Luton Town FC vs Charlton Athletic (29th Sep 2018)

LUTON TOWN 2 CHARLTON ATHLETIC 2

Cornick and Collins off the mark, but Addicks grab 95th-minute equaliser

The Hatters extended their unbeaten home start to the Sky Bet League One season to five matches with a 2-2 draw against Charlton Athletic – but they were only seconds away from it being an even better afternoon.

Harry Cornick, making his 50th appearance for the club, and James Collins had both netted their first goals of the campaign in the space of seven second-half minutes to turn around a half-time deficit inflicted by Tarique Fosu’s 23rd-minute penalty.

But with another big Kenilworth Road crowd getting set to celebrate a fourth home victory, Charlton defender Chris Solly popped up with a 95th-minute equaliser to extend last year’s beaten play-off semi-finalists’ unbeaten run to six matches and keep the Town in 12th place in the table.

Hatters boss Nathan Jones had named an unchanged side for the third successive game, with James Shea in goal behind a back four of Jack Stacey, Matty Pearson, Sonny Bradley and Dan Potts, a midfield containing captain Glen Rea, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Andrew Shinnie and Jorge Grant, with Collins and Elliot Lee up front.

The only changes came on the bench where new signing Kazenga LuaLua appeared, along with midfielder Alan McCormack, who is fit again after an ankle injury.

The Town were taking on a Charlton side who sat sixth at kick-off – just inside the play-off places having won four league games in a row.

Charlton had the game’s first attempt on goal, Ben Reeves finding space on the edge of the box and firing a left foot shot straight at Shea in the third minute, before Lee led a break down the Town left and attempted to curl one around Jed Steer, just off target.

Shea was in action again on five minutes, diving full length to push a Lyle Taylor shot around the post as Charlton impressed in the opening exchanges.

But it was the Town who put the next real attacking move together, Potts and Mpanzu linking up on the left to set Shinnie up for a go from the edge of the Addicks’ penalty area, but he dragged his right-footed shot wide of the near post.

The Hatters were starting to get a foothold in the game, stringing some fine passing moves together with a low Collins cross deflected behind for a corner, before Stacey and Lee linked up on the right in the 21st minute.

Stacey continued his run towards the byline – after starting the move inside his own half – and whipped an inviting cross in that just eluded Collins, before Shinnie’s effort from a tight angle was cleared off the line.

The visitors had the lead two minutes later, however, when – after a sloppy passage of play by the Hatters in their own left-back area – Collins was adjudged to have tripped Joe Aribo as he burst into the area, and Tarique Fosu tucked the penalty away.

The Hatters tried to respond and although Potts couldn’t get a clear header on a Grant free-kick just after the half-hour, space opened up in front of Shinnie to fire a deflected shot at goal in the 37th minutes, Addicks keeper Steer collecting the ball before it looped out of play.

Grant had the ball in the back of the net in first-half injury-time, but the assistant’s flag had long been in the air by the time he tapped in Rea’s downward header from Potts’ cross.

Charlton had the first shot again after the break, with Taylor firing high over the bar.

But the Town came within millimetres of equalising in the 57th minute when Grant played Lee into the right side of the area, and although Steer saved the striker’s initial effort, the ball went straight back to Lee, whose follow-up hit the outside of the post.

Jones brought Cornick on in place of Grant, in a bid to inject some pace into the attack, but it was the visitors who had the next attempt on goal, Ben Reeves swivelling on the right edge of the area and arrowing a left-footed shot that flew just past Shea’s far post.

Another golden chance for the Town to level came in the 72nd minute when Stacey skipped past Naby Sarr, as the giant centre-half dived in, and slipped the ball to his right, where Cornick pulled the trigger, but couldn’t keep his angled drive down.

Two minutes later – but in the very next phase of play after a Charlton player was down receiving treatment – the game changer equalised.

Steer’s goal-kick was headed forward by Pearson, Collins flicked on and Cornick was onto the loose ball in a flash, flicking it through the onrushing keeper’s legs from 18 yards out for his first goal since the 1-0 win over Exeter in February.

Soon after he was aiming a volley at goal from Lee’s deflected cross, this one blocked almost at source, before Lee – after trading passes on the left edge of the area with Shinnie – fired in another shot, only kept out by a strong arm from Steer as Collins looked to pounce.

A minute later Collins was in the right place at the right time to tuck in his first goal since the home win over Mansfield on April 2nd.

Man-of-the-match Mpanzu aimed a 20-yard shot towards the top corner, but ball came back off the inside of the post and Collins was there to tuck in the rebound from a tight angle and send the home sections of Kenilworth Road into raptures.

It should have been three when Cornick raced clear in the 90th minute, keeping his feet after having his heels clipped by Page, but the ex-Bournemouth man couldn’t find a finish and blazed over the bar.

That miss was to prove costly when Charlton piled forward in added time and forced a last-gasp equaliser. The Town had already survived a penalty shout by Lyle Taylor, who got goal side of Stacey in the box, before the Addicks were awarded a free-kick on the left edge of the box with four minutes of five already played.

Cullen whipped it in and Jason Pearce headed against the bar, with Rea heading Sarr’s follow-up off the line for a corner. This one was found the head of Aribo, who again rattled the bar.

The Hatters smuggled the ball behind again, but from the next corner, the Town could only clear as far as the edge of the box where Chris Solly lashed the ball into the corner of the net for the equaliser.

It felt like two points dropped, but there were plenty of positives to take to Oxford on Tuesday night as the Town look to record a first away win of the campaign.

TOWN: Shea, Stacey, Pearson, Bradley, Potts, Rea ©, Mpanzu, Shinnie (Justin 90), Grant (Cornick 66), Collins, Lee. Subs: McCormack, LuaLua, Jarvis, Sheehan, Isted (GK)

GOALS: Cornick 74, Collins 81

YELLOWS: Potts, Lee

CHARLTON: Steer, Page, Pearce ©, Taylor, Fosu (Ajose 85), Reeves (Lapslie 83), Vetokele, Aribo, Solly, Sarr, Cullen. Subs: Phillips (GK), Dijksteel, Marshall, Pratley, Grant

GOALS: Fosu (pen) 23, Solly 90+5

YELLOWS: Page, Cullen

REFEREE: Anthony Coggins

ATT: 9,502 (1,032 away)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QI7lmoP1VJo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86tcA4ByUqs

NATHAN JONES ON THE 2-2 DRAW WITH CHARLTON ATHLETIC

Town boss Nathan Jones was frustrated at not seeing his side take all three points this afternoon as Charlton Athletic grabbed a last minute goal in a 2-2 draw at Kenilworth Road.

The visitors took the lead 23 minutes in when Tarique Fosu converted from the penalty spot, after referee Antony Goggins adjudged James Collins to have clipped the heels of Joe Aribo in the box. However, the replays show the contact took place outside the area.

Town equalised with 15 minutes to go when substitute Harry Cornick passed the ball through Jed Steer's legs, before James Collins thought he had scored the winner when he fired in from close range after Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu hit the post six minutes later.

However, there was to be late drama as the Addicks grabbed an equaliser - Chris Solly smashing it in from the edge of the box to ensure the spoils were shared.

Jones said: "It definitely is two points dropped. We were the better side, apart from late on, the last three or four minutes, right at the end when they were pushing everyone forward and had a few corners and so on. I felt we were the better side.

"We had an excellent first half. They got a goal, it's outside the box, it's not a penalty, it's a free-kick. We had some great play, some real good situations in and around the box, we just couldn't find the goal.

"Second half we started slowly, but then we picked up the pace and then we got in front and should have seen the game off. We should have killed it off with the chances we had. We should have just been a little bit more clinical in injury time and seen the game out."

Harry Cornick's introduction saw the Hatters begin their comeback as his clever runs helped open up Charlton, but the winger was guilty of wasting a couple of chances.

"We've got in behind them and carved them open, we're clean in two-against-one," Jones continued.

"We work with him all the time, that's the frustrating thing. Go across the keeper. He's put two in the stand, there's no goals in the stand. If you hit the stand you don't get a goal, not in this sport.

"That's what we keep saying to him and he's got to learn that. His all-round play is excellent, he's a threat, he's a danger. It's just that clinical edge, that's what has cost us today.

"They've been as clinical as us, but we had far more opportunities and that's the thing that is hurting us at the minute. We're showing we're a really good side. We can compete, we can play. We've just got to not give silly goals away and just be a bit more professional late on."

Hatters denied victory by dramatic Addicks leveller

League One: Luton Town 2 Charlton Athletic 2

Luton were denied what would have been a huge win over Charlton Athletic in dramatic fashion at Kenilworth Road this afternoon, the visitors scoring an equaliser in the fifth and final minute of stoppage time.

After trailing once more at the break, Town had turned their fortunes around in a breathtaking seven minute second half spell, Harry Cornick and James Collins both netting their first goals of the season to make it 2-1.

But during time added on, with the majority for the visitors' delaying tactics in the second period, Chris Solly pounced to volley home his first goal in over six years and steal a point.

Boss Nathan Jones named an unchanged side for the clash against one of the big hitters in League One, who came into the game on the back of four straight wins.

New signing Kazenga LuaLua earned a place on the bench, where he was joined by the fit again Alan McCormack. The visitors looked to impose themselves early on, Ben Reeves selling Town's defence a dummy, his low shot easy for James Shea.

Elliot Lee's curler didn't come back enough, while Shea then had to be alert to palm Lyle Taylor's angled effort behind for a corner.

Luton took a good 10 minutes to really get into the game, producing their best moment when the ball was worked to Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, his cut back seeing Andrew Shinnie drag wide.

Now playing a full part in proceedings, Town almost went ahead when a lovely move on the right saw Jack Stacey overlap, his low cross met at the far post by Shinnie, the midfielder unable to direct his effort over the line, Jason Pearce in the way.

Despite looking to have wrested the initiative back, Hatters then fell behind on 23 minutes. Joe Aribo broke into the box, where he went down under an unnecessary challenge from Collins, with boss Jones later arguing the offence took place outside the area.

Fosu stepped up and after a stuttering run, made no mistake, clinically sending Shea the wrong way to make it 1-0, putting Luton behind in the first half for the seventh time in 10 League One matches this season.

With the balloon popped somewhat, Town offered little for the remainder of the half in terms of clear-cut chances, Jorge Grant's free kick from 25 yards flying over, the closest they came.

The hosts thought they had made it 1-1 on the stroke of half time, when Dan Potts' cross was nodded back by Glen Rea for Grant to stab home from close range, only for the linesman's flag to go up, chalking the goal off.

After the break, Town sent three men out to try and deal with Fosu, whose cross was met by the unmarked Taylor to fire into the stands.

Luton should have been level on 55 minutes, Grant sending Lee clear only to see his angled drive repelled by Jed Steer's legs, the striker's rebound clipping the outside of the post.

Steer then bizarrely began operating some timewasting tactics to try and run the game down from every goal kick, which only led to increase Luton's desire to get something from the game, while bringing the home fans into play too.

With such an array of attacking riches, the visitors always had chances to increase their lead, Reeves turning and hammering inches over.

Luton had a magnificent chance to restore parity with 18 minutes to go, Stacey playing the perfect pass for Cornick who with just Steer to beat, blasted over the bar.

However, the substitute, on his 50th game for the club, had instant redemption, as from the goal kick, Matty Pearson's clearance was flicked on by Collins and Cornick reacted quickest to slip the ball through the legs of Steer for his first goal since February 3.

Cornick almost had a second moments later, Lee's deflected shot falling into his path, but he was unable to beat a posse of defenders.

Steer magnificently prevented Lee's low effort from creeping into the bottom corner, before with nine to go, Luton were in front.

Mpanzu's delicious effort from the edge of the box looked to have nestled into the top corner, only to hit the woodwork, the rebound falling perfectly for Collins who sidefooted home, wheeling away in sheer relief at ending his 14-game drought for a goal stretching back to April 2.

With their noses now in front, the hosts could, and should, have sealed victory as Cornick sped away from halfway.

He might have gone down under the challenge from Solly, ironically, which would surely have seen the Addicks hero sent off, instantly changing the course of events. [NOTE it wasn’t Solly but Page, who had already been booked, who was involved]

But Town's speedy attacker stayed on his feet, although yet again, with Steer out to meet him, blazed high and wide to ensure the lead stayed at just one.

That saw the start of five minutes of stoppage time, in which Charlton just kept on coming.

First, they were denied what looked a second penalty, Stacey hauling back Taylor in the area, nothing given by referee Antony Coggins.

The right back was then penalised for the same incident moments later, as Athletic laid siege.

A corner saw Jason Pearce hit the bar, with Naby Sarr's rebound nodded off the line by Glen Rea.

The following set-piece was met by Aribo, denied by the crossbar once more, the rebound turned behind for yet another corner.

From the final one, Solly met it on the volley, hammering through a crowd of players for a leveller to break Town's hearts, sending the away end into bedlam.

Hatters: James Shea, Jack Stacey, Matty Pearson, Sonny Bradley, Dan Potts, Glen Rea (C), Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Jorge Grant (Harry Cornick 66), Andrew Shinnie (James Justin 90), Elliot Lee, James Collins.

Subs not used: Harry Isted, Alan Sheehan, Aaron Jarvis, Kazenga LuaLua, Alan McCormack.

Addicks: Jed Steer, Lewis Page, Jason Pearce (C), Lyle Taylor, Tarique Fosu (Nicky Ajose 87), Ben Reeves (George Lapslie 84), Igor Vetokele (Karlan Grant 76), Joe Aribo, Chris Solly, Naby Sarr, Josh Cullen.

Subs not used: Dillon Phillips, Anfernee Dijksteel, Mark Marshall, Darren Pratley.

Booked: Page 62, Potts 65, Cullen 78, Lapslie 90, Lee 90.

Referee: Antony Coggins.

Attendance: 9,502 (1,032 Charlton).

Jones left 'devastated' by Charlton's last-gasp equaliser

Hatters boss Nathan Jones admitted he was left 'devastated' after his side were denied victory against Charlton by an equaliser with virtually the last kick of the game.

Luton had battled back superbly, turning around a 1-0 half time deficit to lead 2-1 thanks to Harry Cornick and James Collins both ending their long-running goal droughts.

However, in the fifth minute of stoppage time, after hitting the bar twice in 60 seconds, Addicks' Chris Solly volleyed through a crowd of players to ensure the visitors left with a dramatic point.

Speaking afterwards, Jones said: “I'm devastated as we should have won the game, we deserved to win the game, especially being 2-1 up so late on, we should have seen the game out.

“I thought we were excellent. as this is Charlton Athletic, not too long ago for us to be thought about playing sides like this was a long way off.

“They've gone toe-to-toe, played a diamond, because they believe that's the best way and they're better than us at doing it, but I felt we were better today.

“I felt we created more, first half we should have been in the lead, they've been given a penalty and given a penalty because it's outside the box, it's a soft penalty again.

“Then I thought we were excellent, I really did.

"We started slowly second half, but then put the burners on and we should have been further ahead, and then in injury time should have killed the game off.”

Hatters** boss hits out at 'soft' penalty**

Luton chief Nathan Jones hit out at the penalty awarded against his side during the 2-2 draw with Charlton Athletic yesterday, claiming it was definitely outside the box.

With 23 minutes gone, striker James Collins fouled Addicks attacker Joe Aribo as he looked to break into the area, referee Antony Coggins awarding the visitors a spotkick.

However, Jones and first team coach Joaquin Gomez both had words with the official at half time, and speaking afterwards, the Town boss said: “They've been given a penalty and given a penalty because it's outside the box.

“It's a soft penalty again, it shouldn’t have been a penalty, but it happens and has been happening to us quite a lot.”

Collins himself didn’t know whether or not the offence had been committed inside the box, but admitted he shouldn't have been drawn into making such a challenge.

He said: “I don’t know if it was in or out, but I know I shouldn’t really foul him.

“The lad’s got his body in front of me, he’s got long gangly legs to be fair and he’s managed to get in front me, get across me and I’ve clipped him.

“I don’t know if it was in out, the ref’s given it, it was one of those things.

“I just thought ‘here we go again’, but thankfully H (Harry Cornick) got me out of it and then we managed to go 2-1 up, so it was just one of those things.”

Cornick had made it 1-1 on 74 minutes, while it looked like Luton would go on and claim all three points after Collins slotted home his first goal of the season with nine to go.

However, Chris Solly netted an equaliser in the final minute of stoppage time, as although disappointed, the Town striker praised his side's character to get into a winning position during the second period.

He added: “This team never knows when it’s defeated.

“We did it against Shrewsbury, did it against Wycombe, we've done it against many sides this year and were unlucky not to do it against Doncaster too.

“This side will always score goals whoever it is, we just need to as a team to see these games out.”