Luton Town FC vs Grimsby Town (23rd Dec 2017)

MATCH REPORT: LUTON TOWN 2 GRIMSBY TOWN 0

Luke's beauty makes it a Berry Merry Christmas for table-topping Hatters!

Hatters fans were set up for a Berry merry Christmas as Nathan Jones’ men moved four points clear at the top of Sky Bet League Two with a 2-0 win over Grimsby – with Luke Berry netting a first-half beauty to send them on their way.

The 25-year-old’s sixth goal of the season put the Town 1-0 up before half-time, a wonderful curling effort from 25 yards reminiscent of his hat-trick clinching strike in the 7-0 October win over Stevenage.

James Collins, making his first start since suffering a hamstring injury in the 2-2 draw at Cheltenham six weeks ago, then made sure of the win on the hour with a bullet header as the Town opened up a ten-point gap over fourth place, keeping an 11th league clean sheet of the season in the process.

Jones made two changes to his line-up, one enforced at right-back, where James Justin came in for Jack Stacey, who was serving the first match of a three-game suspension for his straight red card at Forest Green last Saturday.

The other change from last week’s 2-0 win was up front, where James Collins – who appeared as a substitute at the New Lawn – came in for Elliot Lee, making his first start since suffering a hamstring injury in the 2-2 draw at Cheltenham six weeks ago.

The Town came quickly out of the blocks, Olly Lee dancing his way into the box with just a minute on the clock and sending a right-footed shot on goal, but visiting centre-half Danny Collins got back to block in the six-yard box.

Jones’ men were moving the ball with pace and precision, especially Dan Potts and Luke Berry as they linked up to great effect down the left, but didn’t create any other clear-cut chances early on, with Glen Rea and Danny Hylton both failing to get a shot away after Johnny Mullins headed an Alan Sheehan corner back across goal.

Grimsby threatened in the 21st minute when Luke Summerfield drove inches wide of Marek Stech’s right post from range, then Sheehan threw himself in the way of Zak Mills’ 20-yard shot.

Town were still keeping possession well and a great spell of football in the 27th minute, with Shinnie and Potts trading passes on the left, saw the ball moved between Mullins, Sheehan and Rea and ended with Olly Lee firing a 20-yard rocket at goal that Grimsby left-back Ben Davies did well to get his head in the way.

From the resulting corner, Mullins headed Sheehan’s delivery back across goal once more, but Collins’ left-foot volley was blocked by Mitch Rose.

Just before the half-hour Potts met another deep Sheehan delivery with a looping header that was set for the top corner, only for McKeown to get there and punch it over.

Justin sent in a 34th-minute cross from the right that Collins volleyed high over the bar, but the striker would play a creator’s role as the breakthrough came in the 40th minute, following a wonderful bit of football that started with Marek Stech at the back, with Rea and Olly Lee playing through the thirds to Collins.

Berry was the executor, picking up a terrific pass from the former Crawley man 35 yards from goal and driving forward, before bending a beauty into the far corner as Grimsby keeper McKeown stood rooted to the spot.

The Town were intent on getting a second, Hylton bursting down the right within a minute and cutting the ball back for Olly Lee, but the midfielder’s right-footed shot was always on the rise.

Fully deserving of their half-time lead, the Hatters came out for the second half looking to double it, Hylton snaking his way across the edge of the box after cutting in from the left, but seeing his low shot flash just past the post.

Grimsby reminded the Town defence they had to be on their guard in the 52nd minute as striker Jamille Matt, the former Blackpool man, received a low ball into his feet and shot on the turn from an acute angle, hitting the outside of Stech’s post.

Mullins and Sheehan put their bodies on the line three minutes later to block a Sam Jones effort and a powerful cross-shot from Diallang Jaiyesimi, and by the hour mark, the Town had a two-goal advantage.

Shinnie pressed the Grimsby defence as they tried to get out of their left-back area and drew a foul. Sheehan made his way forward and arced a beautiful inswinging delivery towards the centre of goal where Collins met it with a bullet header into the bottom corner from six yards.

The Town were enjoying themselves now, and Rea – dominant in midfield – sprayed a superb 40-yard ball out to Potts on the left, with the full-back playing a one-two with Collins before racing into the area and putting an inviting cross that went begging in the six-yard box.

Jones made his first substitution on 73 minutes, replacing Shinnie – who had been booked in the first half for a foul on Dembele – with Harry Cornick, as he looked to stretch the Grimsby defence further.

Olly Lee was enjoying more and more of the ball and the midfielder’s quick feet helped create a chance for Justin on 82 minutes, but the right-back couldn’t get a shot off and gave a foul away.

Jones brought the younger Lee brother, Elliot, on for Collins in the 83rd minute, but it was Olly who had the Hatters’ next shot, turned away by McKeown’s legs at his near post, before Cornick turned sharply on the edge of the area and fired a low drive narrowly wide.

Elliot Lee might have increased the lead in injury-time, but McKeown got down to his right to palm it away and deny the Hatters sub a seventh goal of the season.

It mattered not. The Town had made it seven league games unbeaten, 11 in all competitions with nine wins among them, to strengthen their lead at the top before heading to Swindon on Boxing Day. Berry Christmas to all Hatters!

TOWN: Stech, Justin, Mullins, Sheehan ©, Potts, Rea, O Lee, Berry, Shinnie (Cornick 73), Collins (E Lee 83), Hylton (D’Ath 90+2). Subs: Mpanzu, Gambin, Famewo, Shea (GK)

Yellows: Shinnie

Goals: Berry 40, Collins 61

GRIMSBY: McKeown, Davies, Clarke ©, Collins, Rose, Jones, Mills, Summerfield, Jaiyesimi (Hooper 66), Dembele (Woolford 83), Matt (Vernon 75). Subs: Killip (GK), Osborne, Berrett, Dixon

Yellows: Clarke, McKeown

REFEREE: Chris Sarginson

ATTENDANCE: 9,102 (446 away)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JExSUmLH1Tw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_-tTSzM9PU

TOWN BOSS NATHAN JONES ON THE 2-0 WIN OVER GRIMSBY TOWN

Town boss Nathan Jones said it was a "good feeling" being top of the league over Christmas, as the Hatters ran out 2-0 winners against Grimsby Town at Kenilworth Road this afternoon.

With the game marking the halfway stage in Sky Bet League Two for this campaign, a stunning, curling effort from Luke Berry gave the Hatters the lead five minutes before the break, with James Collins heading in from close range on the hour mark to seal the three points.

It puts the Town four points clear at the top of the fourth tier, with ten points now between first and fourth.

Jones said: "It's nice, it's a real good feeling to be where we are. We have had to earn it as we have had some tough games.

"But we're in good form at the minute and today was a difficult game, I knew it would be a difficult game coming into it. I thought we were excellent and I am really proud of them.

"We earmarked this as a bit of a Notts County game, they're similar in what they do and how they play in terms of the shapes and the intensity they play at. We didn't start well against Notts County and that's a credit to Notts County.

"But we earmarked us starting quickly and we did and we came out of the blocks. Olly Lee had an opportunity, he had one cleared off the line. We had a succession of set-plays which we didn't take advantage of and we were really in the ascendancy. It then took a wonderful bit of play to break the deadlock.

"It was a very tough decision to drop Elliot Lee for James Collins. I didn't leave him out because of his performances, I left him out because of the way we played against Notts County. I didn't want a repeat of that. I wanted to make sure we played into the front and we played off the front and James Collins got a goal and an assist, looking back on it, you think that's not a bad decision."

Hatters pull clear at the top as they cruise past Mariners

League Two: Luton Town 2 Grimsby Town 0

Luton Town have rarely had it more comfortable this season as they started the Christmas period with victory over Grimsby Town at Kenilworth Road this afternoon.

The visitors came into the game on the back of a four game unbeaten run, but they left without raising a whimper, never seriously threatening a Town back-line who kept their 11th clean sheet of the season in the league, making it seven wins out of eight in all competitions too.

Although the Mariners were eager competitors, the sheer gulf in class was there to see, as Luton easily handled their opponents, Marek Stech barely tested throughout, while you always felt Town had another gear to go if they really needed.

Boss Nathan Jones made two changes to the side, with James Justin replacing the suspended Jack Stacey and James Collins in for Elliot Lee who dropped to the bench.

The hosts made a bright start to proceedings, Olly Lee going close after some excellent penalty box control, his angled shot cleared away by a posse of desperate defenders.

Luton looked to be at their free-flowing best in the early stages too, displaying some lovely one and two touch passing, although they couldn't quite break down a dogged visiting defence.

The visitors got a slight foothold, Luke Summerfield's spectacular strike not too far away, with Luton as usual, always looked menacing from corners.

Johnny Mullins showed an amazing leap to win another Alan Sheehan delivery, allowing Collins to unleash a volley which was deflected behind for another corner, Potts seeing his header punched over the top by McKeown too.

Despite dominating, it took Town a good 33 minutes to have their first proper opening, Olly Lee picking out Justin and his low cross was half volleyed over the top by Collins.

However, Town then took the lead in stunning fashion, as Luke Berry added to the plethora of wonderful goals witnessed at Kenilworth Road this season.

Found by Collins' lay-off, he had the space to size up an effort and size it up he did, unleashing a sublime curling effort beyond a surprisingly motionless McKeown and into the far corner for an almost mirror image of his hat-trick strike against Stevenage.

In the second period, Hylton was narrowly wide from just outside the box with McKeown scrambling across.

Grimsby responded with Jamille Matt striking the outside of the post from a tight angle, while Sam Jones then had an effort blocked by the back-pedalling Mullins as the Mariners had what could just about be described as a spell of pressure.

However, as they have proved so capable of doing this season, Luton took the sting out any real threat to their lead, with Sheehan's perfect free kick finding Collins to bury a header into the bottom corner and reach double figures for the campaign.

From there, Luton were in cruise control, keeping Grimsby at arms length for the final half hour, as the hosts could even conserve some energy for the busy festive period ahead of them.

Harry Cornick and Elliot Lee were introduced to ensure the visitors were pegged back and the pair did just that.

The substitutions enabled Town to finish strongly too, something they have become masters at this term, with Olly Lee denied by the shins of McKeown, Cornick producing a glorious backheel and toepoke that went agonisingly wide, and finally Elliot Lee turning the defence inside and out, forcing McKeown into a fine stop.

Results elsewhere couldn't have gone much better either, as despite Notts County fighting back from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 at home to Cambridge, Luton now lead their rivals by four points.

More importantly, none of the chasing pack could usurp Coventry in fourth place either, meaning that at the half way stage, Luton have what is surely a commanding 10 point lead above that crucial dotted line ahead of their trip to Swindon Town on Boxing Day.

Hatters: Marek Stech, Jack Justin, Dan Potts, Johnny Mullins, Alan Sheehan (C), Glen Rea, Olly Lee , Luke Berry, Andrew Shinnie (Harry Cornick 72), James Collins (Elliot Lee 83), Danny Hylton (Lawson D'Ath 90).

Subs not used: James Shea, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Akin Famewo, Luke Gambin.

Grimsby: James McKeown, Ben Davis, Nathan Clarke (C), Danny Collins, Mitch Rose, Sam Jones, Zak Mills, Luke Summerfield, Diallang Jaiyesimi (JJ Hooper 66), Siriki Dembele (Martyn Woolford 83), Jamille Matt (Scott Vernon 75).

Subs not used: Paul Dixon, James Berrett, Karleigh Osborne, Ben Killip.

Booked: Clarke 19, Shinnie 38, McKeown 57.

Referee: Christopher Sarginson.

Attendance: 9,102 (446 Grimsby). Hatters

MOM: James Collins. Back with a bang as he set up one and scored one.

Hatters** boss thrilled as his table-toppers take advantage**

Hatters boss Nathan Jones was thrilled to see his side pull clear at the top of the League Two table after beating Grimsby Town 2-0 at Kenilworth Road yesterday.

Goals from Luke Berry and James Collins saw Luton comfortably triumph, as they moved four points clear of Notts County, who were held 3-3 at home to Cambridge United.

Meanwhile, Town are now also 10 points ahead of fourth placed Coventry City with precisely half of the season gone.

Jones said: “I keep saying about we can't affect what goes on elsewhere, but it's nice when your competitors don't win or drop points.

"So it's fantastic, but all I was concerned about was today and as I said, Grimsby were in real good form, they're a real difficult side.

“They went to Notts County and probably should have won the game, they had slightly the better of the exchanges, so we knew it was going to be a tough game.

“I've played under Russell (Slade), so I know what kind of manager he is and how he'd get his side up for today.

"But I thought we were excellent from start to finish, I really did.

“We started superbly well, we came out of the blocks, should have scored early, had one kicked off the line, had a succession of set-plays and wasn't until the 40th minute that we scored, but it was coming.

"We finished in electrifying form too, so it's a great day for us, it really is."

Although on top for the majority, if not all of the game, it took Town 40 minutes to break the deadlock, but when it came, it was a stunning strike from Berry, curling in beautifully from 20 yards.

On having to wait to break the deadlock, Jones continued: “We’ve got no god given right to, score and to keep scoring.

“We work hard, we graft, we try to do things the right way.

“I thought some of our build up play was outstanding in the first half and the goal was excellent, started from the goalkeeper, to defensive midfield player, penetrated into the front men.

“It was a great ball from James Collins to Luke and then Luke with a sublime finish, what a goal and from keeper to goal, nothing left the deck."

"It was swift, real penetrative football, I was really, really proud of that goal.”