Luton Town FC vs Coventry City (16th Mar 2021)

Match Report | Luton Town 2-0 Coventry City

First-half goals from Bree and Adebayo earn the Hatters all three points

A strong performance and first-half red card for Coventry City helped the Hatters on their way to a fully deserved 2-0 win over Coventry City under the lights at Kenilworth Road.

James Bree’s first goal for the club, indeed his first ever in senior football, was followed up by an Elijah Adebayo penalty before the Hatters saw out the second half with relative ease.

Manager Nathan Jones was forced into one change from Saturday’s defeat to Swansea City, replacing the injured Dan Potts with Glen Rea, who slotted into the middle of the back-three.

After January deadline day Adebayo forced an early fumble from Coventry goalkeeper Ben Wilson, both sides hit the woodwork in a remarkable two-minute spell.

It was the Hatters who came close first after a Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall out-swinging free-kick was turned onto the post and then the bar by Coventry defenders, before Maxime Biamou hit the post for the visitors after being released through on goal.

Seven minutes later and Biamou had another chance after once again being released through on goal, this time firing wide in what was another early let off for the Hatters.

After a frustrating 90 minutes against Swansea on the weekend where manager Jones rued his side's lack of cutting edge, the Hatters took the lead through James Bree.

Jordan Clark won possession in Luton’s half and fed Harry Cornick down the left, who drove forward and delivered to find Bree at the back post who fired home right footed for that maiden goal on his 163rd senior appearance.

Despite Town taking the lead, Coventry continued to threaten the back three, with Biamou again having an opportunity to fire towards goal from the edge of the box. After winning the initial knock-down from a goal kick, Coventry’s centre-forward fed Gustavo Hamer who raced in behind, pulling back into Biamou, but his shot was deflected over the bar by a resolute Matty Pearson.

As the game entered the latter stages of the first-half, Luton were awarded a penalty with Coventry’s Kyle McFadzean being sent off for a handball on the line.

Clark delivered a deep cross from the left that saw Adebayo force another fumble from ‘keeper Wilson, with the ball dropping to Cornick, whose scuffed shot was handled on the line by Coventry’s skipper.

Adebayo stepped up to take the penalty, coolly slotting home into the bottom right corner and giving the Hatters a two-goal advantage going into half-time.

With Luton looking to push on in the second half and take advantage of the extra man, they came close to extending their lead five minutes in after Coventry remarkably hit their own woodwork for the third time of the game following a Luton corner, with Glen Rea firing the follow-up over the bar.

After an extended spell of pressure from the visitors, the Hatters broke free with 20 minutes remaining. This time it was Ryan Tunnicliffe who came close to giving the Hatters the third goal they wanted after Cornick was released down the right flank, with Coventry half-clearing his low cross straight into the path of Tunnicliffe, whose shot was blocked on the line by Leo Ostigard.

The Hatters were really starting to exploit their man advantage and a few minutes after Tunnicliffe came close, Clark was found at the back post by a deep Dewsbury-Hall cross, volleying towards goal with ‘keeper Wilson saving well.

The Town controlled the game as the clock ticked down, introducing James Collins and Sam Nombe with ten minutes to play and the pair provided fresh energy up front, with both players going close in the final seconds of stoppage time after Dewsbury-Hall crossed in low from the left.

Next up, Luton travel to Preston North End and will be looking to follow up a strong midweek showing with another three points.

TOWN: Sluga, Rea, Pearson, Naismith, Bree, Clark, Dewsbury-Hall, Tunnicliffe, Mpanzu, Cornick (Nombe 81), Adebayo (Collins 81).

Subs not used: Shea, Cranie, Berry, Moncur, LuaLua, Morrell, Ince.

Yellows: Pearson, Nombe.

Goals: Bree (22), Adebayo (Pen 41)

COVENTRY: Wilson, Ostigard, McFadzean, Kelly (C), Biamou (Walker 72), O’Hare (Godden 72), Hyam, McCallum, Dabo (Da Costa 62), James, Hamer (Sheaf 62).

Subs not used: Marosi, Allen, Pask, Shipley

Reds: McFadzean

Nathan Jones' reaction to Coventry City win

The gaffer was pleased with this evening's victory...

Manager Nathan Jones reflected positivity on this evening's victory after his side deservedly beat Coventry City at Kenilworth Road.

Two goals in the first half from James Bree – his first senior goal – and Elijah Adebayo earned the Hatters a first win in three matches and moved them up to 13th position in the Sky Bet Championship.

Speaking post-match, the gaffer was relieved his side overcame early scares to produce a dominant performance, saying: “We got away with one in terms of when they hit the post but I thought we deserved that bit of luck. Performance levels I thought were excellent and the pleasing thing is they were playing with a bit of freedom second half and sometimes it is difficult.

"You have to stay calm, you have to make the right decision and I think we did. The coaching staff make the right decision, we went to a diamond and nullified their central numbers and we were excellent, it should have been far more comfortable.

“It was probably a little bit more open than we would have liked first half. Structurally we were fine it was just the centre-forward got in too easily and that is something we want to rectify because that wasn’t good enough.

"We were clinical and I thought we moved the ball really well. I thought we were a threat first half and second half, once they went down to ten-men, I felt we were dominant, especially when we tweaked things slightly.”

https://issuu.com/lutontownfc/docs/coventry_e-programme_bcd - programme

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZRZKI1rZMY – Nathan Jones interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2LtmHjCgV8 – match highlights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmBpM1XeRWE – reverse angle

Hatters back to winning ways as they see off Sky Blues

Championship: Luton Town 2 Coventry City 0

A first senior goal from James Bree and Elijah Adebayo's penalty saw Luton put another welcome three points on the board as they beat struggling Coventry City in an entertaining affair at Kenilworth Road this evening.

After a first half in which the hosts could have found themelves trailing had Sky Blues forward Maxime Biamou located the target on three presentable occasions, they managed to lead 2-0 at the break, facing 45 minutes against 10 men with Kyle McFadzean dismissed for deliberate handball.

The margin of victory should have been far greater during the second half once Town changed shape again to nullify their opponents, but a number of glorious opportunities were spurned, leaving boss Nathan Jones thankful they had beaten keeper Ben Wilson twice before the interval.

Luton made just one change to their side for the contest, Glen Rea replacing Dan Potts who hadn't recovered from his head injury suffered against Swansea City on Saturday.

Town made a bright start, Harry Cornick unable to pick out Ryan Tunnicliffe after breaking away on the left and then Coventry keeper Wilson failing to gather under pressure from Adebayo, Bree's ball back in missing the lurking Cornick.

A free kick by Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall saw City saved by their woodwork not once but twice from sliced clearances by their own defenders, as they eventually managed to clear the danger.

With 12 minutes gone, the visitors should have been ahead as Town's offside trap failed badly, with Callum O'Hare playing Biamou clean through.

The attacker beat Simon Sluga but saw his shot cannon off the post and away, with the keeper able to slide in and send the ball out for a throw.

Chances kept coming at both ends in an increasingly open first half, as Luton kept the ball alive with Kal Naismith's cross headed out as far as Rea, who disappointingly slammed a volley well wide from 12 yards.

Town had yet another let-off on 18 minutes though, as once again their offside trap failed badly, Biamou faced with just Sluga once more, but on his left foot, shanked woefully off target.

However, Luton made the most of their good fortune with 23 minutes gone as Cornick escaped on the left, and this time his final ball was spot on, picking out the advancing Bree who volleyed home his first ever senior goal, although Wilson will think he could have done better.

Biamou's wastefulness in front of goal continued just before the break, as picked out by Matthew James' cut back, his low effort cannoned off a covering defender and flew behind for a corner.

It again came back to bite the visitors as on 41 minutes a deep cross by Jordan Clark was met by Adebayo who once more beat Wilson in the air.

It dropped to Cornick a few yards out, with his effort kept out by the arm of McFadzean, the centre half seeing red for his troubles, allowing Adebayo to make absolutely no mistake from the spot, a stuttering run up and cool finish arrowing into the bottom corner.

After the break, Luton's defence still didn't look sure of themselves, Matty Pearson having to make a last-ditch block to prevent O'Hare from pulling one back.

However, the hosts still had chances of their own and should really have had a third when Dewsbury-Hall's corner was flicked on to his own woodwork by Sam McCallum, Rea lifting his follow-up over.

The Sky Blues continued to look for a way back, Sluga forced to punch clear, as they didn't appear to be the ones who were a man short, Gustavo Hamer volleying tamely wide from 20 yards.

The impressive Tunnicliffe sent one potshot over, before going mightily close to a third for Luton, arrowing a drive goalwards, which was prevented by going in by a fine goal-line clearance from Leo Ostigard.

A change in shape saw Town return to a four-man defence, with Rea in the holding role, and they immediately looked more comfortable, starving the Coventry forwards of any real service, Naismith once more showing some classy touches.

Luton then finally started to regain the initiative, as they began to make their extra man count, Dewsbury-Hall lofting a cross to the back post where Clark's volley drew an excellent reflex save from Wilson, Tunnicliffe curling his attempt frustratingly over.

With both Adebayo and Cornick starting to tire, Jones threw on James Collins and Sam Nombe, the latter immediately booked for a scything challenge on Sam McCallum.

Town kept creating and missing opportunities to put the game well and truly to bed, Nombe's low cross hammered into the stands at the back post by Dewsbury-Hall.

Then in the final moments, Luton missed yet another glaring chance as Dewsbury-Hall's cross was perfect for Nombe, but he was denied a maiden Town goal by the legs of Wilson, with Collins putting his rebound well wide.

Thankfully it didn't matter as the Hatters could still reflect on a very welcome three points in the bag ahead of Saturday's trip to an out of form Preston side.

Hatters: Simon Sluga, James Bree, Matty Pearson, Glen Rea, Kal Naismith, Ryan Tunnicliffe, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Jordan Clark, Harry Cornick (James Collins 81), Elijah Adebayo (Sam Nombe 81).

Subs not used: James Shea, Joe Morrell, Tom Ince, Luke Berry, George Moncur, Kazenga LuaLua, Martin Cranie.

Sky Blues: Ben Wilson, Leo Ostigard, Kyle McFadzean, Liam Kelly ©, Maxime Biamou (Matthew Godden 72), Callum O'Hare (Tyler Walker 72), Dominic Hyam, Sam McCallum, Fanktay Dabo (Julien Dacosta 62), Matthew James, Gustavo Hamer (Ben Sheaf 62).

Subs not used: Marko Marosi, Jamie Allen, Viktor Gyokeres, Josh Pask, Jordan Shipley.

Booked: Nombe 81, Pearson 90.

Sent off: McFadzean 41.

Referee: Stephen Martin.

Luton boss knew the significance of Coventry victory

Town chief lauds players as they defeat strugglers at Kenilworth Road

Luton boss Nathan Jones hailed tonight’s 2-0 victory over Coventry City as a ‘big win’ for his side.

The Hatters climbed to 13th in the table and 15 points clear of the bottom three to banish any minor worries of flirting with the relegation this term thanks to first half goals from James Bree and Elijah Adebayo’s penalty.

They could and should have added more to the tally in the second period, missing a host of excellent chances, with Ryan Tunnicliffe denied by a goal-line clearance, Sam Nombe failing to beat keeper Ben Wilson, as James Collins and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall both missed the target too.

However, Jones, who had seen Sky Blues striker Maxime Biamou fail to score from two glorious opportunities in the first half, knew the victory was all that mattered, saying: “It was really important we won the game today.

“We’ve had back-to-back defeats, albeit against the top two, but tonight was a much better performance.

“It was a bit open early on which we didn’t really want to happen, but we were clinical in terms of what we did.

“We should have scored more, should have gone further ahead first half and then second half, once we got over their initial burst where they played with a bit of freedom, we were pretty dominant and it should have been far, far more.

“That’s the only negative to come out of the game that we weren't a little bit more clinical, a little bit more comfortable in the game and Saturday was the same thing.

“But we’re evolving at this level and we’re a different side to what we were last year, totally different.

“We’re much more front footed, much more aggressive in our press, we go after people, we’ve created 20 shots tonight, seven on target which again is not a great ratio as we should have had more, but I’m just pleased with the win and the reaction that we got.

“We don't go three, four, five on the spin without winning, that’s the good thing about us, we bounce back.

“We’ve had two tough games and should have got something out of the Swansea game categorically, but we bounced back tonight and I'm very pleased as it's a big win, a real important win and we needed to do that.”