Luton Town FC vs Coventry City (14th Sep 2022)

Report | Luton Town 2-2 Coventry City

Town led twice against Coventry City at Kenilworth Road tonight, but still await that elusive first home win of the season after Carlton Morris' brace was cancelled out by the visitors.

Morris opened the scoring in the fourth minute, then restored it just 15 minutes in after City's Viktor Gyokeres had levelled, only for Gustavo Hamer to hit a stunning second equaliser just after the hour.

Captain Sonny Bradley returned to the heart of defence, slotting in alongside Gabe Osho and Dan Potts. Supplying the width was James Bree and Fred Onyedinma, the latter who making his first start of the season.

The midfield three of Allan Campbell, Jordan Clark and Luke Freeman remains, whilst Harry Cornick partners Carlton Morris up front.

Elijah Adebayo is amongst the subtitutes, so too is midfielder Henri Lansbury as the Hatters continue their search for a first home win of the season.

The visitors should have been in front inside the opening minute as Viktor Gyokeres raced onto a ball over the top but put his shot wide of the post as Ethan Horvath raced out to narrow the angle.

Within three minutes the Hatters had the lead and it was top scorer Morris who netted for the third home game in a row, blasting a right-footed shot past Sky Blues keeper Ben Wilson after Onyedinma laid Cornick's lofted cross into his path.

Gyokeres spurned another glorious chance to score with a free header straight at Horvath, before he did level in the 11th minute, racing onto a Ben Sheaf through ball and slotting past Horvath from just inside the box.

The Hatters regained the lead on the quarter-of-an-hour mark and once again it was that man Morris, taking a wonderful reverse pass from Cornick into the area and slipping a left-footed finish past Wilson into the bottom corner.

It was a breathless opening period with defences far from being on top of their game, but it was making for a thriller under the lights with Coventry justifiably feeling aggrieved at being behind, while the Hatters threatened every time they went forward too.

Onyedinma whipped one cross in from the left that had to be turned behind, then a flowing move down the same flank resulted in the wideman playing Freeman in to win a corner, which Potts almost forced in with his left foot after winning the initial header at the far post!

Onyedinma somehow found his way into referee Andy Davies' notepad for re-entering the play without permission after going off for treatment following a clash of heads with Matt Godden, and he continued to provide the Town's major threat with his tricky runs down the left.

Town almost had a third three minutes into added time at the end of the first half when Potts rose to meet a cross from James Bree, only for the post to deny him a second goal of the season, but Town were more than happy to head into the break with a lead.

Jones made a change at half-time, bringing Adebayo into the action in place of Cornick, but the Hatters had Horvath to thank for keeping the lead intact when Gyokeres drove in from the left flank to tee Jamie Allen up for a shot that the USA keeper flew to his left to tip over the bar.

Bradley did well to block a Gyokeres effort as Coventry threatened again on 58 minutes, and it was just after the hour that the visitors drew level again with a wonderful strike from Gustavo Hamer that gave Horvath no chance from fully 25 yards.

Onyedinma had the Town's first attempt of the second half with 72 minutes on the clock, but Coventry were well in the ascendancy and were soon threatening again at the other end, Sheaf unable to keep his shot down.

Jones brought Henri Lansbury and Amari'i Bell on for Freeman and Onyedinma, and with just under ten minutes to go Town had a huge appeal for a penalty turned down as Clark played a one-two with Adebayo and sent an effort curling towards goal, only for Kyle McFadzean to spread himself full length to block the shot, seemingly with his hand.

Ref Davies waved the Town appeals away, then Coventry survived the resulting corner as Potts headed towards goal, only to see the ball cleared off the line and eventually away from danger.

GOALS:

LT - Morris 4, 15

CC - Gyokeres 11, Hamer 61

ATT: 9,546 (1,028 away)

Nathan Jones on Coventry draw

Manager Nathan Jones was frustrated his side couldn’t gain control and seize an opportunity to record a first home win of the season against Coventry City this evening.

In an end-to-end encounter, the away side fought back twice after Carlton Morris scored his fourth and fifth Luton goals and the boss was disappointed his team couldn’t implement their usual style during a breathless 90 minutes, which was open from start to finish.

“We had no control in the game.” Jones said post-match. “It stemmed from our back three not being dominant enough. All four centre forwards looked a real handful tonight, ours and theirs to be fair. From our point of view, our back three weren’t dominant enough and we couldn’t really get on the front foot and press which caused us a real issue.

“Every time we turned the ball over, they looked a threat. We led twice, had a glorious chance with Elijah to have made it three, should have had a penalty at the end. It is madness, just crazy how that isn’t given but realistically second half they could have won it, or we could have won it, it was too open really.”

Harry Cornick made his second league start of the season after returning from a hamstring injury but was forced off as a precaution at half-time with the same problem.

“He just had a tight hamstring. He has just come back from a hamstring injury but we couldn’t risk him, we have to make a change and we have the squad to be able to do that. that’s all it was just precaution.

At the minute Harry is trying to get fitness but we need to find a partnership, someone who is with Carlton (Morris) scoring goals as well because he can’t share that burden on his own. He’s doing wonderfully well, his hold-up play, his link play, everything is fantastic and he is everything we brought him in for.”

A quick turnaround means the Hatters are back in action at Kenilworth Road on Saturday afternoon and the Welshman added: “We have to be better than we were tonight to be honest with you, especially defensively. We can’t keep conceding two goals at home and expect to win games, that is not the type of team we are.

“We do like to score goals, but we like to keep clean sheets. We pride ourselves on being aggressive, fit and strong, we had 19 clean sheets last year and it’s two we kept so far, which isn’t good enough at this level to improve.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMzR4PakT-M – Match highlights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLkYnj8QlXc – Nathan Jones interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBg0KwxvVyY – Fred Onyedinma interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQc2QcKf5ro – Carlton Morris goals

Morris at the double but Luton let the lead slip twice against Coventry as their search for a home win continues

Championship: Luton Town 2 Coventry City 2

Luton's inability to keep hold of a lead on home soil came back to bite them once more this evening, as twice they let the advantage slip to be held by basement side Coventry City, seeing their lengthy wait for a first victory at Kenilworth Road this term stretch to five matches.

On a night where defending left plenty to be desired, Carlton Morris's first half double looked like it was going to lead the Hatters to three valuable points, until Gustavo Hamer curled home a magnificent strike in the second period to end a run of four straight league defeats for the visitors, who went into the contest with just one point to their name.

Town boss Nathan Jones had made three changes for the fixture, captain Sonny Bradley back in along with Fred Onyedinma and Harry Cornick, Tom Lockyer, Amari'i Bell and Elijah Adebayo dropping to the bench.

City should have been celebrating within the opening 60 seconds though, striker Viktor Gyokeres easily and worryingly outpacing the recalled Bradley, despite Town's skipper having a head-start.

Unable to put a challenge in for fear of being sent off, the centre half had to watch, as Kenilworth Road held their breath waiting for the net to ripple, only to see the Sky Blues forward scuff woefully wide with just Ethan Horvath to beat.

Luton made them pay instantly, Cornick showing superb perseverance on four minutes to wrap his foot around a ball on the byline, sending over a hanging cross that Onyedinma was underneath, the ball ricocheting off his thigh and falling for Morris to slam home his third goal in three home games, Ben Wilson unable to keep his piledriver out.

The visitors weren't daunted though, creating chances, good ones at that, Gyokeres putting a free header at Horvath, as Bradley continued to struggle with the pace of the forward, appearing to pull up with an injury.

Staying on though, Town's lack of athleticism in defence was shown on 11 minutes when Dan Potts, again with a sizeable advantage over Gyokeres, never looked like taking charge, the Coventry forward easing past him and this time making no mistake, confidently beating Horvath.

However, just when it looked like City were about to settle into the ascendancy, the Hatters were in front once more with 14 gone, a bouncing ball deceiving the visitors defence.

Cornick seized upon it and played a perfect reverse ball for strike partner Morris, who with his confidence through the roof, simply side-footed into the bottom corner for his fifth of the season already.

With the game now looking like it could be any score, Jordan Clark tried his luck from distance, firing over, Cornick unable to quite reach James Bree's dangerous cross that had eluded Wilson.

A deep corner almost led to Luton moving 3-1 ahead on 20 minutes, Potts winning the header and also the loose ball, nearly atoning for his earlier error, only to see a close range attempt repelled by Wilson.

Gustavo Hamer was hopefully over from 30 yards, but on the stroke of half time, Town were a whisker away from extending their advantage, Bree's instinctive cross from the right met by Potts, his glancing header hitting the outside of the post.

Town made a change at the break, Adebayo on for Cornick who had a tight hamstring, but City and Gyokeres in particular continued to look exceedingly dangerous, the menacing Swedish forward beating Gabe Osho this time and teeing up Jamie Allen, denied by a splendid tip over from Horvath.

Hatters boss hits out at 'bonkers' and 'crazy' decision not to award Luton a late penalty in Sky Blues draw

Town manager can’t believe handball wasn’t spotted

Luton boss Nathan Jones blasted the ‘bonkers’ and ‘crazy’ decision by referee Andy Davies when failing to award the Hatters a penalty in last night’s 2-2 draw against Coventry City at Kenilworth Road.

With eight minutes to go and the scores level, midfielder Jordan Clark burst into the box, and unleashed a low shot that had every chance of making it 3-2 until a sprawling defender Kyle McFadzean blocked his effort behind.

The only problem was that he did so quite clearly with his hands, producing a stop that Sky Blues keeper Ben Wilson would no doubt have been proud of, as Town’s players, supporters and management staff’s vociferous appeals all fell on deaf ears, the official only awarding a corner.

Speaking afterwards, a furious Jones said: “We should have had a pen at the end, it’s madness, it’s bonkers, it’s just crazy how that isn’t given.

“It’s a great save if you’re a goalkeeper, he got two hands on it.

“It’s not a hard decision, that’s the thing, and once again we’re here.

"I know it’s hard for them, I get it, he’s a good referee, a lovely guy, he didn’t mean to not give it, but you’ve got to get them right as that’s another one.

“Sheffield United (offside goal) and that, we should be sitting on four points more from two of the last three home games

“I’m very critical of myself tactically, I’m very critical of certain things, I’ve been critical of certain elements of my players tonight, but they’ve (officials) got to look at themselves as that’s not good enough, that can't happen at this level, it's not good enough.”

When asked if he had spoken to the officials following the game, Jones continued: “I’ve been into see him, you can show them a still, he's actually dived, he’s got two hands on it, we've got the still, he's got two hands on the ball.

“It’s a wonderful save but it's a stonewall penalty.

“It's a game changing moment, and that's the disappointing thing as they get that right and we come in here and say we haven't been fluent, we can do a lot of things better but we’ve scored three goals at home.

“You expect to win when you score three goals at home, but we didn't and it compounded a poor night.”