Luton Town FC vs Middlesbrough (1st May 2021)

Report | Luton Town 1-1 Middlesbrough

**Rea's opener cancelled out by Watmore, but Hatters make it five **unbeaten

The Hatters had to settle for a point against Middlesbrough at Kenilworth Road this afternoon, as Glen Rea's first-half opener was quickly cancelled out by Duncan Watmore and James Collins saw a penalty saved after the break.

Manager Nathan Jones made three changes for the visit of Boro, who were sitting two positions and three points above the 11th-placed Hatters, who have a game in hand.

Following their superb cameos from the bench last weekend in the comeback win against Bristol City, there were starts for James Collins and Harry Cornick, the latter of whom scored his first goal of the season in the 3-2 victory.

Rea came into midfield in place of Ryan Tunnicliffe, making up the third change, whilst youngster Dion Pereira was named on the bench.

After an even opening period with neither side making a chance, the game burst to life in the 19th minute when Rea stooped to nod home from almost on the goal-line after Boro keeper Jordan Archer had pushed Kal Naismith's header against the crossbar.

Boro were level almost immediately as Marvin Johnson got to the left by-line and sent in a cross that Watmore headed goalward, but would have been saved comfortably by Simon Sluga if it hadn't hit Naismith to leave the keeper wrong-footed.

The Hatters survived a scare in the 34th minute when Neeskens Kebano skipped past Naismith just inside the left edge of the Town penalty area, but his cross-shot travelled safely through the six-yard box.

Two minutes later it was Town's turn to attack, a long throw from Cornick on the right being flicked on by Bradley at the near post, but Collins couldn't keep his acrobatic volley down.

With half-time approaching, Dewsbury-Hall did brilliantly to turn away from George Saville's close attentions in the middle of the pitch and thread an inch-perfect throughball to Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, but the midfielder's attempt to cut back on his man allowed Paddy McNair the opportunity to nick the ball off his toe before he could shoot.

It was all-square at the break, and with neither side making a change at the interval, it was the Hatters who came out on the front foot - Matty Pearson heading a James Bree free-kick wide of the far post in the 52nd minute after Elijah Adebayo had been fouled on the right.

Boro fired a warning shot over Sluga's bar as Yannick Bolasie raced onto a Watmore pass in the 56th minute, then Johnson cracked a volley from outside the box that once again hit Naismith, but this time ricocheted to safety.

Adebayo had a penalty appeal turned down when he appeared to be tripped by Marc Bola in the 64th minute, then Mpanzu drove to the right by-line but saw his effort blocked two minutes later.

A penalty did arrive in the 71st minute, when Grant Hall brought Dewsbury-Hall down, but Collins was denied a 14th goal of the season by Archer diving full length to his left to turn it behind.

Another chance presented itself as Boro struggled to deal with Dewsbury-Hall's corner, but Mpanzu blazed his effort high over the bar into the Kenilworth Road stand.

Town went within a lick of paint of falling behind with three minutes left when Saville's effort hit the bar, then almost immediately, Dewsbury-Hall stood a cross up to the far post for Bree to smash a volley across the Boro six-yard box, the ball just eluding Sam Nombe's head.

The Hatters sub was close to getting on the end of another ball fizzed across that area with a minute to go, this time Adebayo doing well to get to the right by-line again, but another chance went begging.

With the game moving into injury-time, another exquisite bit of skill from Dewsbury-Hall saw the on-loan Leicester midfielder drive in from the left and feed Mpanzu on the edge of the box, but his left-footed shot looped wide of the near post.

Pearsono had to be alert to head Kebano's cross over his own bar as the clock ticked down, but that was to be the final action as the Hatters gained another point to make it five unbeaten - a season's best - despite dropping to 12th place with Millwall winning at home to Brostol City.

Town: Sluga; Bree, Pearson, Bradley (C), Naismith; Rea, Mpanzu, Dewsbury-Hall; Cornick (Moncur 73), Adebayo, Collins (Nombe 83).

Substitutes: Shea, Cranie, Potts, Tunnicliffe, Moncur, LuaLua, Nombe, Morrell, Pereira

Goals: Rea 19

Yellows: Rea

Middlesbrough: Archer; McNair, Hall, Bola; Howson (C); Kebano, Johnson, Saville, Coulson; Watmore, Bolasie (Coburn 83).

Substitutes: Bettinelli, Spence, Coburn, Hackney, Kokolo, Malley, Robinson

Goals: Watmore 21

Referee: Jeremy Simpson

Nathan Jones' post-match reaction following draw against Middlesbrough

A point that could have been all three, the gaffer reflected...

Manager Nathan Jones felt his side did enough to earn a win against Middlesbrough, but they were held to a 1-1 draw at Kenilworth Road this afternoon.

The point stretched Town’s unbeaten run to five matches in the Sky Bet Championship but it could have been more after Glen Rea scored his third goal this season, before Middlesbrough swiftly equalised.

James Collins was denied from the penalty spot in the second half and Nathan said post-match: “We were the only side looking to win it, I thought. We didn’t want it to be an end of season game because we want to finish as high as we can. We felt we were a little bit lacklustre, but we stepped it up a little bit. We had opportunities first half but just not clear-cut ones. We just didn’t show enough quality really but we had the better chances in the game.

“The penalty we should score but it is the second time against Middlesbrough, they have taken four points off us but it should have been totally the other way.

“If I’m honest, that is why we’re not top eight. Structurally how we are training, how we do everything, both Swansea games we felt we should have beaten them twice, Forest here we drew, Birmingham we drew and Middlesbrough both games, we should have won at least one of them.”

https://issuu.com/lutontownfc/docs/middlesbrough_bcd - programme

**Collins misses from the spot as Luton are held by **Boro

Championship: Luton 1 Middlesbrough 1

Striker James Collins was unable to be the hero from the spot once more as the Hatters were held to a 1-1 draw by Middlesbrough at Kenilworth Road this afternoon.

With just 19 minutes to go, the hosts were awarded a spot-kick once Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall was felled in the area by former Manchester United defender Paddy McNair.

Collins stepped up to try and notch his 14th of the season, but unlike his starring role against Watford when he came off the bench to find the net with his first touch, this time Boro keeper Jordan Archer guessed right to make a comfortable save.

It was the second time this season that Luton's top scorer had failed from the spot against Boro, as although he did find the net at the Riverside back in December, it was ruled out for a double kick by the striker, as the Hatters went down to a 1-0 defeat.

Home boss Nathan Jones had made three changes to the side following the 3-2 victory at Bristol City last Sunday, with both goalscoring substitutes Harry Cornick and Collins in from the start, joined by Glen Rea, as Ryan Tunnicliffe and Kazenga LuaLua dropped to the bench, Jordan Clark missing out completely.

Town skipper Sonny Bradley made an important block inside his own six yard box from Grant Hall early on, as the Boro defender was then involved at the other end, getting a vital header to turn Harry Cornick's dangerous cross over his own goal, for one of five Hatters corners before the midway point of the half.

Luton made their set-piece dominance pay on 19 minutes though, with their sixth flag-kick, Kal Naismith's downward header from James Bree's delivery clawed up and on to the bar by keeper Jordan Archer, only for the stooping Glen Rea to nod the loose ball home.

The lead lasted barely 30 seconds though as the hosts just didn't switch on from the restart, allowing Boro to break on the left and Marvin Johnson's dinked cross was met by a completely unmarked Duncan Watmore whose header deflected past Sluga off the unfortunate Naismith.

With both teams then not creating too much in terms of goalscoring chances, it wasn't until the 35 minutes that Luton went close again, Collins hooking an acrobatic volley over the top after Rea's header fell to him.

Some astonishing play from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who shrugged off his marker despite being clearly held back, led to a wonderful chance for Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu who just had to pull the trigger on his left foot, but lacking confidence, opted to come back on to his right and the ball was nicked off his toe by a covering defender.

After the break, Bree produced an excellent free kick from the right that Collins couldn't divert on target, while the visitors' £25m winger Yannick Bolasie, on loan from Everton, whistled over after getting the better of Matty Pearson.

Town bravely threw themselves in the way of two piledrivers, Pearson ensuring there was no way through for George Saville.

With 65 minutes gone, Adebayo had huge shouts for a penalty as after getting the better of Marc Bola, he then went to ground, only to see referee Jeremy Simpson remain unmoved, waving the vociferous appeals away.

Six minutes later, Simpson was pointing to the spot though, only for Collins to be denied by Archer.

From the resulting corner, Town should have moved ahead, Mpanzu unable to keep his composure, whacking well wide as the ball dropped invitingly for him.

With 12 minutes left, Boro had a great chance to move ahead themselves, Bola's excellent cross from the flank found Bolasie who couldn't pick out the top corner with his header.

The woodwork came to Luton's rescue when Saville's close range shot deflected off Bradley and hit the underside of the bar, Town immediately attacking themselves, Dewsbury-Hall's cross finding Bree who fired a cross-shot that was just out of substitute Sam Nombe's reach.

It was the same outcome for the on-loan MK Dons striker when Adebayo took advantage of some hesitancy from Hall, as Town might have won it at the death, Dewsbury-Hall doing superbly to skate past two men and tee up Mpanzu, who opted to use his left foot this time, shanking into the stands.

Hatters: Simon Sluga, James Bree, Kal Naismith, Matty Pearson, Sonny Bradley ©, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Glen Rea, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Harry Cornick (George Moncur 71), James Collins (Sam Nombe 83), Elijah Adebayo.

Subs not used: James Shea, Martin Cranie, Joe Morrell, Dion Pereira, Kazenga LuaLua, Dan Potts, Ryan Tunnicliffe.

Boro: Jordan Archer, Marvin Johnson, Grant Hall, Yannick Bolasie (Josh Coburn 83), Jonny Howson (C), Paddy McNair, Duncan Watmore, Neeskens Kebano, George Saville, Marc Bola, Hayden Coulson.

Subs not used: Marcus Bettinelli, Djed Spence, Hayden Hackney, Williams Kokolo, Connor Malley, Jack Robinson.

Bookings: Rea 75.

Referee: Jeremy Simpson.

**Jones frustrated by Town's 'lethargy' during first half of 1-1 draw with **Middlesbrough

**Luton chief annoyed his side conceded immediately after taking the lead at Kenilworth **Road

Hatters boss Nathan Jones felt his side’s lethargic display in the first half was the reason they could only manage a 1-1 draw against Middlesbrough this afternoon.

The hosts had taken the lead on 19 minutes from their sixth corner when Kal Naismith’s header from James Bree’s set-piece was flicked on to the bar by keeper Jordan Archer, Glen Rea arriving to head the rebound into the net.

However, even before the kick-off was taken, Jones was visibly annoyed by the reaction of some of his players to the opening goal, trying to get them to switch back on, and it was to prove a warning they failed to heed, Boro taking just 30 seconds to make it 1-1 when an unmarked Duncan Watmore beat Simon Sluga.

After the break, Town improved, and should have won it when awarded a penalty with 19 minutes left, only for James Collins to see his weak effort easily saved by Archer.

Discussing his side’s reaction to moving in front, Jones said: “I just felt there was a lethargy about certain people that they were strutting, they were walking back into things and they weren’t really at it, and then that’s when I want us to go on again then.

“To concede straight away, I felt it, I felt there was a lethargy about us first half and I just said to them at half time, even when Elijah (Adebayo) gets knocked over and wants a free kick, I want him knocking people over, that’s the learning curve.

“It was just a little few things that went on that told me we weren’t right, right at it.

"As that wouldn't have happened in the Reading game, wouldn’t have happened in the Watford game as we were really at it, but I don't think we really were first half.

“Second half we were better and we should have won the game.

"On the balance of everything we should have won the game, none more so than missing a penalty when you should be scoring penalties.

“To concede straight after we scored, that was the biggest disappointment because if you just see that out, that gave them a way back into it as a part from the counter-attack I didn't really see them scoring first half.”