinson.

Subs not used: Kion Etete, Jak Alnwick, Andy Rinomhota, Isaak Davies, Xavier Benjamin.

Referee: Geoff Eltringham.

Booked: Ralls 40, Doughty 49, Adebayo 57, Morris 90, McGuinness 90).

Attendance: 9,031 (544 Bluebirds).

Luton chief hails Adebayo's character as Town striker recovers from penalty miss to net Bluebirds winner

Forward on target in his last five games for the Hatters

Luton boss Rob Edwards hailed match-winner Elijah Adebayo’s character after he recovered from missing a penalty to score the only goal of the game in Town’s 1-0 win over Cardiff City last night.

The 25-year-old had gone close in the first half with a header saved by Ryan Allsop, before with 20 minutes left, he had the perfect chance to beat the former Wycombe stopper, winning a spotkick after Cedric Kipre handballed his flick inside the area.

Despite converting from 12 yards in the 2-2 draw with Grimsby on Saturday, Adebayo’s effort was under-hit this time, and shovelled around the post by Allsop, as the Bluebirds, under new manager Sabri Lamouchi, looked destined to take a point back to Wales.

However, in the closing stages, Alfie Doughty sent over an inviting cross from the left and there was Adebayo to bury his close range header beyond the diving keeper and claim just a fourth home win of the season for the Hatters.

Speaking afterwards, Edwards said: “It’s a really good win.

"It was a really difficult game as you could all see.

"Sabri is new in and it’s always difficult to go up against a new manager, a really experienced coach, good coach, he had a bit of time to get to work with them as well.

"It was going to be really hard to break them down, we knew that.

"I thought we went with the right intentions, we tried to do the right things, we tried to mix our game up, tried to play around them and at times try and go over or into our strikers.

"We did create chances and half chances and almost moments, lots of crosses flashed across, couldn't quite get on the end of it, and then we missed the pen, you start to think maybe it's not our day today.

"But I’m delighted for Eli, I’ve just told him, the character he’s shown there to be in the right place at the time after missing the penalty, is excellent.

“It takes a brave person to step up and take the pen.

"He scored one the other day, he didn’t today, that’s no problem, but I'm delighted for him, because we got a great reaction and he’s found the winning goal.”

Adebayo’s goal when it came saw him perfectly positioned in the centre of the goal to outmuscle Mark McGuinness and reach Doughty’s cross to be on the scoresheet for the fifth successive game.

On whether he can even add more goals of that nature, Edwards continued: “There’s always areas that any player can keep working on and improving.

"Eli’s a young player that has got so much talent, so much athleticism, a fantastic attitude, and he will keep improving, because of those things.

"Of course there’s still areas that he can keep working on, but we’re delighted with the moment that he’s in currently and because he’s working so hard, he’s earning it.”

With both Adebayo and Carlton Morris upfront, now with 19 goals between them this season, then Edwards knows that whatever the moment in the game, Town will have a chance of registering on the scoresheet as they continued their run of finding the net in every game since he has taken over.

He added: “There’s always a chance and we’ve got to keep believing and keep asking the questions.

"I want more people in the box at the right times, we’ve got to keep working on that.

"I want us to be braver, we are, I’m seeing outside centre backs overlapping, seeing us getting at people one v one, getting crosses in the box, but we need to try and keep working on suffocating teams and committing.

"I’m seeing lots of good things, there’s still elements to keep working on, but I’ve got to reiterate it again, Cardiff, I know they’re on a difficult run in terms of results, but all of their games are tight.

"They don’t concede many goals and it was always going to be a really difficult game for us, so I’m delighted with the three points.”