Luton Town FC vs Chesterfield (23rd Sep 2017)

REPORT: LUTON TOWN 1 CHESTERFIELD

Hylton's second-half goal sees ten-man Town record third win in a row

Town talisman Danny Hylton netted his second goal of the season as the Hatters moved into the automatic promotion places in Sky Bet League Two with a single-goal victory over Chesterfield at Kenilworth Road this afternoon.

In truth, the winning margin could, and should, have been far greater had the Hatters taken just a fraction of the 19 goalscoring opportunities created against the struggling Spireites.

But a third successive win – and fourth in five home matches so far this season – was enough to lift the Hatters up to third spot, and was even more impressive following a straight red card for midfielder Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu with 20 minutes, including injury-time, still to play.

Jones made three changes from last week’s 2-1 win at Wycombe, with captain Scott Cuthbert, who came on as a substitute to net the 90th-minute equaliser at Adams Park, before James Collins grabbed the last-gasp winner, returning to the starting XI.

With midfielders Alan McCormack and Luke Berry missing through injury and suspension respectively, Olly Lee came back into the side, while Luke Gambin was handed his first league start of the season after scoring twice in the development squad win at Brentford in midweek.

With Cuthbert settled back into the back four alongside Jack Stacey, Alan Sheehan and Dan Potts, Mpanzu was in the midfield holding role with Lee and Gambin either side of him and Andrew Shinnie at the tip of the diamond, Collins and Danny Hylton up front.

Gambin started brightly, and after Stacey had got down to the right byline twice in the opening couple of minutes, the Maltese international did the same on the left and whipped in a cross that Collins met on the half-volley, but couldn’t keep his effort on target.

Chesterfield had a couple of early corners, although the danger was averted when the taker was flagged offside on both when receiving the short ball back, and the Town were making most of the running.

Hylton got his head on the end of a flowing tenth-minute move that had involved the striker himself, then Shinnie and Stacey once more haring down the right, but last season’s top scorer couldn’t keep his eventual header down.

A minute later Gambin drove at the Spireites’ defence and let fly with a left-foot shot from the edge of the area that flew just inches over the angle of post and bar.

Some of the Hatters’ early football was outstanding, and they had the ball in the back of the net on the quarter-of-an-hour mark, but a linesman’s flag ruled that Lee’s cross had gone out of play before Potts headed the ball back for Collins to bundle it over the line.

The Hatters were forced into a switch in the 21st minute when Shinnie, who had been caught heavily in two challenges, went off injured and Jordan Cook came on.

Then visitors were the next to have a crack at goal, both captain Sam Hird and left-back Matthew Briggs firing towards the Kenilworth Road end from distance, but Gambin was soon proving a threat at the other end again, another inviting centre from the left just eluding Hylton’s head.

Cuthbert saw a header, and Collins a thunderous shot blocked, before Hylton chipped a cross in from inside the area on the right, but no-one gambled to get on the end of it and Chesterfield cleared for another corner on the half-hour mark.

Cuthbert got his head on this one too, but Collins got in the way of his goalbound effort, then Stacey once more picked out Hylton who, despite stumbling as he looked to get away from his marker, managed to get another header on target, although keeper Joe Anyon saved comfortably.

Chesterfield’s clearest sight of goal came on 35 minutes when Andy Kellett latched on to Chris O’Grady’s knock-down, but goalkeeper Marek Stech got down low to save at his near post.

Gambin, however, was a constant menace to the visitors and his crossing from the left was sublime – a 43rd-minute delivery dug out from by the corner flag went begging, then he found Mpanzu six-yards out with his next a minute before half-time, but the midfielder’s glancing header drifted wide.

Mpanzu was quickest out of the blocks in the second half, too, but Anyon was equal to his 20-yard blast as the Hatters started brightly.

The breakthrough came in the 53rd minute, and after what by his standards has been a drought as he finds his fitness after missing pre-season, it was Hylton who kept his cool after being found by Jordan Cook with a superb searching through ball from inside his own half.

Hylton stood his man up in the area, checked back onto his right foot and shot low past Anyon for his first goal since the late leveller at Mansfield at the end of August, after drawing four blanks.

The visitors should have been level within a minute, Louis Reed sending a diving header inches wide of the near post from Kellett’s cross, then – in the 55th minute – O’Grady fired across the face of goal.

Town were coming under pressure, and when Stacey was penalised for a foul on O’Grady on the left edge of the penalty area, the defender had to react quickest to clear the dangerous free-kick behind for a corner, then Kellett saw a shot deflected wide and Briggs sent in a left-wing cross that just evaded O’Grady.

The Hatters were on the attack again by the 65th minutes, Hylton finding the side-netting from almost the same position as he scored, and then – after Gambin had been replaced by Glen Rea – Hylton’s cross from the left found Collins unmarked, but the striker’s header was straight at Anyon.

Cook struck a 72nd-minute half-volley over the Chesterfield bar after Lee’s free-kick had only been half-cleared to the edge of the box.

Then, four minutes later, the Hatters were reduced to ten men when ref Charles Breakspear ruled that Mpanzu’s late challenge on Kellett 15 yards inside the Chesterfield half was worthy of a straight red.

The Town should have given themselves breathing space in the 79th minute when Stech came out to claim a deep free-kick and immediately set Harry Cornick, who had been introduced in place of Lee moments before the sending off, racing through the middle.

Unfortunately the former Bournemouth man’s shot, as he came under pressure from a defender and keeper Anyon, clipped the outside of the upright, and the Spireites had a let-off.

The Hatters defended resolutely, and when the chance came to break again, Collins got in on the right and fizzed a cross along the six-yard line that Cornick couldn’t quite reach, then the ex-Crawley man did the same from the left, but again his cross-shot went begging.

Rea blazed over the bar as the Hatters resumed control, despite being a man down.

Then – four minutes into time added on – Stech picked out Collins with a huge clearance, but once again the striker’s finishing was unusually off target, as it was seconds later when Hylton played him into the area.

One goal was enough, however, to see the Hatters record a third straight win – something they didn’t’ manage until the final game of last season – and continue their rise towards the top of the table ahead of the midweek trip to Morecambe.

TOWN: Stech, Stacey, Cuthbert ©, Sheehan, Potts, Mpanzu, O Lee (Cornick 73), Gambin (Rea 66), Shinnie (Cook 21), Collins, Hylton. Subs: Justin, Senior, Jarvis, Shea (GK)

Yellows: Sheehan Reds: Mpanzu Goal: Hylton 53

CHESTERFIELD: Anyon, Hird ©, Wiseman, O’Grady (Ugwu 74), De Girolamo (Mitchell 69), Flores (McCourt 64), Kellett, Reed, Weir, Briggs, Jules. Subs: Lee (GK), Dennis, Dimaio, Brewster

Yellows: Hird

REFEREE: Charles Breakspear ATT: 7,575 (310 away)

NATHAN JONES ON THE WIN OVER CHESTERFIELD

Town boss Nathan felt his side should have won by a clearer margin today as they made it three wins on the trot with a 1-0 victory over Chesterfield at Kenilworth Road this afternoon.

Danny Hylton netted his second goal of the season and the only one of the afternoon as he got on the end of Jordan Cook's superb ball to slot home and give his side the win.

Jones said: "If we had been more clinical we would have been out of sight, let's make no bones about it.

"Guy Branston has set his team out and you can see what he's trying to do. He has obviously worked with them and credit to him because they were a difficult team to play against.

"But we have had clear cut chances – not half chances. We have had 19 chances today and a lot of them were clear cut. James Collins has probably had four or five, ones that I would not envisage him missing on another day.

"Pelly has missed a point-blank header in the first half that he has somehow put wide. Harry Cornick has had one on the counter-attack. We should have been out of sight.

"It was a difficult game though and we showed a different side to us because we had to dig in, and apart from straight after the goal where they created a good chance second half, we managed to keep them to minimum opportunities."

He continued: "That's a game we would have drawn last year. Not when we went down to ten men, because we saw games out when we had 10 men, we are good at that.

"What we would have done last year is conceded earlier on. We would have been a bit sloppy, we wouldn't have shown as much quality and that's what didn't happen today and I am pleased. I don't want to be disrespectful, but we had enough chances to win that game by far more."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yC74yH56ZWY

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

Hatters make it three in a row thanks to Hylton's winner

League Two: Luton Town 1 Chesterfield 0

Danny Hylton's second half winner ensured that the Hatters made it three wins in a row for the first time this season by beating managerless Chesterfield this afternoon.

Claiming nine points from a possisble nine had proved a massive hinderance for Luton's promotion hopes last season, only managing to do it once from the five opportunities they had, that on the very last day of the campaign.

However this time, once Hylton had broken the deadlock shortly after the break, Luton always looked favourites to triumph, and really should have made it more comfortable by the end, missing a host of glorious chances.

They had to finish the game with 10 players though, as Pelly Ruddock-Mpanzu was harshly dismissed with 13 minutes to go for a high challenge on Andy Kellett, but see it off they did, particularly with sub Harry Cornick causing havoc in the closing stages.

Prior to that, Hatters boss Nathan Jones made three changes, with Luke Berry starting his three game ban for an off the ball incident at Wycombe last weekend, while Alan McCormack wasn't risked after his groin injury too.

Glen Rea dropped to the bench, as Luke Gambin came in for his first league start of the season, while Scott Cuthbert and Olly Lee returned, as recent signing Aaron Jarvis was among the substitutes too.

With Mpanzu dropping into the holding midfield role, Luton began brightly, Jack Stacey's cross headed narrowly wide by Hylton, with Gambin going it along, his blast not missing by much.

Town were forced into an early change, when Andew Shinnie injured himself after a heavy collision with keeper Joe Anyon, replaced by Jordan Cook on 21 minutes.

The visitors finally made Marek Stech work, Matthew Briggs's low effort from 25 yards requiring stopping, while Town's number one was needed again on 35 minutes, as Chris O'Grady fed Andy Kellett, who beat Stacey, but not the legs of Stech.

The recalled Gambin continued to send over some delightful crosses from the left hand side, and it was from another wonderful delivery that Luton should have moved in front on 44 minutes, only for Mpanzu to somehow fail to direct his header on target from a matter of yards.

After the break, Mpanzu almost made instant amends with a rasping drive that Anyon gathered at the second attempt.

Town then did have that crucial opener they needed to bring the visitors out on 53 minutes, when Cook's superb ball split the defence and set Hylton away.

He still had plenty to do, but did it to perfection, cutting inside Scott Wiseman and drilling a splendid effort beyond the advancing Anyon and covering defenders.

The visitors almost levelled instantly, Louis Reed sending his diving header from Kellett's dangerous ball into the box.

Luton were suddenly not exuding the security they had done in the first half, O'Grady unable to turn in a few dangerous crosses.

However, they always looked a threat going forward, Hylton coming close to netting the tension easing second, once again twisting and turning, but this time firing into side netting.

He then turned provider, whipping over lovely cross from, that Collins, all alone and just four yards out, could only nod into Anyon's grateful grasp.

Cook could have made it easier too, blasting waywardly when well placed, while Robbie Weir had a sighter for the visitors, shooting at Stech from 25 yards.

Town were then reduced to 10 men with 14 minutes to go, as Mpanzu was dismissed for a high challenge on Kellett, which was deemed a straight red offence by referee Charlies Breakspear.

Despite the man disadvantage, Luton should have made it 2-0, as Stech came out to claim, before sending Cornick away through the middle and he looked to have sealed it, only to fire against the outside of the post.

Collins almost teed up Cornick, the ball just out his reach, before Town's top scorer took the direct approach himself, his toepoke flashing across the face.

Late on, Collins could have had a hat-trick, volleying off target and then sliding another effort wide, but Luton kept their opponents at arms length to move back into the automatic promotion places once more.

Hatters: Marek Stech, Jack Stacey, Dan Potts, Scott Cuthbert, Alan Sheehan, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Olly Lee (Harry Cornick 74), Luke Gambin (Glen Rea 66), Andrew Shinnie (Jordan Cook 21), Danny Hylton, James Collins.

Subs not used: James Shea, James Justin, Jack Senior, Aaron Jarvis.

Spireites: Joe Anyon, Sam Hird (C), Scott Wiseman, Chris O'Grady (Gozie Ugwu 74), Diego De Girolamo (Reece Mitchell 68), Jordan Flores (Jak McCourt 64), Andy Kellett, Louis Reed, Robbie Weir, Matthew Briggs, Zak Jules.

Subs not used: Tommy Lee, Kristian Dennis, Connor Dimaio, Delial Brewster.

Booked: Hird 25, Sheehan 80.

Sent off: Mpanzu 77.

Referee: Charles Breakspear.

Attendance: 7,575 (310 Chesterfield).

Hatters MOM: Scott Cuthbert. Immense at the back as Spireites went long.