Luton Town FC vs Doncaster Rovers (24th Sep 2016)

PUBLISHED 18:20 24th September 2016 McGeehan and Marriott on target as Town return to form

LUTON TOWN 3 [McGeehan 36, 81 (pen), Marriott 41]

DONCASTER ROVERS 1 [Coppinger 21]

Att: 7.917 (554 away)

The Town returned to form with a bang on an action-packed afternoon in which Cameron McGeehan scored twice and Jack Marriott the other as Nathan Jones’ side came from behind to beat Doncaster 3-1.

It was a game that didn’t start well, with captain Scott Cuthbert stretchered off and taken to hospital after sustaining a neck injury in the build-up to Rovers’ 21st minute opener. And nor did it finish well, with striker Danny Hylton sent off for a second yellow card in injury-time.

But after a seven-minute hold-up while the Town skipper was treated on the pitch, and then given a standing ovation from both visiting and home fans as he was carried off, McGeehan netted his fifth and sixth goals of the season to return to the top of the scoring charts, while Marriott coolly slid in his third.

Jones made five changes to the team that went down 2-0 at Crawley, with James Justin coming in at right-back for his first Football League start after an impressive debut in the EFL Cup win over Aston Villa in August.

Cuthbert returned to the starting XI at centre-half, while Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu came into midfield and Hylton and Marriott were back in tandem up front after starting the Crawley game on the bench.

The Hatters survived a scare with just 45 seconds on the clock when John Marquis ghosted in at the far post unmarked to meet Frazer Richardson’s right-wing cross, but his header – luckily for the Town – found only the side-netting.

A minute later, Marquis’ strike partner Andy Williams reacted quickest after Cuthbert’s clearance was charged down, but on this occasion the crossbar came to the rescue from the ex-Yeovil striker’s powerful header.

Marquis managed to put the ball the ball in the net on four minutes, but an offside flag had long been raised and the Hatters could breathe a sigh of relief at the score still being goalless.

Jones’ men grew into the game and first-year pro Justin whipped in a great cross that was begging to be met by a centre-forward’s head. Unfortunately Hylton, still wearing a mask to protect his fractured cheekbone, was outside the box having sprayed the ball wide to Justin in the first place.

Rovers were looking dangerous every time they attacked and from a left-wing corner centre-half Joe Wright was the next to head goalwards, but off target.

That wasn’t the case on 21 minutes when Rovers put another ball into the Town box and, after Williams had matched the Hatters’ centre-halves physically, the ball broke to Coppinger who slammed it across Christian Walton and inside the far post.

There was a worrying seven-minute hold-up as Cuthbert was treated, and eventually stretchered off, after being injured while making a challenge to try and prevent the strike.

Alan Sheehan, who had started the previous two games after his delayed start to the campaign, slotted in on the left side of the heart of the defence with Johnny Mullins moving to the right.

Justin was seeing as much of the ball as anyone down the right, and McGeehan thundered into a challenge on Cedric Evina in an attempt to get the adrenaline flowing again after the hold-up.

It was Rovers who broke away and looked threatening again in the 33rd minute, however, as Coppinger set Williams away on the left but Olly Lee had tracked back diligently to avert the danger from his cut-back, as Marquis waited to pounce.

The Town were level on 36 minutes at the end of their first spell of sustained pressure. Mpanzu had won the initial corner by driving into the box, and Rovers never full cleared the danger. Lee and Cook kept possession down the right and fed Marriott, whose shot from outside the box was blocked.

The crowd appealed for handball against Andy Butler, but Hylton played on and spread the ball wide again to Lee, who shipped in a wonderful low cross that McGeehan finished from close range for his fifth goal of the season.

Cook was injured in the build-up and became the second Town player forced off inside the opening half, with Jake Gray coming on in midfield.

Five minutes later the Town had the upper hand and Lee was once again the architect, slipping a fine ball through the centre of the pitch which Hylton flicked into Marriott’s path, and the striker finished coolly through goalkeeper Marko Marosi’s legs.

Lee was having a terrific half at both ends of the pitch, once more sliding in to deny Coppinger a shooting opportunity after Williams had broken again, this time down the right.

The Hatters started the second half in the ascendancy and McGeehan was proving a driving force, winning the ball in his own left-back position and linking with Marriott on the left, although the latter’s attempted switch to the right was too strong for Justin.

Six minutes after the break Marosi was almost caught off guard by Mpanzu’s deflected shot from the edge of the box that looped up, and had to be fielded just under his crossbar by the visiting keeper.

McGeehan then went on a mazy run into the area and his right-footed shot was deflected just wide of the upright

Just before the hour, Walton – who had been a spectator for the most part since Doncaster’s goal – had to gather Tommy Rowe’s 20-yard curling free-kick after Sheehan had been penalised for a foul from behind on Marquis.

But the Irish defender was soon breaking quickly up the left, crossing low for Hylton to cushion a lay-off into Marriott’s path, but the striker’s volley bounced comfortably into Marosi’s hands.

Hylton then teed up former Oxford team-mate Mullins for a full-blooded attempt as Rovers’ defence put their bodies on the line to prevent the Town increasing their lead.

As Doncaster went in search of an equaliser, the Town defence were putting their own bodies on the line – as they had been all afternoon – to keep them at bay, Potts and Sheehan clashing heads as the former rose highest to head a dangerous Evina cross clear.

With ten minutes to go, Sheehan’s curling free-kick was palmed away by Marosi, but Rovers couldn’t clear the danger and ref Andy Haines pointed straight to the spot when Mpanzu tricked his way past Wright, only to be tripped just inside the area. McGeehan did the rest, emphatically, from 12 yards.

Five minutes into time added on, Walton reacted well to keep out Matty Blair’s shot, then Hylton – already facing a one-match ban after picking up his fifth yellow of the season in the first half – was shown his second of the afternoon, apparently for his reaction after sliding into an advertising board in front of the visiting fans.

Two minutes later, Walton was at his best again to keep out a volley from Marquis and then, at 5.10pm on an afternoon when the Town boys spilled blood for the cause – perhaps best summed up by Sheehan having to leave the pitch three times to change his shirt and have his head bandaged up – referee Haines blew up for the final time.

The Town had flown back up into the automatic promotion places, but thoughts were with captain Cuthbert – one of a host of Hatters heroes who’d given everything for three points.

HATTERS: Walton, Justin, Cuthbert (Sheehan 28), Mullins, Potts, Lee, Mpanzu, Cook (Gray 38), McGeehan (Gilliead 90), Hylton, Marriott. Subs: O’Donnell, Smith, Vassell, King (GK).

Yellow: Hylton

Red: Hylton (for second yellow)

DONCASTER: Marosi, Richardson (Baudry 64), Butler, Wright, Evina (Calder 65), Houghton, Blair, Rowe (Middleton 78), Coppinger, Marquis, Williams. Subs: Etheridge, Middleton, Beestin, Mandeville, Garratt.

Yellows: Evina, Wright

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjmz9x0G-JM

http://www.lutontown.co.uk/news/article/2016-17/doncaster-rovers-luton-town-league-two-3326216.aspx

League Two: Luton Town 3 Doncaster Rovers 1

A battered, bloodied and bruised Luton Town show bucketloads of character and determination to earn a 3-1 victory over Doncaster Rovers this afternoon in what turned out to be a crazy old game at Kenilworth Road.

After the visitors completely dominated the opening 25 minutes of proceedings, Hatters then saw recalled captain Scott Cuthbert stretchered off after suffering what looked like a serious head injury.

The break allowed Town to regather their thoughts and goals from Cameron McGeehan and Jack Marriott saw them somehow lead 2-1 by the time the half time whistle was blown after 11 minutes of time added on, with most supporters wondering just how their side were on level terms, let alone in front.

Hatters then had the better of the second half, with McGeehan’s penalty with 10 minutes giving them some breathing space, which they needed as another eight minutes of injury time, saw Town hanging on with Danny Hylton dismissed in stoppage time, as the final whistle wasn’t blow until the clock ticked well past five.

The hosts deserve great credit too, with physio Simon Parsell one of the most over-worked people in the ground, as he was called out at least 10 times during the game to patch up Town’s walking wounded.

Boss Nathan Jones reverted to his front-line strike force of Hylton and Marriott for the game, with young right back James Justin, who caught the eye once more, handed his full league debut in place of Stephen O’Donnell.

Cuthbert was preferred to Alan Sheehan in the centre of defence, while Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu replaced Jonathan Smith as the Luton chief changed five of the side who had lost 2-0 at Crawley last weekend.

To say the first five minutes were all Doncaster would be an understatement, as first John Marquis somehow put a header wide from two yards out, while when Cuthbert’s clearance was charged down, Andy Williams nodded against the top of the bar.

Marquis did have the ball in the net after Jordan Cook’s pass was blocked, only to see it chalked off by the linesman’s flag.

With three warning shots to their bows, Luton were struggling to get any kind of grip on proceedings, with the back four forced into a number of last-ditch clearances, as Rovers looked by far the best team to visit Kenilworth Road in the early stages.

The visitors were dominant in the air too, Joe Wright heading a corner off target, as still Hatters couldn’t enjoy any kind of meaningful possession, such was the forward press Darren Ferguson’s men were employing.

Doncaster finally made their early pressure pay on 20 minutes when Luton couldn’t clear their lines once more, and James Coppinger slammed home from close range, the goal definitely one of those marked in the ‘it was coming category’.

Skipper Cuthbert, who had injured himself moments earlier after a collision with Marquis, went down in the aftermath of the goal and needed over seven minutes of treatment before being stretched away in a neck brace and taken to hospital.

Sheehan came back for the skipper, but the stoppage didn’t appear to have loosened Rovers’ grip on the game, Williams beating the offside trap, his pull back cleared away by Olly Lee.

Hylton was then booked ruling him out of Tuesday’s trip to Hartlepool, but Luton finally came to life, McGeehan sliding in with a crunching challenge and then Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu’s rampaging run to win a corner, giving the home fans some belief.

On the back of that moment from Mpanzu, Luton levelled with 36 minutes gone, as Town finally won the ball back further up the field and Marriott’s shot was charged down.

Hylton recyled possession, fed Lee on the right and his wonderful fizzing cross was turned him home McGeehan who had once again timed his run to perfection.

Scarcely believing they were on level terms, Luton then had the temerity to take the lead four minutes before the break, with Lee once again the architect.

His low ball forward was brilliantly backheeled on by Hylton for Marriott to race clear and despite looking like he had gone too wide, kept his composure to slot a first goal at home this season.

Town’s injury problems reared their head again though as this time Cook went down with a muscle injury, Jake Gray coming on in his place.

Now ahead, Town started to settle down, as they finally went toe-to-toe with their opponents, who saw little errors, that just hadn’t looked likely early on, starting to creep into their game.

Lee in particular was impressing too, particularly with his defensive play, something that boss Jones has been publicly asking for as he slid in superbly to prevent Coppinger netting a certain goal after another incisive Donny break, while going on to make a number of crucial interventions throughout too.

After the break, Luton were clearly intent on making a better start to proceedings, with Mpanzu taking the game to the opposition once more, driving at the Donny back-line whenever the chance arose.

McGeehan carried that initiative on too, heading into the box with his shot deflecting off a defender and over the top.

With Hatters beginning to dominate proceedings, Doncaster looked a shadow of the side that started the game, restricted to very little going forward, Tommy Rowe’s free kick easy for Walton.

Sheehan was starting to motor too, clearly enhancing Town’s attacking threats, as he strode out of defence and from his cross, Hylton teed up Marriott, whose shot bounced into Marosi’s grateful gloves.

The Town sub even lined up a free kick too, as Marosi was there to palm away.

Looking a lot stronger defensively, the hosts still crucially carried a goal threat about them at al times too, with Johnny Mullins’ effort blocked.

Physio Parsell was having his work cut out, Mpanzu, Sheehan, Dan Potts and Marriott all requiring treatment as the half wore on, but thankfully they all battled on manfully with Luton having just one replacement left.

Potts and Sheehan even collided with each other, with Sheehan eventually forced to change shirt on four occasions, as blood poured out from a wound in his head.

However, Hatters had the daylight they wanted with nine minutes left as Mpanzu was slipped by Wright in full flight for a penalty, that McGeehan, at the same end he had missed recently against Wycombe, gleefully hammered into the roof of the net.

As the board read eight more minutes to play, the game took a further twist, as Hylton saw red for something the linesman flagged for, before Walton made a superb reaction stop from Marquis to prevent Luton having the nerviest of finishes.

Hatters: Christian Walton, James Justin, Dan Potts, Scott Cuthbert (C Alan Sheehan 28), Johnny Mullins, Olly Lee, Jordan Cook (Jake Gray 38), Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Cameron McGeehan (Alex Gilliead 90), Danny Hylton, Jack Marriott.

Subs not used: Craig King, Isaac Vassell, Jonathan Smith, Stephen O’Donnell.

Rovers: Marko Marosi, Andy Butler, John Marquis, Tommy Rowe (Harry Middleton 77), Andy Williams, Joe Wright, Jordan Houghton, Matty Blair, Frazer Richardson (Mathieu Baudry 64), James Coppinger (C), Cedric Evina (Riccardo Calder 65) .

Subs not used: Ross Etheridge, Tyler Garrett, Liam Mandeville, Alfie Beestin.

Bookings: Hylton 34, Evina 61, Wright 80, Potts 90. Sent off: Hylton 90.

Attendance: 7,917 (554 Doncaster).

Hatters MOM: Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu.

Manager Nathan Jones admitted that lengthy treatment for Scott Cuthbert's neck injury may have killed Doncaster's flow as his Luton side came from a goal behind to win 3-1 and leapfrog Rovers to third in League Two.

The visitors outclassed the Hatters for 20 minutes and took the lead through James Coppinger, but the home captain was struck down in the build-up and needed more than seven minutes of treatment before getting stretchered off and taken to hospital.

After the delay Cameron McGeehan got Town back on terms and Jack Marriott edge them in front before half time. The former then scored from the spot in the 81st minute, though the match ran for an additional 20 minutes of injury time as numerous Hatters required treatment throughout the game.

"[It was] a big game, a big result and we showed over the 110 minutes that we were up for it," said Jones.

Talking of the impact that the injury to his skipper had on the game, the manager said: "It might have killed their flow, it might have given us a bit of time to regroup and to settle down, so it might have helped us in hindsight. I don't actually know, but it might have. After that we were better."

Cuthbert had been restored to the starting 11 after Alan Sheehan had replaced him for the previous two games, so he could be facing more time away from action.

Jones said: "Hopefully it looked more serious than it is because, when you have a bit of a neck problem, they want to keep you straight and immobilised, so that's what the thing was. That took a little bit of time. I'm hoping it looked worse than it was. He's gone off to hospital so hopefully we can get some news after that."

Doncaster had won five of their last six games before their visit to Kenilworth Road and they looked a class act in the early stages, but Town more than matched that once they'd equalised.

"I'm very proud of them because I thought they came through a real stern test and I thought they were excellent," said Jones, adding: "They're a dangerous side, they've come down [from League One] and there are some big players in their side, but we showed a lot of character to regroup after the setbacks of the goal, losing our captain and then I thought we throughly deserved the victory.

"We finished the second half of the first half as the better side, scored two goals and then in the second half we knew they'd come out but we, actually, were the better side."

Luton Town 3 Doncaster Rovers 1

Sometimes even 20 additional minutes just isn't enough. Cameron McGeehan scored twice as Luton came from behind against promotion rivals Doncaster in an action-packed, injury-laden, magnificent afternoon to claim their first League Two victory in three outings.

It was the manner in which they stopped the rot, leapfrogged their visitors into third place and moved to within two points of the summit, which will send electric shocks of confidence through Nathan Jones' side because, for the first 20 minutes, Rovers ran them ragged. The next 70 were thrilling and more than 20 minutes of additional time in total just prolonged the drama.

The worry, when James Coppinger edged the Yorkshire side in front midway through the first half, was that they were in for a hiding but a concerning neck injury for Hatters skipper Scott Cuthbert, and seven minutes of treatment before the restart, gave the hosts time to regroup.

After that they were clinical. After that they were superb.

Town turned it around with two first half goal in five minutes and on both occasions Danny Hylton and Olly Lee were instrumental, with the midfielder – much criticised after his last Kenilworth Road outing – also registering one of his best defensive displays in a Hatters shirt.

It was the 25-year-old's smashed cross which was turned in by McGeehan and then it was his ball, soon after, that went to Jack Marriott via Hylton – who was sent off deep into second half injury in bizarre circumstances.

Before that McGeehan's 81st minute penalty had settled it and, on any other day, the length of time between goals would suggest that very little happened. Nothing could have been further from the truth.

Remarkably, they were still playing beyond 5pm as Luton physio Simon Parsell was given almost as much time on the pitch as the players he had to treat with alarming regularity.

Jordan Cook limped off injured in the first half and Alan Sheehan, on for Cutbert, finished with a Terry Butcher-esque head bandage – minus the copious amounts of claret – but, it would be easier to name the players that didn't require medical assistance in a game that was far from dirty.

Hatters boss Jones made five changes to the side the slumped 2-0 at Crawley, with Hylton, Marriott, Cuthbert, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu and James Justin returned to the starting line-up, the latter for his full Football League debut.

It was a baptism of fire for the 18-year-old as Luton's goal led a charmed life from the first minute. John Marquis nodded wide when it looked easier to score and Andy Williams' header clipped the top of the bar soon after.

Rovers simply outclassed Town is all departments in the early stages and they deservedly took the lead when Coppinger capitalised on chaos in the box. In the process, Cuthbert – who had injured himself moments before in a halfway line clash with Marquis – hit the deck and didn't get up, requiring seven minutes of treatment before being stretchered off to concerned applause.

The lengthy stoppage proved a blessing in disguise for Luton as, from out of nowhere, they pulled themselves level through McGeehan and five minutes later took the lead through Marriott.

They held that confidently throughout the second period as players began dropping like flies, but the game was put to bed when Joe Wright tripped Mpanzu in the penalty area. And, having missed his last spot-kick against Wycombe, McGeehan stepped up and smashed this one straight down the middle.

Deep into injury time Hylton – who'd already earned a one-match suspension for his fifth caution of the campaign – was sent off when, in frustration, he appeared to throw an object that he'd found off the pitch, having been nudged into the Oak Road advertising hoardings. He'll miss two matches now.

Keeper Christian Walton – a spectator for much of the match – preserved Town's two-goal lead with an instinctive block from Marquis late on, but the result never looked in doubt as yet more injury time was added on.

Then again, this was one of those afternoons no-one of a Hatters persuasion would have wanted to end.

Luton Town: Walton, Potts, Mullins, Cuthbert (Sheehan, 29), McGeehan (Gilliead, 89), Hylton, Cook (Gray, 37) Marriott, Mpanzu, Lee, Justin

Unused subs: O'Donnell, Smith, Vassell, King

Doncaster Rovers: Marosi, Butler, Marquis, Rowe (Middleton, 77), Williams, Wright, Houghton, Blair, Richardson (Baudry, 64), Coppinger, Evina (Calder, 64)

Unused subs: Etheridge, Garrett, Mandeville, Beestin

Referee: Andy Haines

Attendance: 7,917 (554)