Luton Town FC vs Chester FC (22nd Mar 2014)

Town 3 Robinson 70, Gray 82, Benson 90 Chester 0

The Town scored three goals in the final 20 minutes to bounce back from Monday’s defeat to open up a 14-point lead at the top of the Skrill Premier with victory over Chester.

But it took a huge slice of luck for the Hatters to take the lead when Matt Robinson’s deep left-wing cross swung over the heads of everyone in the box and past visiting goalkeeper Aaron Chapman.

With their tails up there was only one winner after that, and the game was made safe with eight minutes left when Andre Gray tucked home his 26th goal of the season.

And the points were well and truly in the bag when Paul Benson fired home the Hatters’ third in stoppage time to ensure the Hatters ended a run of three games without a win.

The Town started in orange shirts – the winning colour in the kit poll for next season’s shirts – with two changes in midfield in the wake of the defeat to Woking. Pelly Ruddock and Andy Parry started in the place of Cameron McGeehan and Matt Robinson.

Chester, who need the points like the Town – but for different reasons in their bid to beat the drop – operated a shoot-on-sight policy much like Woking did on Monday. However, it was the Town that came closest first – skipper Ronnie Henry warming the gloves of Chester keeper Chapman from six yards on 14 minutes.

The visitors were putting plenty of pressure on the Town defence but in truth they were inviting pressure on themselves in a first half that saw five Chester men cautioned for fouls, with three yellow cards brandished by referee Whitton in a seven-minute spell.

The game swung from end-to-end, though, with the Town unable to really create a worthwhile opening, allowing Chester plenty of the ball, much to the frustration of the Hatters faithful. Chester threatened five minutes before the break when John Rooney let fly from the edge of the box, but a brave block from Scott Griffiths deflected the ball out of harm’s way.

Chester continued to pose problems for the Town defence as half-time approached. Rooney whacked a low effort inches wide of the target with Mark Tyler scrambling on 41 minutes before the same played chanced his luck with another shot from outside the box three minutes later that drifted wide.

The Town upped the ante in four minutes of stoppage time but the closest they came to testing Chapman came when Alex Lawless sliced a volley wide of the target.

After a frustrating first half it looked as though the second would be the same. The Town, though, began the second period with purpose. Benson almost teed up Jake Howells on 52 minutes before Benson then fluffed an attempted bicycle kick a minute later.

An even better opportunity went begging for the Hatters on 55 minutes but Griffiths sent a drive from inside the penalty area well over the crossbar having been found unmarked.

The chances soon came with regularity as the Town pushed and probed for a way through the Chester defence. Ruddock and Benson combined superbly on the hour to engineer an opportunity for Gray but the striker saw his effort well stopped by Chapman.

With the game still goalless John Still introduced Mark Cullen for Howells on 61 minutes and then Robinson for Parry on 67 minutes. And three minutes after his introduction Robinson broke the deadlock in fortuitous fashion. His deep cross 30 yards from goal was misjudged by Chapman and the ball sailed gratefully into the top corner of the net. It was his second goal for the club.

Buoyed by that, the Town were a different team all of a sudden as they looked to pick Chester off. Tyler, though, had to be alert on 73 minutes when Rooney’s low shot was parried by the Hatters’ number one before the keeper then blocked the follow-up.

The Town then brought on a Rooney of their own with eight minutes to go, with new boy Luke replacing Ruddock, and moments after Gray saw a shot blocked, it was 2-0. Cullen sent Gray racing through and, after bumping his marker out of the way, the Town’s top scorer finished confidently across Chapman for his 26th goal of the campaign.

With the points in the bag it got better for the Hatters in the second minute of stoppage of time. Rooney (the Luton one) was heavily involved, spreading the play out to Henry to cross. His pass was helped on by a Chester man into Benson’s path and he did the rest to bury his 17th goal of the season beyond Chapman.

And that was that. Normal service was resumed and the Town head to Grimsby on Tuesday with a 14-point lead at the top. See you there.

Town: Tyler, Henry, Griffiths, McNulty, Franks; Ruddock (sub Rooney 82), Parry (sub Robinson 67), Lawless; Howells (sub Cullen 61), Gray, Benson. Subs not used: Shaw, Justham.

Attendance: 8,475, including 229 from Chester.

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The future’s bright, the future’s orange as Hatters bounce back with three second half goals to beat dogged Chester

Skrill Premier: Luton Town 3 (0) Chester City 0 (0)

Three goals in the last 20 minutes saw the Hatters grind out an invaluable 3-0 victory over Chester City at Kenilworth Road this afternoon, writes Mark Wood.

Town showed great resolve as they bounced back from their first defeat in 28 games to Woking on Monday.

A nervy encounter saw relegation-threatened City give it a real go before the Hatters made sure of victory in the closing stages.

Supersub Matt Robinson opened the scoring just three minutes after coming on as he saw his deep cross sail over the head of keeper Aaron Chapman as Town snatched the lead.

They then made sure of victory thanks to Andre Gray’s deadly finish, before capping off a hard-fought win with Paul Benson’s blast in injury time.

It was a massively important win for the Hatters as they stretched their lead over non-playing Cambridge United to 14 points, although the U’s, who take on Gosport Borough in the FA Trophy final tomorrow, do still have a game in hand.

Before kick-off it was confirmed Luton’s home shirt for next season would be orange, winning the vote by 373, as Town made two changes to the team that lost 1-0 at home for the first time this season to Woking on Monday.

Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu and Andy Parry returned to the starting XI, as Cameron McGeehan missed out through injury and Robinson started on the bench alongside new signing Luke Rooney.

Jake Howells tried to head down an early Parry centre for Benson, before City had the first effort on eight minutes when Steve McNulty’s defensive header fell to Nathan Turner as the midfielder sliced wide.

The visitors looked undaunted going forward as good work by Jamie Menagh on 10 minutes saw him tee up Andy Bond to drive over.

Town though were playing slightly better than on Monday night as Scott Griffiths’ powerful header released Gray, but he was crucially nudged by Michael Kay as Chapman was able to claim the ball.

More good play from the Hatters on 15 minutes saw Benson knock down Howells’ deep cross as skipper Ronnie Henry burst on to the loose ball and forced Chapman to parry as he was again denied on his 79th appearance for the club.

Gray was harshly penalised for a foul as he looked to be brought down on the edge of the box, before then being cynically blocked off by Joe Heath who became the first name in the book.

Howells whipped in the subsequent free-kick, but Benson could only head tamely at Chapman, before Kay was booked soon after for an awful sliding challenge on Gray.

With neither side in control Menagh curled well off target on 28 minutes before John Rooney became the third City man in the book for time-wasting seconds later.

The bookings continued to flow as Mpanzu looked to break on 33 minutes and Bond and Menagh attempted to check him on his way. Both were subsequently booked to make it five yellow cards in 12 minutes for the Seals.

Hatters looked to push home their advantage as Benson did magnificently to head Henry’s centre back across goal, only for Kay to head clear.

Chester though always looked dangerous going forward and broke at pace again with five minutes of the half left as John Rooney’s drive from the edge of the area was bravely blocked by Griffiths with the winger claiming handball.

The wide man continued to try his luck, twice firing wide after Gray had been booked for a trip when getting back at right-back.

Luton finished the half strongly as Griffiths’ tantalising cross was headed behind by Heath and from the half cleared corner Alex Lawless skewed just wide as the sides went in at the break all square.

Town started the second half brightly as Griffiths burst to the byline and his cross was battered away by the keeper.

City proceeded to force four corners in quick succession with Mark Tyler being forced to turn skipper Paul Linwood’s header over the bar.

A nervous encounter saw both teams going for it as Howells was just unable to get a telling touch to Benson’s cross, with the target man then unable to connect with an acrobatic overhead kick after Parry had headed the ball back into the box.

Good work by Henry resulted in his cross running to Griffiths who drove over at the far post as Town started to pile on the pressure.

Chances at both ends came on the hour when Nathan Turner got free on the edge of the area and poked at Tyler.

Great work by Mpanzu then saw him find Benson in the box who teed up the onrushing Gray to force a fine save from Chapman at his near post.

And from the subsequent corner Howells picked out the unmarked Griffiths, but his header into the ground bounced over the bar.

Town looked to change it up introducing Mark Cullen and Robinson for Howells and Parry.

Benson should have given the Hatters the lead on 68 minutes when Gray’s chipped cross picked him out on the penalty spot, but he headed straight at Chapman.

Luton though snatched the lead in massively fortuitous circumstances with 20 minutes to go.

Robinson had only been on the pitch three minutes when he whipped in a deep cross from the left flank and, with Chapman having taken a step forward, he was forced to look on as the ball looped over his head and into the top corner.

There were still plenty of jitters though as a free-kick was taken and Tyler couldn’t hold on to John Rooney’s long-range drive, but reacted brilliantly to save at the feet of the onrushing Kay. Heath then arced in a cross to the far post as Craig Hobson headed over.

Cullen just overhit his pass as he tried to play in Mpanzu, while John Rooney whipped another effort wide of the mark.

A defensive mistake almost let Benson in on 78 minutes as Chapman had to race to the edge of his area to deny the striker.

Lawless was added to the long list in the referee’s notebook for a poor challenge before threading Gray through as Chapman came rushing out to save well.

Luke Rooney made his debut on 82 minutes as he replaced Mpanzu and seconds later Town doubled their lead.

Cullen poked Gray through and Town’s top scorer finished unerringly into the far corner for his 26th goal of the season.

And Town put the icing on the cake in the second minute of stoppage time when a defensive header hit Benson a few yards out and he thundered home from close range.

Hatters (4-3-3): Mark Tyler, Fraser Franks, Steve McNulty, Alex Lawless, Jake Howells (Mark Cullen 62), Scott Griffiths, Andy Parry (Matt Robinson 67), Ronnie Henry (C), Paul Benson, Andre Gray, Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu (Luke Rooney 82). Substitutes not used: Jon Shaw, Elliot Justham.

Seals (4-3-3): Aaron Chapman, Michael Kay, Joe Heath, Paul Linwood (C), Craig Hobson, Jason Jarrett, Lewis Turner, Nathan Turner, Andy Bond, John Rooney, Jamie Menagh. Substitutes not used: John Danby, Craig Lindfield, Tom Peers, Danny Carlton, Liam Blake.

Booked: Heath 22; Kay 24; J Rooney 29; Bond 33; Menagh 34; Gray 43; Lawless 80.

Referee: R Whitton Assistant Referee: A Tonks and G Kinnear Fourth Official: L Forrester.

Attendance: 8,475 (City 229).

Star Hatter: Fraser Franks. There were a number of contenders, but the big centre-half brings real composure to the defence.

Still demands Town get over the line after Chester victory

Hatters boss John Still has urged his side to get over line after they got back to winning ways against Chester yesterday, writes Mike Simmonds.

Town struggled to get going in the first half once more, but came good in the second period as Matt Robinson’s fluke opener, plus goals from Andre Gray and Paul Benson saw them win 3-0 and move 14 points clear of Cambridge again.

After a fun of three games without a win, Still said: “We’ve got to get ourselves over the line, that’s a fantastic three points.

“To put us back 14 points in front with nine games to go is a fantastic thing.

“We have everything here to win this league and everyone has to do their bit.

“I have to do mine, the staff have to do theirs, players have to do their bit and they have done their bit all season, so there’s nothing to suggest to me that they can’t carry on and do that.”

On Town’s disjointed first half display, Still admitted he could understand any possible apprehension amongst the players with promotion within touching distance now.

He continued: “It was a nervy first 45 minutes and is that to be expected? Yes I think so.

“I said before the game the one thing I cant control is how you (the players) feel.

“I understand, I’ve been in this position before, so you work hard to overcome that.

“The first half I thought we were slow, the pace of our game was slow, tempo of our game was slow, we were worried about making mistakes.

“Do I understand that? Of course I do and the second half I almost said, I don’t care if you get beat, go out and play with a tempo, play like Luton.

“I wasn’t disappointed in the first half, I understand about nerves, but you have to overcome that.

“Winners overcome that and all year we’ve been winners and we’ve overcome that.”

Goalscorer Robinson had been dropped to the bench after Monday night, but made the vital impact just three minutes after coming on for Andy Parry.

Still added: “The problem we’ve got at the moment is we’ve got a lot of legs in midfield but not a lot of experience.

“I think just alternating them is sometimes the right thing to do. Bringing someone on with a bit more pace, a bit more power.

“They’ve all played enough games, so it doesn’t unsettle anyone, but you take a chance and do it.

“You can make subs and they don’t work and when they do work, everyone thinks you’re fantastic.

“I don’t particularly believe in that, I just think the harder you work the luckier you get and we worked incredibly hard in the second half.”