Luton Town FC vs Leeds United (23rd Aug 2016)

PUBLISHED 22:42 23rd August 2016 Hatters are out but Championship visitors pushed all the way

Luton Town 0 Leeds United 1 Denton 23

Att: 7,498 (1,510 away)

Luton’s EFL Cup run may be over after Tyler Denton’s 23rd-minute goal took Leeds United through to the third round, but Nathan Jones’ men went toe-to-toe with Championship opposition once again and, like the Hatters boss is of them, can be proud of their performance.

Jones made just two changes from Saturday’s defeat at Stevenage with Johnny Mullins back in after suspension at centre-half for Scott Cuthbert and Jonathan Smith coming in for his first start of the season in midfield, in place of Jordan Cook.

The visitors’ boss Garry Monk, by contrast, changed all 11 of the players that started their first win of the season at Sheffield Wednesday in their last outing.

The Yorkshiremen made their presence known from the off, midfielder Matt Grimes going into referee Kevin Johnson’s notepad for a foul on Jake Gray with just 22 seconds on the clock.

In an even opening period though, the Hatters enjoyed their fair share of possession and after a patient build-up through midfield, Dan Potts set Smith free on the left, but Gray’s header at the far post was high and wide on eight minutes.

Olly Lee, once again in the midfield holding role, let fly with a shot from fully 30 yards just after the quarter-of-an-hour mark, before Danny Hylton used his strength to make space for himself in the middle of the Leeds half and almost put Cameron McGeehan in.

McGeehan, the Hatters’ top scorer, looked to make it five for the season in the 19th minute, but although his 25-yard free-kick moved plenty in the air, it didn’t dip enough to trouble Marco Silvestri in the Leeds goal.

Against the run of play, the visitors got the breakthrough in the 23rd minute, however, when Tyler Denton burst onto a ball laid back to him on the edge of the penalty area and fired past Christian Walton.

Just before the half-hour Leeds came within a lick of paint of extending their lead when Kemar Roofe, League Two player of the year last term with Oxford, sent an acrobatic volley crashing against the post.

Hatters keeper Walton had to be alert to keep out Stuart Dallas’ follow-up from close range as the Town came under the cosh.

Jack Marriott went some way to releasing the pressure in the 35th minute when the Hatters striker cut inside from the right and crashed in a left-foot shot that stung the palms of Silvestri, but Walton was soon in action again, racing off his line to save bravely at the feet of Souleymane Doukarra.

Marriott had another great chance – the Town’s best of the half – when Smith sliced the Leeds defence open with a brilliant through ball. Unfortunately, Marriott’s 38th-minute effort was always rising after he’d beaten the offside trap and seemingly rounded Silvestri on the edge of the box.

Dallas then fired over from distance in what was developing into an end-to-end affair, with Lee stretching Silvestri on the stroke of half-time as the Hatters searched for an equaliser.

Lee became the first Hatter to be booked six minutes after the break for tugging on Roofe’s shirt as he fed the ball to Doukarra, whose attempt at bending one into the top corner proved just off target.

It was a scrappy opening period to the second half, but Jones introduced Cook for Gray and around the hour mark, the Town started to take control.

In the 63rd minute, McGeehan tested Silvestri with another free-kick, this time after Hylton’s strength had proved too much for Leeds defender Lewie Coyle, who received a yellow card for pulling the Hatters striker down to the left of the box.

It was the start of a rousing spell for the Town, McGeehan again going close from distance a minute later, taking Stephen O’Donnell’s ball inside first time with the inside of his right-foot, but Silvestri again tipped his low shot around the post before Glen Rea fired one over as Leeds struggled to clear the resulting corner.

Jones soon introduced Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu for Hylton, but it was Roofe who was next to try his luck with another long-range effort that Walton proved equal to with 20 minutes to go, just as he was to another low left-footer from the ex-Oxford man two minutes later.

The Hatters third and final sub, Isaac Vassell, came on for Lee with 15 to go, and as the Town pressed the Kenilworth Road end roared for a penalty as Marriott went down under a challenge from Silvestri, but referee Johnson waved play on.

Then another glorious chance came the Hatters striker’s way, Smith again threading him through but Marriott’s low 79th-minute effort flashing past the far post as Silvestri raced out of his goal.

Leeds sub Alex Mowatt tested Walton with six minutes to go with yet another shot from outside box, then the Hatters broke again with O’Donnell rampaging down the right, and after his low cross was only half-cleared, McGeehan fired over from the edge of the area.

Within seconds McGeehan was announced as match sponsors’ Country Properties’ man of the match, but sadly the Town midfielder couldn’t find the goal he deserved to make it a more profitable night for himself and his team.

Indeed, it was Town keeper Walton who had to make the last big save of the game, denying Roofe with a point-blank save in the dying seconds of injury-time, but a second Leeds goal at that stage would certainly have put an unwarranted gloss on their winning margin.

TOWN: Walton, O’Donnell, Mullins ©, Rea, Potts, Lee (Vassell 75), McGeehan, Smith, Gray (Cook 56), Hylton (Mpanzu 66), Marriott. Subs: Cuthbert, McQuoid, King (GK), Justin.

Yellows: Lee

LEEDS: Silvestri, Doukarra, Murphy (Phillips 58), Roofe, Jansson (Cooper 74), Grimes, Denton, Hernandez (Mowatt 68), Bamba ©, Coyle, Dallas. Subs: Sacko, Antonsson, Phillips, Green, Cooper, Ayling.

Yellows: Grimes, Coyle

http://www.lutontown.co.uk/news/article/2016-17/gallery-luton-leeds-3267682.aspx

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_9ZohF3a0U

EFL Cup, second round: Luton Town 0 Leeds United 1

Missed chances once again proved pivotal as Luton Town were knocked out of the EFL Cup by Championship side Leeds this evening.

Although the hosts couldn’t quite hit the heights of their previous round victory over Aston Villa, they were still pretty darn good, particularly in the second period, building up a real head of steam, but ultimately, only had themselves to blame for failing to progress.

Twice, Jack Marriott went clean through and with the whole ground expecting the net to ripple, last season’s leading scorer couldn’t hit the target, firing disappointingly wide of the target on both occasions.

Defeat was incredibly harsh on the hosts though, as Leeds might have kept their opponents at arms length during the first period, it was a different story after the break, with Hatters by far the more dominant side, but crucially, couldn’t make the most of the opportunities.

Town boss Nathan Jones made two changes, recalling Johnny Mullins after his suspension in place of Scott Cuthbert who dropped to the bench, while Jonathan Smith made his first start of the season, in place of Jordan Cook.

The hosts completely bossed possession for the opening 15 minutes, with Leeds reduced to chasing shadows at times, although they couldn’t fashion anything clear-cut at Marco Silvestri’s goal, Olly Lee’s 30-yarder flying over, as did Cameron McGeehan’s swerving long range free kick.

Despite Luton’s monopoly of the ball, it was Leeds who went in front on 23 minutes with a wonderful strike from debutant Tyler Denton, who sent a glorious first time effort with the outside of his left foot past Christian Walton.

With their confidence boosted from the opening goal, Leeds started to take a semblance of the ascendancy, Kemar Roofe hooking a wonderfully acrobatic volley against the angle of post and bar, with Walton blocking Dallas’ fierce follow up.

Hatters finally tested Silvestri on 35 minutes, Marriott’s blast from the edge of the box requiring the keeper to tip over.

Uniteed could have had the killer second themselves moments later as Lee gave the ball away cheaply and the visitors broke in a flash, with Souleymane Doukara bearing down on Walton, who was out bravely to block at his feet.

On the stroke of half time, Hatters threatened once more, Lee’s low drive forcing a sprawling stop from Silvestri, while Marriott should have made it 1-1 before the change of ends.

He took Smith’s lovely through ball in his stride, did everything right, beating Silvestri, but then faced with the open goal, stabbed over the top.

After the break, Leeds tried to take a strangehold on proceedings, quietening the Kenilworth Road crowd in the process, but the home fans were jolted back to life on the hour mark when McGeehan’s free kick brought a full length flying save out of Silvestri, with the midfielder forcing the keeper to turn another low shot behind as well.

Hatters started to put their opponents on the back foot as the half progressed, fashioing the golden opportunity they were craving on 78 minutes, when Marriott was sent clean through by Smith, as faced with Silvestri, his aim was off for the second time, shooting badly wide.

Walton showed fine handling to claim Alex Mowatt’s curler, before Town could have levelled with four minutes to go, McGeehan firing rashly over the top from the edge of the box.

Leeds almost added an unfair gloss to the scoreline at the death, but Walton was out superbly to deny Roofe from close range and once sub Isaac Vassell directed his header off target, the game was up.

Town boss Jones can be once again proud of the display served up by his team though as they went toe-to-toe with a Championship outfit for the second time this term, with not many able to part the teams for the majority.

He will be hoping for more of the same at Cambridge on Saturday now, but with most crucially, a cutting edge in front of goal.

Hatters: Christian Walton, Stephen O’Donnell, Dan Potts, Glen Rea, Johnny Mullins (C), Olly Lee (Isaac Vassell 75), Jonathan Smith, Jake Gray (Jordan Cook 56), Cameron McGeehan, Danny Hylton (Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu 66), Jack Marriott.

Subs not used: Craig King, James Justin, Josh McQuoid, Scott Cuthbert.

Leeds: Marco Silvestri, Sol Bamba (C), Kemar Roofe, Luke Murphy (Kalvin Phillips 58), Souleymane Doukara, Stuart Dallas, Matt Grimes, Pontus Jansson (Liam Cooper 74), Pablo Hernandez (Alex Mowatt 68), Lewis Coyle, Tyler Denton.

Subs not used: Rob Green, Luke Ayling, Marcus Antonsson, Hadi Sacko.

Bookings: Grimes 1, Lee 53, Coyle 61

Attendance: 7,498 (1,510 Leeds).

Jones: We weren’t far off outplaying a Championship side

Town boss Nathan Jones felt his side all but outplayed Championship oppoents Leeds United during their 1-0 EFL Cup second round defeat at Kenilworth Road on Tuesday night.

Hatters bossed possession for large swathes of the first half, only to trail to Tyler Denton’s 23rd minute goal.

They then upped their game even more in the second period, dominating territory and going close on a number of occasions, but couldn’t find the all important equaliser, striker Jack Marriott twice shooting wide when clean through.

Jones said: “I’m disappointed to be going out of the cup and I’m disappointed to lose the game but that’s as far as my disappointment goes, because I thought we were outstanding from start to finish.

“The way we went about our work was superb, we were excellent I wouldn’t go as far to say outplayed, but we weren’t far off outplaying a Championship side.

“I thought first half we moved the ball really well, we just lacked a little bit of cutting edge, we had probably the best chance of the first half, the chance to go in level but we didn’t take it, one-on-one and then second half I thought we were magnificent.

“We went for it, had fluency, changed one or two things, we had the best chances second half again and I felt we deserved to win the game.

“As I said, you’ve got to take your chances but in terms of a performance, I couldn’t ask for any more from my squad of players, I thought they were excellent.”

Jones has set himself and the club the target of reaching the Championship in three years times and believes performances that Town have conjured up against the Whites and Aston Villa back up his claims.

He continued: “Sometimes I’m disappointed, sometimes I’m very vociferous in what I do, but I just thought that was an excellent performance.

“I’m proud of them, they did what I wanted them to do tonight, they moved it quicker than a Championship side, we had a cutting edge to us.

“We want to end up here, three years time we want to end up here, playing them regularly. But we’ve come and we’ve taken on three Championship clubs now since pre-season and I thought we’ve been excellent in all three games, I really do.”

Although Luton have now lost their last two games, after a stoppage time defeat to Stevenage at the weekend, Jones wasn’t downhearted in the slightest, as he added: “It’s two defeats, but you have to take those in context.

“If I didn’t want to lose the game then I would have just shut up shop against Stevenage and said we’ll take a point no problem, we’ll sit in second, we don’t want to do that.

“We felt it was a risk and reward and we felt we could get the win, and even after they scored we still had chances and as I said, we were dominant in that game, so, so, so dominant.

“So that was a good performance, sometimes results can mask performances, but that was excellent. Then we’ve come up against a Championship side, there’s a lot more clinical results out there where Championship sides have beaten higher league sides a lot more comfortably.

“I thought we were excellent, so yes, we’ve lost the game, but one, that will give them a load of heart and two, I’m just proud of them.”

Luton Town 0 Leeds United 1

Mark tonight down as the EFL Cup giant-killing that never was and one that Jack Marriott will want to forget after squandering two one-on-one chances that could have left Leeds reeling.

But, if the Hatters can carry on carving out chances in the manner they have against Stevenage on Saturday and Championship opposition here, then believers in karma would be entitled to think that there's a League Two side out there due a thumping. Something has got to give.

If it weren't for those missed opportunities then back-to-back defeats might seem somewhat bewildering. Unlucky? Definitely.

Certainly, there was little sign of Leeds rolling them over when the Yorkshire side took the lead, but theirs was a lesson in clinical finishing. Tyler Denton scored a stunner on his first team debut but Town should have gone in at the break all square but for Marriott's first miss.

Then in an impressive second half the striker raced through – courtesy of a second slicing Jonathan Smith through-ball – to face keeper Marco Silvestri for a second time, but he hit nothing but advertising hoardings.

The goalie also twice denied Cameron McGeehan, so it was frustrations all round, but only at the scoreline.

Luton made two changes with Johnny Mullins returning from suspension in place of Scott Cuthbert and Smith replacing Jordan Cook. Leeds made wholesale changes to the side the beat Sheffield Wednesday at the weekend to finally get their first win of the season.

The Championship outfit were sharp and well-prepared to shoot on sight but their opener was still a bolt from the blue. Former Oxford man Kemar Roofe laid the ball off to Denton and he sizzled a shot with the outside of his boot from 20 yards into the top corner.

United did turn up the heat immediately after the goal, but the angle of post and bar prevented Roofe from adding a second soon after with an acrobatic volley, which need Christian Walton to beat away the rifled rebound from Stuart Dallas.

The Luton stopper was quick off his line to deny Souleymane Doukara after Pablo Hernandez put him through on goal.

That was after Marriott had stung the palms of Silvestri from distance. The striker then latched onto a Smith ball and did the hard part in rounding the goalie but then lifted the ball over the bar with the goal gaping.

The Leeds keeper twice triumphed over McGeehan in the second half, pushing away the midfielder's chances, but it was the first of these that ramped up the Kenilworth Road noise and created the kind of atmosphere that did for Aston Villa in the first round and felt like an upset was on the cards.

Roofe saw two shots saved, but Leeds spent less and less time worrying Walton, while a roar went up from the Kenilworth Road end, calling for a penalty after Marriott challenged Silvestri and crumpled to the ground. Referee Kevin Johnson was having none of it. Then came the frontman's second golden chance as he turned on the thrusters but smashed wide. It could have sucked all the endeavour out of Town but it didn't.

Still, with five minutes to go United were operating solely on the counter, but it needed a good save from Walton to pluck Alex Mowatt's top corner-bound curler and an even better one to block Roofe in injury time.

By that point McGeehan had blasted over and Glen Rea couldn't quite turn in the midfielder's downward header from a corner, as their exit from the EFL Cup was confirmed in a case of so near, yet so far.

Luton: Walton; O'Donnell, Potts, Smith, Mullins, Gray (Cook, 56), McGeehan, Hytlon (Mpanzu, 66), Marriott, Rea, Lee (Vassell, 75) Unused subs: Cuthbert, McQuoid, King, Justin

Leeds: Silvestri; Bamba, Roofe, Murphy (Phillips, 58), Doukara, Dallas, Grimes, Jansson (Cooper, 74), Hernandez (Mowatt, 68), Coyle, Denton Unused subs: Green, Ayling, Antonsson, Sacko

Referee: Kevin Johnson Attendance: 7,498 (1,510)

Boss Nathan Jones refused to be too disappointed at Luton's EFL Cup exit because he thought his side were better than Championship Leeds United, despite a narrow 1-0 second round defeat.

Tyler Denton scored a decisive stunner on his first team debut midway through the first half yet the Hatters created far more clear-cut chances – including two Jack Marriott one-on-ones – but could not convert them.

Jones said: "I'm disappointed to be going out of the cup and I'm disappointed to lose the game but that's as far as my disappointment goes, because I thought we were outstanding from start to finish.

"The way we went about our work was superb, we were excellent. I wouldn't go as far to say outplayed, but we weren't far off outplaying a Championship side.

"I thought in the first half we moved the ball really well, we just lacked a little bit of cutting edge, we had probably the best chance of the first half, the chance to go in level but we didn't take it, one-on-one, and then in the second half I thought we were magnificent.

"We went for it, had fluency, changed one or two things, we had the best chances in the second half again and I felt we deserved to win the game, but you've got to take your chances but in terms of a performance, I couldn't ask for any more from my squad of players, I thought they were excellent."

Luton's primary focus is on a League Two title tilt but Jones has also set out longer term ambitions to be in the Championship within three years, so the manager has been encouraged by the performances against Brighton – in a pre-season victory – the first round EFL Cup upset against Aston Villa and against Leeds.

He said: "Sometimes I'm disappointed, sometimes I'm very vociferous in what I do, but I just thought that was an excellent performance, I'm proud of them. They [Luton players] did what I wanted them to do tonight, they moved it quicker than a Championship side, they had a cutting edge to us, I'm proud.

"We want to end up here, three years time we want to end up here, playing them regularly, but we've come and we've taken on three Championship clubs now since pre-season and I thought we've been excellent in all three games, I really do."

The majority of the 5,988 Luton fans inside Kenilworth Road seemed to share that opinion against Leeds as they sung the manager's name and cheered their team off at the end.

Last Tuesday, after the last-gasp 2-1 League Two victory over Newport, the Welshman had questioned what the supporters wanted from his side and it appeared that, despite defeat, both parties got their answers against Leeds.

Jones said: "This is what we want from this place [Kenilworth Road], these are the games we want here regularly, we want big clubs coming here and by doing that we have to be successful.

"The fans were phenomenal and drove the players on. The players gave them a little bit back and it was two-fold and if they do that, these players will give them it, but they were magnificent tonight, the fans, they really were. They proved what a great group we have here.

"They saw the manner in which we went about stuff and they appreciated that because they're intelligent fans, they know what we're trying to do and I thought we gave them everything and we were knocking on the door, apart from a counter attack late on, which would have really done us an injustice, i thought we were superb, I really did.

"I'm so proud of the team, I'm so proud of the club. Once again we showed the club in a real good light and what a great place we have here, so we've got to keep moving forward."