Luton Town FC vs Colchester United (26th Dec 2016)

PUBLISHED 18:19 26th December 2016 Slater hits Hatters with late knockout blow on Boxing Day

LUTON TOWN 0

COLCHESTER UNITED 1 (Slater 83)

Att: 9,164 (490 away)

The Hatters slipped to a disappointing Boxing Day defeat as Craig Slater struck an 83rd-minute knockout blow to send Colchester home with all three points from Kenilworth Road.

It was a devastating blow for manager Nathan Jones and a Town side who, following a stop-start first half, had the better chances after the interval and had looked the more likely to break the deadlock with Danny Hylton and Johnny Mullins spurning great opportunities.

But ultimately, the Hatters suffered what is only their second defeat in 14 league games as Colchester’s recent run of good form continued with a fourth win in five unbeaten matches taking them up to tenth, while the Hatters remain five points ahead of them in fifth.

Jones had named an unchanged starting line-up for only the second time this season, sticking with the same team that won 2-0 at Blackpool in the Town's last outing before Christmas.

Colchester had the first attempt on seven minutes when Christian Walton readjusted his feet to save a deflected shot from their captain Tom Lapslie, then Owen Garvan had him scampering across his line to ensure a 20-yard volley went wide.

Hylton had the Town’s first sight of goal in the 11th minute, when Stephen O’Donnell made good progress down the right and played the ball inside the area, but visiting keeper Sam Walker got down low to save the top scorer’s angled drive.

Hylton went into referee Gavin Ward’s notepad on 23 minutes after clashing with United centre-half Frankie Kent. The visitors’ defender George Elokobi was also booked for getting involved in the incident.

It was a half that hadn’t caught fire at all, but Walton almost presented Colchester with an opportunity, hitting his attempted pass out to Rea against Denny Johnstone as the U’s striker closed him down.

Luckily for the England Under-21 stopper, the ball rebounded safely into his hands – just as it did in the 29th minute when Johnstone swivelled on a loose ball in the six-yard box, but tamely hit it straight at Walton.

Marriott tried to inject some pace into the Town attack with a burst into the right side of the U’s box, then Cameron McGeehan’s quick feet created him some space to fire an effort in that Walker collected after a deflection took the sting out of the shot.

As the Town pressure mounted, Rea met Alex Gilliead’s right-wing corner to send a 36th-minute header goalward, although Walker plucked it from the air as Mullins looked to get his head on it, then – almost immediately – Walton had to be on his guard to deal with Garvan’s long ranger.

In time added on at the end of the first half, Gilliead floated a lovely ball into Hylton’s feet but Kent stuck to his task as the Town striker got his shot off, and the sides went in at the break goalless.

After starting the second half in the ascendancy, the Town’s best chance of the game arrived in the 52nd minute when skipper Scott Cuthbert headed Walker’s clearance inside his own half and set Hylton through on goal, after he outmuscled Kent on the edge of the U’s area. Unfortunately, the Town hitman’s stab towards goal lacked power and Walker gathered easily.

Walton then produced two saves to deny Garvan and Johnstone, before Gilliead curled a 55th-minute shot towards the top corner of the Colchester goal and Johnstone skipped past Rea, but shot over at the other end as the game finally burst into life.

Gilliead swung in a cracking free-kick towards the far post that Kurtis Guthrie did well to flick behind on the hour, and five minutes later O’Donnell fed Marriott, who turned sharply 20 yards from goal, but saw his left-footed shot deflected wide for a corner.

Olly Lee produced a timely block inside his own box to deny Slater in the 68th minute, then – after a delightful nutmeg took Hylton away from Garvan on the tpuchline in front of the Main Stand – Mullins flashed a right-footed effort over the U’s crossbar from eight yards out after Gilliead delivered another quality set piece.

Havin already brought Isaac Vassell into the attack for Marriott, Jones introduced Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu for Gilliead in the final ten minutes.

But, with 83 on the clock, Slater latched onto a half-cleared corner from the right and struck a crisp half-volley past a clutch of players into the bottom corner to give Colchester the lead.

The Hatters tried to respond immediately, with O’Donnell raiding down the right but unable to find his way past Walker at his near post.

The next chance came three minutes into injury-time when Hylton was presented with another opportunity to the right side of the box, but before he could get his shot away, left-back Ben Dickinson slid in to avert the danger.

With that opportunity went the Town’s last chance of salvaging something from the match, and the same outcome prevailed as on the previous occasion Jones had kept the same team this season, when a 2-0 win at Morecambe was followed by a home defeat to Portsmouth in late November.

We’ll be back at Kenilworth Road in five days’ time, however, to welcome Barnet for the final game of 2016 – and hopefully a more positive end to the calendar year.

TOWN: Walton, O'Donnell, Rea, Cuthbert (c), Mullins, Justin, Lee (Cook 87), McGeehan, Gilliead (Mpanzu 81), Hylton, Marriott (Vassell 66). Subs: Smith, Gray, Senior, Gooch (GK)

Yellows: Hylton, Justin

COLCHESTER: Walker, Brindley, Lapslie (c), Kent, Dickinson, Elokobi, Johnstone (Porter 81), Eastman, Garvan, Slater (Wright 88), Guthrie. Subs: Vincent-Young, Wynter, Doyley, Fosu, Barnes.

Yellows: Elokobi, Eastman

PUBLISHED 17:45 26th December 2016 Jones was frustrated with his side's defeat

Town boss Nathan Jones was left “distraught” after his side fell to a late defeat against Colchester United at Kenilworth Road.

After a slow opening 45 minutes, the Hatters really grew into the match in the second half and looked more likely to take the three points, but Craig Slater struck from 16 yards with less than ten minutes to go to sink the Town.

The Hatters retained their league position of fifth at the full-time whistle, but Portsmouth scored a late winner at Newport to put three points between themselves and Town.

Speaking after the match, the Town boss said: “I am distraught, I am devastated if I am being honest.

“I never felt we were in any danger whatsoever throughout the game and then we have gone to sleep on a set play, second phase and they have gone home with the three points.

“Credit to them, they are in decent form, but I never felt we were under any pressure whatsoever.

“We missed a great chance with Johnny Mullins, we had a lot of good situations, we controlled most of the game and went to sleep on just one set play and it has cost us.

“No matter what side we play, everyone has to go out and perform and today I didn’t feel we were under any pressure.

“It was a Boxing Day game, you get a lot of freak results. We looked solid, We defended well, we have just gone to sleep in the second phase and they have scored.

“Apart from the Owen Garvan chance, they haven’t had an opportunity, so it’s disappointing from our point of view.”

http://www.lutontown.co.uk/news/article/2016-17/luton-town-colchester-united-sky-bet-league-two-3481412.aspx

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

League Two: Luton Town 0 Colchester United 1

Luton Town's stuttering attempts to win automatic promotion were hit by yet another roadblock this afternoon as they were undone late on by a fine Craig Slater strike at Kenilworth Road.

With a season's highest attendance of 9,164 inside the ground for what they had hoped was a Christmas cracker, by full time, many would have regretted not trudging round the Boxing Day sales, such was the paucity of entertainment on offer.

Manager Nathan Jones stated he didn't want any talk of the play-offs after last week's 2-0 win at Blackpool, but he may have to readjust his view now, with Luton's step forward at Bloomfield Road quickly turned into two paces back, as results went against them once more.

Doncaster and Portsmouth both won, while Carlisle and Plymouth were held to put the Hatters eight points away from the top three, with table-toppers Rovers some 10 points clear now too.

For the Hatters, it extended their poor form on home soil to just one win in six league games as well, meaning they have taken just five points from a possible 18, scoring only five goals in the process.

Keeping faith with the same side who had won so handsomely at Blackpool last week, the home fans settled in, expecting to witness another entertaining showing, but alas, they got little of any festive spirit left over from Christmas Day.

Neither James Justin of Stephen O'Donnell could ever enjoy the kind of influence they had at the Seasiders, with precious little creativity from either flank, while too often, Luton kept the ball at the back, and once over the half way line, retreated into their shells once more.

It was Colchester who settled quicker, Tom Lapslie's deflected shot forced a quick change in direction from Christian Walton, with the keeper then scrambling across his goal when Owen Garven juggled the ball before unleashing a superb left-footed volley that flew only inches wide.

Luton replied with an effort of their own on 10 minutes, Danny Hylton's low shot claimed by Sam Walker, the only real time United's custodian was forced to muddy his jersey in the first period.

The match finally came to life after a opening 20 minutes that can be described as pedestrian at best, with Hylton and Frankie Kent tangling after contesting a high ball.

United's centre half threw himself to the ground as if Hylton had kicked out at him, with his theatrics enough to earn Town's talisman his ninth booking of the season.

George Elokobi talked his way into Gavin Ward's notebook during the aftermath too, but the little boost it gave Hatters' supporters, soon evaporated into the grey skies.

The U's should have led on the half hour, Denny Johnstone scuffing a glorious chance straight at Walton, as Luton's only serious efforts remained from range, McGeehan's pot shot simple for Walker.

In the second period, Luton finally upped their game for a time, as a stumbling Kent was unable to deal with a long hopeful punt forward but Hylton couldn't get enough on his connection, when he should have given Walker no chance.

Colchester then fashioned a fantastic opportunity when Garvan was left all alone at the back post from a three on one break, only to completely miss his kick allowing Luton to hack clear.

Finally the game showed brief signs of opening up, Alex Gilliead's 55th minute strike into Walker's grateful gloves, with Johnstone flashing over Walton's bar too, while Gilliead's dangerous free kick was just cleared away from under the uprights.

Town had a wonderful chance on 69 minutes as a corner broke to Johnny Mullins in glaring isolation, only for the centre half to fail in his aim at replicating his striker against Solihull, blazing wildly into the stands.

Late on, Luton huffed and puffed, although never seriously looked like picking up the three points, and in the end, they didn't even leave with one, Slater half-volleying into the bottom corner from 18 yards when a corner was cleared in his vicinity.

Hylton almost grabbed a stoppage time leveller, as he appeared to have been hauled down in the act of shooting, but Ward waved away the protests, with sub Isaac Vassell acting as peacemaker to prevent Town's striker seeing a needless red for his complaints.

Hatters: Christian Walton, Glen Rea, Johnny Mullins, Scott Cuthbert (C), Stephen O'Donnell, Olly Lee (Jordan Cook 87), Cameron McGeehan, James Justin, Alex Gilliead (Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu 81), Danny Hylton, Jack Marriott (Isaac Vassell 66).

Subs not used: Liam Gooch, Jonathan Smith, Jack Senior, Jake Gray.

Colchester: Sam Walker, Richard Brindley (Kane Vincent-Young 90), Tom Lapslie (C), Frankie Kent, Brennan Dickenson, George Elokobi, Denny Johnstone (Chris Porter 81) Tom Eastman, Owen Garvan, Craig Slater (Drey Wright 88), Kurtis Guthrie.

Subs not used: Alex Wynter, Dillon Barnes, Lloyd Doyley, Tarique Fosu.

Attendance: 9,164 (490 away).

Booked: Hylton 23, Elokobi 23, Eastman 60, Garvan 69, Justin 80.

Referee: Gavin Ward.

Jones felt U’s defeat was like a ‘knife to the heart’

A ‘devastated’ Hatters boss Nathan Jones felt this afternoon’s 1-0 home to defeat by Colchester was like a ‘knife to the heart’.

The Luton chief saw his side beaten by Craig Slater’s late half volley as they fell eight points behind the automatic promotion places.

A downbeat Jones said: “I’m devastated. I felt we lacked a killer instinct, but apart from that, I think we controlled the game.

“I never imagined, not naively, but never imagined we were under any pressure or any problems, it’s just a hard one to take.

“We must have had 20 set-plays today, they’ve had one or two. They’ve scored from a second phase one, someone going to sleep and that’s killed us.

“I wouldn’t say it’s quite smash and grab, but it feels like that.

“All the play we’ve had, pressure we’ve had, chances we’ve had, on another day we would have had two or three,

“But I’m just really disappointed as overall our performance was what we expect, no problem with the performance, the pressing, the way we got into real good situations and had some great chances.

“I don’t know how we’ve lost it and that’s why it’s like a knife to the heart to be honest.

“I can’t be too down though, I’m trying to curtail my own disappointment, because they’re a great group.”

Jones was once again critical of the officials, exchanging strong words with referee Gavin Ward at the final whistle who he felt, along with their United, did their best to stop the flow of the game.

The boss continued: “The thing I was saying about the referee was it’s his job to control the game. When he’s taking ages to do everything, it just kills the tempo.

“Some people play that way. When we go away, we don’t kill the tempo, unless we’re two up and there’s three or four minutes to go, we don’t kill the game.

“They’re taking ages on everything which is their prerogative, but it’s up to the ref to just keep the tempo as there’s nine and a half thousand people here who came to see a football match.

“At least he can do is make sure we see two teams competing. I everything’s just laboured, it’s difficult to create a tempo, so we ask the ref to control that, I feel he didn’t and that’s not Colchester’s fault, that’s the ref’s.”

Although to many, the U’s appeared one of the few sides who hadn’t come to Kenilworth Road with the sole objection of spoiling the game, Jones felt that despite what he thought were further time-wasting tactics on display, his side had done enough to gain all three points.

He added: “Another side came here, slowed the game down again, took the sting out of the game, so we had to build the flow all the time.

“I felt we did that, we just needed to get the first goal. If we don’t get that first goal, it gives sides something to cling on to and to spoil a game and so on.

“Then we get hit by the sucker punch, but that happens, good luck to them. They’ve got a decent shape, they’re in decent form, but I felt at times we controlled the game, never felt we were under any pressure whatsoever.

“Danny Hylton’s had one (chance), so has Johnny Mullins, so we’ve had some good opportunities to win the game, but we haven’t and it’s disappointing, really disappointing.”

Craig Slater's late winner condemns Hatters to home defeat

SO this is Christmas! Stodge at breakfast, stodge at dinner, stodge at the football – turkey all round.

Craig Slater's 84th minute cracker consigned Luton to their second defeat and just one point in their last three League Two games at Kenilworth.

You can pick over the bones as much as you like but, in terms of their automatic promotion hopes, it is simply not good enough.

Main course among the home soil leftovers was a real lack of intent and, more crucially, goals in the first half.

Not for the first time, a familiar theme of passing around the back line brought nothing but groans and it's as if the Hatters are happy to forego the first 45 minutes. Here, against a far from outstanding Colchester outfit, they even waited until the last 20 minutes to kick into something approaching life.

For the last ten minutes, including five minutes of injury time, that was only because they realised the jig was up after Slater slammed in the winner.

And there was no more goodwill extended to them by the League Two top three, who had previously been kind enough to slip up when Town had. But this result saw Luton fall eight points adrift of the automatic promotion places. It will be some 2017 if they can catch Plymouth, Doncaster or Carlisle from this position. It doesn't look likely at the moment.

With Barnet next to visit Kenilworth Road on New Year's Eve, the Hatters need to order from a different menu because none of the 8,674 home fans in attendance like the taste of no goals before half time or the frequency that it is served up.

For the fourth time this term in the league they were missing at full time as well, but they had two big chances and should have won. Even when Danny Hylton and Johnny Mullins passed them up, there seemed no real sign of a sting in the tail – but so it proved.

Boss Nathan Jones kept an unchanged side with the 3-1-4-2 that did for Blackpool last weekend, and rightly so, but there was none of that excitement. None of anything, really.

The Boxing Day malaise kicked in from the start as home shot-stopper Christian Walton was the busier albeit with little to really worry about.

Hylton had one shot saved before the Hatters hitman ended his five-game clean streak with his ninth – and most undeserved – caution of the campaign, edging him one booking away from another suspension. He and Frankie Kent hit the deck together after contesting a high ball, rolling over each other in a mass of arms and legs, which the Colchester centre half emerged clutching his head. The Town forward was furious at the defender's reaction and justifiably so as there was nothing in it, but referee Gavin Ward bought the theatrics and cautioned the striker after struggling to bring to order the two sets of bickering players.

At least the second half saw more excitement, if not quality, with Colchester's Denny Johnstone flailing unconvincingly with the goal at his mercy.

Then Luton passed up big chance number one. Jack Marriott and Hylton picked the pocket of last man Kent, but the latter could only trickle a shot towards stopper Sam Walker.

That miss was quickly usurped by United's Owen Garvan who comically kicked nothing but air.

Mullins then blasted well over after the ball dropped to him from a corner from six yards out. That was big chance number two gone and the Christmas decorations will be down long before that shot ever touches terra firma.

On balance of those two squandered second half chance alone, a stalemate would have been a poor result for Town – but it got so much worse when Slater punished them with a sucker punch.

That it even got to that stage will leave a nasty taste in the mouth that will repeat on them all week.

Luton: Walton, O'Donnell, Mullins, Cuthbert, McGeehan, Hylton, Marriott (Vassell, 66), Gilliead (Mpanzu, 81), Rea, Lee (Cook, 87), Justin Unused subs: Smith, Gray, Senior, Gooch

Colchester: Walker, Brindley (Vincent-Young, 90), Lapslie, Kent, Dickenson, Elokobi, Johnstone (Porter, 81), Eastman, Garvan, Slater (Wright, 88), Guthrie Unused subs: Wynter, Barnes, Doyley, Fosu

Referee: Gavin Ward

Attendance: 9,164 (490)

Hatters boss Nathan Jones 'devastated' as his side slump to a second home defeat in three games

BOSS Nathan Jones was "devastated" after his Luton side slumped to a second home defeat in three League Two games thanks to a later Colchester United stinger.

The Hatters had the better of the second period after a turgid opening 45 minutes but were stunned by Craig Slater in an 84th minute after Danny Hylton and Johnny Mullins had both passed on great chances to put Town in command.

"I don't know how we've lost it. It's a knife to the heart, if I'm honest," said Jones, adding: "I'm devastated. I felt we lacked a killer instinct, as apart from that we controlled the game.

"I never that we were under any pressure or any problems, as it's a hard one to take.

"We've gone to sleep on a set-play, we must have had 20 set-plays today, they've had one or two, they've scored from a second phase one.

"Someone's gone to sleep and that's killed us. On another day we would have had two or three, as we got into real good situations and had some great chances.

"Danny Hylton's missed one, so has Johnny Mullins, so we've had some good opportunities to win the game but we haven't taken and it's really disappointing."

The result saw the Hatters fall eight points adrift of the top three automatic promotion spots, which was the aim at the beginning of the season.

Jones said: "It just adds to the frustration because it will be relevant come May, but I'm more frustrated about the fact that we haven't won a game. We've lost a game. It's not quite smash and grab but it feels like that. I didn't envisage us under any threat whatsoever and that's the way it has been."

At full time, the Luton manager raged at referee Gavin Ward and he said afterwards: "It's his job to control the game and when he's taking ages to do everything, it just kills the game, it kills the tempo. Some people play that way but when we go away we don't kill the tempo.

"They're [Colchester] taking ages on everything, which is their prerogative, but it's up to the ref to keep the tempo.

"There were nine-and-a-half thousand people here. They came to see a football match. The least they can see is two teams competing, but if everything is just laboured, it's difficult to do it to tempo.

"We asked the ref to control that, I felt he didn't and that's not the coach's fault, that's the ref's."