Luton Town FC vs Fulham (26th Dec 2019)

LUTON TOWN 3 FULHAM 3

Hatters lead three times but Cottagers hit back to grab a late point

The Hatters ended a decade of home matches with a 3-3 draw against Sky Bet Championship promotion chasers Fulham this afternoon in a brilliant Boxing Day encounter.

Luton led three times with goals from Kazenga LuaLua, top scorer James Collins and substitute Harry Cornick, but each time the Cottagers hit back, levelling through Bobby Decordova-Reid and Aleksandar Mitrovic before the former broke Town hearts with a third equaliser four minutes into injury-time.

Jones made three changes to his starting line-up, with Ryan Tunnicliffe, Callum McManaman and LuaLua all returning to the starting XI in place of Jacob Butterfield, Andrew Shinnie and Harry Cornick.

The Town made a dream start on four minutes when Collins LuaLua pressed Fulham as they tried to play out in their own six-yard box. LuaLua won the ball from Ream bang in the centre of the goal, it rolled to Collins who controlled it back into LuaLua's path to stab home past Rodak, who got a touch but couldn't keep it out.

The visitors were level within five minutes when Ivan Cavaleiro crossed from the right and Decordova-Reid was allowed the freedom of the Hatters' penalty area to head past Simon Sluga.

Collins soon sent a glancing header just wide as Town continued in a positive vein, but they had to call on Sluga to race off his line and clear with his feet when Bolton's short backpass put Cavaleiro in the clear.

The Croatian keeper was soon turning a Joe Bryan 20-yarder over the bar before making a terrific one-handed save low to his right to keep out a Tom Cairney drive.

LuaLua was enjoying himself up against Cyrus Christie and in the 2st minute he sent one of several low crosses dangerously across the six-yard box that went begging.

Cairney tried his luck again in the 25th minute, but Sluga gathered on the skiddy surface at the second attempt.

The Town's lead was restored just before the half-hour when Berry's free-kick from deep on the right found James Bree challenging Alfie Mawson, and the ball spurted out to Collins, who controlled and finished into the top corner from eight yards out.

Collins thought he had his ninth of the season on 36 minutes when he met another Berry free-kick, this time from the left, and turned it in off a post, but a linesman's flag ruled this one out.

It was the best 45 minutes of the season from the Hatters at Kenilworth Road, and Jones side deservedly headed in at the break with a 2-1 lead.

Sluga had to be alert inside the first minute of the second half to first keep out Decordova-Reid and then a scramble from the resulting corner, before Bolton produced a timely block as the former Cardiff forward looked to get on the end of a cross into the box.

The Town keeper was soon tipping over another shot from Decordova-Reid, before Jones made his first change of the afternoon, Cornick coming on for McManaman in the 65th minute.

Within two minutes Decordova-Reid was repeating the same trick, this time bending a low effort wide of Sluga's far post, before Cairney fired from distance and the Hatters' stopper gathered once more.

Sluga was proving in brilliant form, pushing a Bryan piledriver away as Fulham cranked up the pressure with 20 minutes to go.

Town had a great chance to extend their lead in the 74th minute when Cornick set LuaLua free on the left from inside his own half. The forward checked back and sent in a low cross that just eluded Berry, but ran to Tunnicliffe beyond the far post. The midfielder bided his time and rounded Rodak, but his cut-back went right through the box and Cornick's effort was blocked.

Fulham were back in front in the 77th minute when, seconds after Lloyd Jones had been introduced for LuaLua, Mitrovic found a pocket of space in front of goal and headed in from close range.

The Hatters were back in front with six minutes left. Collins won the ball on the edge of his own box after a couple of scuffed clearances had gone straight to Fulham players. He laid it back for Pearson, who clipped it into the channel and Mpanzu put pressure on Ream. The Fulham centre-half's pass inside saw Berry putting pressure on the Cottagers defender, and his loose pass went straight to Cornick who slotted in his sixth goal of the season for 3-2.

Collins went close a minute later when, after Berry had produced an outrageous bit of skill on the left, he cut in and attempted a curler that just missed the top corner.

We were into the 90th minute when Cornick pounced on another mistake by Ream and raced clear, but his shot across Rodak also beat the far post.

Fulham would deal that late blow when Cordova-Reid followed up and turned in the rebound from another Sluga save to salvage a point for the visitors.

Coupled with Stoke's win at home to Sheffield Wednesday, it meant the Town dropped into the relegation zone on goal difference.

But as the final home game of a decade that kick-off here at Kenilworth Road with a 3-2 defeat to Ebbsfleet United in the Conference, the reality is that we go into that cherished year of 2020 with so much to be hopeful - and thankful - for.

TOWN: Sluga, Bolton, Pearson, Bradley (c), Bree, Tunnicliffe, Mpanzu, Berry, McManaman (Cornick 65), LuaLua (Jones 76), Collins.

Subs: Shinnie, Moncur, Butterfield, Sheehan, Stech.

Goals: LuaLua 4, Collins 28, Cornick 84

FULHAM: Rodak, Mawson, Mitrovic, Cairney (c), Ream, Decordova-Reid, Cavaleiro (Kebano 76), Reed (Knockaert 69), Christie, Bryan (Kamara 89), Onomah.

Subs: Bettinelli (GK), Johansen, O'Riley, Sessegnon.

Goals: Decordova-Reid 9, 90+5, Mitrovic 77

REFEREE: Dean Whitestone

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTojkjg_Rus – Graeme Jones interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sY3prWCzGug – match highlights

Late heartbreak for Hatters in a six-goal Christmas cracker at Kenilworth Road

Luton suffered late heartbreak as Bobby Decordova-Reid denied them a hard-fought victory after they took the lead three times against Fulham but could only take a point.

On a day of so many positives for Town, the heartbreaker, coupled with a late winner for Stoke against Sheffield Wednesday, sent them into the Championship bottom three on goal difference.

Kazenga LuaLua and James Collins put the Hatters ahead by the break while a lapse in defensive concentration had allowed the Cottagers to equalise quickly through Decordova-Reid after a lightning Luton start.

Aleksander Mitrovic levelled in the 77th minute, all too easily from a corner. And, at that point, the visitors had been dominating so there only looked one winner, but Luton, as they had for LuaLua’s opener, profited from Fulham’s propensity to play out from the back, with Harry Cornick nudging them in front again.

The forward had another golden one-on-one chance to seal victory, but he missed and Fulham struck late to take a point.

Cornick was one of three changes to the starting line-up, having to make do with a place on the bench, alongside Andrew Shinnie and Jacob Butterfield. In their place was Ryan Tunnicliffe, Callum McManaman and LuaLua. The latter took the opportunity with both hands, with a man-of-the-match performance.

In the fifth minute, he closed down Alfie Mawson in the six-yard box, his block ricocheted to Collins and the striker’s heavy first touch came back to the winger who poked in, despite Marek Rodak getting a glove on it.

By that point Fulham hard barely been in Town’s half, but the first time they got in the final third, four minutes later, it was far too easy for them.

Cyrus Christie lofted a cross into the box and there was not a Town shirt within ten yards of Decordova-Reid who headed past the otherwise outstanding Simon Sluga to level the scores.

The keeper had no chance with that but he made his mark with three fabulous interventions, first racing quickly off his line to deny Ivan Cavaleiro with his legs after a Luke Bolton mistake allowed the forward to run at goal. Then he palmed over Joe Bryan’s rasper before diving low to keep out a Tom Cairney curler.

And just for good measure the Croat got clattered by Decordova-Reid and needed Bolton to cover and hack clear after the ricochet threatened to gift Fulham an open goal.

But after the visitors looked to have gained a foothold, Town took the lead again. James Bree threw himself at a deep Luke Berry free-kick and the ball hit Collins. There was a hint of handball, but the linesman didn’t flag and the striker smashed into the top corner from close range for his eighth of the season.

He thought he’d had a ninth soon after from another Berry free-kick, when he converted in off the post, but this time the flag was raised for offside.

Yet the Hatters went into the half time interval, deservedly in the lead.

Fulham increased the pressure from the restart though misplaced passes and some fine defending, most notably from Luke Bolton to deny Decordova-Reid, kept them at relatively at arm’s length until the hour mark.

But they kept coming and the Cottagers’ forward twice fizzled curlers just off target after being allowed to cut across the 18-yard line, with Sluga adjudged to have tipped over the first. Town’s record signing then acrobatically beat away a Bryan’s blast.

Having been camped in their own half for most of the second session, Town almost scored on a breakaway when substitute Cornick found LuaLua. Ryan Tunnicliffe got in on goal and fired across the six-yard line, despite the attentions of Rodak, to Cornick whose shot was blocked and Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu ballooned his follow-up.

It was the last action for LuaLua, however, who was replaced by defender Lloyd Jones, with the intention of holding on to their lead. It lasted one minute.

Again, Fulham didn’t have to work hard for it as, from an Anthony Knockeart corner Mitrovic headed in from close range.

It was set-up for late disappointment but then Luton inflicted the kind of cock-up others have of them, all too often this term. Bryan and Ream conspired to overplay in their own box, Berry tackled and Cornick slid ball past Rodak.

The forward had a golden chance to seal the victory as the clocked ticked to 90 minutes when he robbed last man Ream to close in on goal but he fired wide.

It proved costly as, deep into a bewildering five minutes of time added on - for a game that yielded no cards, despite Fulham kicking LuaLua all over Kenilworth Road - Decordova-Reid pounced on the rebound after Sluga had kept out Aboubakar Kamara’s point-blank header.

Match facts

Luton: Sluga, Tunnicliffe, Bradley, Pearson, McManaman (Cornick, 65), Berry, Mpanzu, Collins, Bolton, LuaLua (Jones, 75), Bree

Unused subs: Stech, Shinnie, Moncur, Butterfield, Sheehan

Fulham: Rodak, Mawson, Mitrovic, Cairney, Ream, Decordova-Reid, Cavaleiro (Kebanao, 76), Reed (Knockeart, 70), Christie, Bryan (Kamara, 89), Onomah

Unused subs: Bettinelli, Johansen, O’Riley, Sessegnon,

Referee: Dean Whitestone

Attendance: 10,068 (1,032)

Luton Town boss Jones beaming with pride despite last-gasp Fulham setback

Luton Town boss Graeme Jones could not hide his pride over a 3-3 draw with Fulham, despite a 94th minute goal denying his men victory.

Town took the lead against the Londoners three times only for the visitors to hit back on every occasion.

The last goal, deep into injury time, from two-goal Bobby Decordova-Reid, stole away what would have been a famous victory.

Kazenga LuaLua opened the scoring in the fifth minute, James Collins made it 2-1 and Harry Cornick put the Hatters in the box seat with six minutes remaining of normal time.

But five minutes were added on to that and in the fourth of them Town’s hearts were broken.

However, not their manager’s.

Jones said: “We would have got beat six weeks ago – there’s enough negatives out there if you want to go searching for them.

"I was absolutely proud as punch for 97 minutes at our display in every single aspect and we’re unfortunate at the end, but we weren’t capable of getting a positive result against Fulham last time we played them.

“I think we played them nine weeks ago – the gulf is huge, the financial gulf that’s there.

"I think we bridged the gap with effort and quality at times, I would rather take the positives.

“You’ve got players, staff, a board of directors and supporters all pulling in the same direction, every single one of us. And that’s how you get out of this situation.

“All I have asked the boys it to take ownership for the same level of performance every time we play and we have got to go and do the same thing at Bristol City.

“We get that level of performance again, we are going to get points, that’s what is reassuring to me.”