Luton Town FC vs Dagenham & Redbridge (21st Oct 2014)

Luton Town 3-1 Dagenham & Redbridge

Cullen 43, 45, 69 Doidge 87

Mark Cullen scored the perfect hat-trick as the Hatters made it six League 2 wins on the spin at the expense of John Still’s former club Dagenham & Redbridge to leap into third place in the table.

After the visitors had gone close on several occasions through Jamie Cureton, the Town striker Cullen scored twice in three minutes before half-time to put the Town in charge; the first a header, the second a right-foot shot.

And Cullen, who scored 10 goals last season, took his tally this term to eight on 69 minutes with a fine left-foot strike to complete his treble.

Dagenham pulled a consolation back three minutes from time but it mattered little as the Hatters also extended their unbeaten run to eight games, in which they have taken 22 points from a possible 24.

The Town started unchanged for the first time this season after Saturday’s 2-1 win at Hartlepool, with Ricky Miller given his home debut in attack.

It was Miller who had the first chance in what was a first 40 minutes of the match dominated by the visitors, whose supporters had given former boss Still a fine reception before the game.

Miller curled a free-kick narrowly over the bar but after Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu and Andy Drury went close, the Daggers took control and the Jamie Cureton, at 39 and chasing 300 career goals, was at the heart of it.

Cureton swept a first-time shot inches wide of the target from a Matt Partridge cross on 12 minutes and 10 minutes later the striker came even closer with a fantastic shot on the bounce from the edge of the box that flew narrowly over Mark Tyler’s crossbar.

As the Town went in search of a goal themselves, ex-Dagger Luke Wilkinson nodded straight at visiting goalkeeper Mark Cousins on 24 minutes, but moments later Scott Doe, a player signed by Still, saw his close range flick cleared off the line by Jonathan Smith.

Chances continued to come, and the Town had Tyler to thank on 28 minutes when he stopped a deflected shot from Ashley Chambers.

Six minutes later and that man Cureton came close once more, Tyler again coming to the Hatters’ rescue when he dived to his left to keep out the veteran striker’s well-hit drive from the edge of the box – which was again hit first-time.

But as half-time approached the Hatters upped the ante. Cullen nodded over on 35 minutes before Smith worked an opportunity in the box only to send a tame shot into the gloves of Cousins.

However the first 45 minutes would end particularly well for the Town as they went in two goals to the good thanks to Cullen.

Drury was the architect on 43 minutes as the Hatters took the lead, the midfielder holding off several defenders before hooking over a cross to the alert Cullen who nodded home from inside the six-yard box.

And before the visitors could recover the Hatters and Cullen doubled their tally on the stroke of half-time. Smith's pass found Cullen onside and after bypassing the onrushing keeper Cousins he stroked home his seventh goal of the season into the empty net.

It was the frontman’s fourth goal in three games and put the Hatters into the driving seat at the break.

Dagenham returned to the field early for the second half and the visitors had the first chance after the restart, right-back Damien Batt testing Tyler with a rasping drive.

Michael Harriman almost handed Cureton the chance to reduce the deficit on 53 minutes only for Tyler to close down the striker, and two minutes later Still made his first change of the night, introducing Paul Benson for Miller.

Two minutes later a lovely Town move almost led to 3-0 as Drury and Smith combined to release Ruddock in the box but after dancing past one challenge the former West Ham man blasted a shot over the crossbar into the Kenilworth Road end.

The Hatters were playing some terrific football and Cullen completed his hat-trick in superb style on 69 minutes. Substitute Benson did well to win the ball back 50 yards from goal enabling Ruddock to run and cut the back ball from the byeline from the left to find Cullen who drilled an unerring first-time left-foot finish in off the underside of the crossbar.

Tyler kept out a close range header from Cureton before Smith was denied a stunning fourth goal when his venomously shot from the edge of the box thundered back off the post and away.

Smith’s midfield partner Nathan Doyle came close to making it 4-0 with six minutes left, the former Bradford man denied by a breathtaking full-length stop from Cousins.

Hat-trick hero Cullen was substituted with three minutes to go a standing ovation but within seconds of Charlie Walker’s introduction, Dagenham pulled a goal back when Doidge headed home powerfully from a left-wing cross.

As time ticked down, Cureton had the last chance of the game, a firm effort cleared off the line by Harriman and that was that as the Town moved up into third place for the first time this season.

TOWN: Tyler; Harriman, Griffiths, McNulty, Wilkinson; Doyle, Smith, Drury; Ruddock Mpanzu, Miller (sub Benson 55), Cullen (sub Walker 87). Subs not used: Justham, Guttridge, Stevenson, Wall, Lacey.

Attendance: 7,746, including 166 shouting for Dagenham.

Boss pleased with win and happy to get Daggers reunion done

In the first game against his former club Dagenham, Town boss John Still was just happy the game was out of the way.

The Hatters cruised to their sixth successive League 2 win thanks to a wonderful hat-trick from Mark Cullen.

And although Dagenham worried the Town on several occasions in the opening half the Hatters ran out worthy winners on a night of mixed emotions for Still.

“I'm just glad it’s over,” the manager said afterwards.

“I didn't enjoy the game one bit. You've got to be professional and got to do your job but I'm just glad it’s all over.

“I don’t think we were great. I think we were decent. We scored three very good goals and created four, maybe five good chances.

“I think even the players possibly sensed a touch of emotion to the game. There’s nothing you can do about that. We've won, it’s a good result, I'm glad it’s over.

“You can’t spend the amount of time that I've spent at a club, be a supporter of the club as a kid and not feel something, of course you can’t. It’s natural, but you just do your job and I'm pleased that everybody did their job today.

“I'm pleased that we've won, I'm pleased that we've played OK, I'm pleased that we've gone up a place in the league but I'm glad it’s over.”

Cullen’s treble was the obvious highlight of the night – a perfect hat-trick made up of a header, right foot and left-footed efforts.

“Cully’s electric,” Still purred. “I think he’s a terrific player. His work-rate, ball retention, his heading for someone not so big, his finishing – he’s so clinical in training.

“I can’t give you the stats exactly but goals per game ratio last season was probably quite high and he’s showing now in the Football League that he’s a very, very good player and a good finisher.”

http://www.lutontown.co.uk/news/article/dagenham-gallery-2110-2031073.aspx

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yowogMkV2Y&list=PLLprOphg_owUZIbfXMMdTNSG_QiVyP5VF

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2Fj7U060Kw&list=UUQoDXQ4Z2Ie3fTPrpjfT97w

Cullen nets perfect hat-trick as Town blunt Daggers

Striker Mark Cullen scored the perfect hat-trick as Luton Town swept aside Dagenham & Redbridge to make it six straight league wins his evening.

Hatters’ leading marksman netted a quickfire double with his head and right foot just before half time and then rifled home a left-footed strike in the second period to maintain an amazing run that has seen Luton never lose a game when he has been on target.

Luton boss John Still kept an unchanged side for the first time this season against his former club as Ricky Miller made his home debut.

The hosts were off the pace in the opening exchanges though as a lovely jinking run by Michael Harriman saw him cleverly find Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu, whose shot was blocked, with Andy Drury scooping the rebound over.

Veteran forward Jamie Cureton showed his predatory instincts, skimming narrowly wide and then displaying wonderful technique to race past Luke Wilkinson and volley just over Mark Tyler’s bar.

Wilkinson headed straight at Mark Cousins, but still Town couldn’t get going at all,.

Jonathan Smith flicked Scott Doe’s effort off the line, while Ashley Chambers, so often a foe of Hatters in the past, saw his drive saved by Tyler.

Cureton warmed Tyler’s gloves once more as the striker found the only space available in the penalty area as Luton were left feeding on scraps.

Some lovely vision from Drury picked out Smith, who cut inside the area on to his left foot, tamely shooting straight at Cousins.

Luton then took the lead in the 42nd minute out of nothing when Drury did magnificently on the by-line to dink a cross over and Cullen climbed highest to head home.

One became two in the space of 60 seconds as Harriman’s ball forward saw Cullen beat the offside trap, round Cousins expertly and slot into the empty net.

Town still struggled to build up a real tempo in the second period as Harriman sold Tyler short and Cureton nipped in, but the keeper saved.

Hatters then produced their best piece of play, breaking wonderfully at pace, with Drury and Smith sending Ruddock Mpanzu away, who rifled into the crowd when a goal would have brought the house down.

It was 3-0 on 69 minutes as Benson and Doyle did excellently to recycle possession, Ruddock Mpanzu produce the stepovers before crossing for Cullen to rifle home his hat-trick.

With the match now won, Town came close to a fourth as Smith’s angled rasper cannoned against the post and then Cousins saved superbly from Doyle’s low half volley.

Cureton still kept trying manfully as his header was grasped low down by Tyler, but Luton’s stopper was beaten thanks to Christian Doidge’s powerful close range header.

Hatters almost saw their nerves jangled even more as Cureton finally beat Tyler, only to see Harriman clear his header off the line.

The result saw Luton climb into the top three for the first time this season following Bury’s heavy defeat to Shrewsbury.

Hatters: Mark Tyler, Michael Harriman, Scott Griffiths, Steve McNulty (C), Luke Wilkinson, Nathan Doyle, Jonathan Smith, Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu, Andy Drury, Ricky Miller (Paul Benson 55), Mark Cullen (Charlie Walker 88).

Subs not used: Elliot Justham, Alex Lacey, Alex Wall, Luke Guttridge, Alex Wall.

Pools: Mark Cousins, Damien Batt, Scott Doe, Brian Saah (C), Billy Bingham, Jamie Cureton, Ashley Chambers (Ashley Hemmings 71), Nathan Green, Matt Partridge, Ade Yussuff (George Porter 53), Andre Boucaud (Christian Doidge 63).

Subs not used: Liam O’Brien, Jack Connors, Ian Gayle, Frankie Raymond.

Attendance: 7,746 (166 Daggers)

Referee: Andy Davies.

Hatters MOM: Mark Cullen. Can’t looked beyond the hat-trick hero who is bang in form now.