Luton Town FC vs Middlesbrough (15th Mar 2025)

15/03/2025 LUTON TOWN 0-0 MIDDLESBROUGH

Town miss chances in goalless draw

Hatters have to settle for a point after spurning opportunities against Boro

The Hatters spurned several fantastic chances as they were held to a goalless draw with play-off-chasing Middlesbrough.

In a first half of near-complete domination, Thelo Aasgaard and Elijah Adebayo missed guilt-edged opportunities to put the Town in front.

And while the Town still had the most of the ball after the break, they could not break down the Boro defence and had to settle for a point which, after other results went against them, now leaves them four points from Championship safety.

Showing an unchanged side that beat Cardiff in midweek the Hatters started like a train and should have led inside seven minutes. Adebayo’s cut-back was deflected into the path of Aasgaard who somehow lifted the ball over the bar from five yards out on the stretch.

Alfie Doughty’s low drive was blocked two minutes later and on 16 minutes, as the Town continued to press, the left-wing-back created a superb opening for Aasgaard who volleyed straight at Mark Travers from 10 yards.

It was chance-a-minute stuff for the Hatters as, moments after Liam Walsh dragged a shot wide, Adebayo missed a huge chance to break the deadlock on 20 minutes when racing through on goal after a wayward Boro back-pass to shoot straight at Travers.

The visitors, who came into the game just three points off the play-offs, barely threatened the Town goal and it wasn’t until the 32nd minute that Boro came close to pushing the Town back into their own half.

But on 35 minutes the Hatters came even closer to finally getting the ball over the line when, after Carlton Morris’ shot was saved by Travers, the Town skipper edged the ball into Adebayo’s path but from a matter of yards the striker could not get the decisive touch with the goal gaping.

You felt the Town needed to continue where they left off in the second half but chances were few and far between after the break.

Indeed it wasn’t until the hour mark that either side came close – and that was when Finn Azaz curled a well-hit effort just wide from the edge of the box for the visitors.

With 20 minutes left Matt Bloomfield introduced Lamine Fanne, Lasse Nordås and Milli Alli and five minutes later the Hatters came close when Mark McGuinness’ towering header bounced agonisingly the wrong side of the post.

As time ticked down the game became a scrappy affair and with three minutes remaining Nordås shot wide after being teed up by Fanne as the Town tried in vain to find a late winner.

With the game swinging quickly from end to end as both sides hunted all three points, Boro came closest in the second minute of added time when Delano Burgzorg flashed a shot goalwards that kissed the top of the crossbar.

But the Town could not find a way through in the final moments and, with results going against them in the games elsewhere, they find themselves four points from safety.

It’s the international break now with a big one at Hull in two weeks’ time.

We’ll see you then.

Town: Kaminski, Jones, Doughty (sub Alli 70), Bell, McGuinness, Makosso, Clark, Walsh (sub Lamine Fanne 70), Aasgaard, Morris, Adebayo (sub Brown 55 (sub Nordås 69).

Subs not used Krul, Naismith, Burke, Nelson, Bowler.

Attendance: 11,815, including 1,338 from Middlesbrough.

Wasteful Luton serve up a finishing disaster-class during Boro draw

Championship: Luton Town 0 Middlesbrough 0

Luton Town's hopes of staying in the Championship received yet another huge blow as their wastefulness in front of goal cost them so, so dearly during a bitterly frustrating stalemate against Middlesbrough this afternoon.

A dominant Hatters side should have been at least 3-0 to the good by the the interval after a first half they completely and utterly dominated their play-off chasing opponents. However, to win a game of football you have to put the ball in the net, and Town just didn’t do that, missing some absolutely wonderful chances, Thelo Aasgaard and Elijah Adebayo the two main culprits.

With Luton unable to carry on that ascendancy in the second period it meant that the spoils were eventually shared, the Hatters now four points away from safety in the battle to stay up with just eight games remaining, after wins for Derby County, Cardiff City and Oxford United. Manager Matt Bloomfield named an unchanged side to face a Boro team who had beaten them 5-1 back in November as the hosts came flying out of the traps, with three good opportunities in the opening 10 minutes.

First, Alfie Doughty's cross was cleared to Liam Walsh just outside the box who took a touch to dummy his man and unleash a left-footed shot that Mark Travers fumbled, gathering the loose ball before Carlton Morris could pounce. Luton kept up their bright start, a magnificent backheel up the line by Aasgaard seeing the ball eventually worked into the box by Jordan Clark and ending up at Walsh's feet, but he snatched at his volley, dragging wide.

With eight gone the hosts had to score though, simply had to, Izzy Jones against his former club, finding the unmarked Elijah Adebayo whose cut back was deflected into the path of Aasgaard just five yards out, the midfielder, who bagged the winner in midweek, somehow skying over from a few yards out, Town kept pressing, with a performance that was chalk and cheese to what was served up in Wales during the opening 45 on Tuesday night, another short free kick headed out to Jones who put his snap shot over.

Luton piled on the pressure, as with 16 minutes on the clock they had another magnificent chance when Doughty sped down the left and dinked over an inch-perfect cross for the unmarked Aasgaard, who had the entire goal to aim out, only to put his volley too close to Travers who made the save. Chris Makosso went for the spectacular when he shouldn't have, as Town's problems in front of goal were catching, a long throw flicked on by Morris and falling to Doughty who got his connection all wrong, the ball then teed up to Walsh who slid wide.

With 20 gone, the Hatters missed again, Aidan Morris's backpass straight into Adebayo's path. Faced with Travers, he just had to beat the keeper, only to see his long barren run in front of goal continue, disappointingly denied by the former Bournemouth stopper. With 35 gone, Luton still couldn't make their superiority count, Morris's low shot pushed aside by Travers, the forward following up to dink into the danger area where a Boro defender got there just in front of a diving Adebayo to clear away.

The corner glanced off Mark McGuinness's head and fell wide, while Town ended the first half as they had started, Adebayo's attempt deflected behind, Morris with an angled drive that Travers tipped over, Makosso putting his ambitious volley off target After the break, and as expected, Boro settled down as they were able to stop Luton carving them open at will, Bloomfield bringing on Jacob Brown for Adebayo after just 10 minutes.

Town couldn't replicate the kind of barnstorming first half display they had produced though, failing to work Travers in the opening 15 minutes, as Boro had a far sterner handle on proceedings. Finn Azaz curled inches wide as Bloomfield made a triple sub, Brown picking up an injury which cut short his outing, with Walsh and Doughty also going off for Lasse Nordas, Milli Alli and Lamine Fanne.

Now finding it far harder to slice open the visiting defence, the hosts still had opportunities from set-pieces, Clark's deep free met by McGuinness on 72 minutes who nodded the wrong side of the post. At the other end, Samuel Iling-Junior slammed over, while Nordas almost proved to be the hero late on, reaching Fanne's ball but yet again, Boro were in the right place to get a nick on his effort which sent it behind.

During four minutes of stoppage time, Delano Burgzorg was a whisker away from the ultimate smash and grab away performance but the point was celebrated far more by the visitors' at the end, Luton’s disconsolate players dropping to the floor in knowledge that their time to get out of the bottom three is beginning to run out.

Hatters: Thomas Kaminski, Christ Makosso, Mark McGuinness, Amari’i Bell, Izzy Jones, Liam Walsh (Lamine Fanne 70), Jordan Clark, Thelo Aasgaard, Alfie Doughty (Milli Alli 70), Elijah Adebayo (Jacob Brown 55, Lasse Nordas 70), Carlton Morris (C).

Subs not used: Tim Krul, Kal Naismith, Reece Burke, Zack Nelson, Josh Bowler

Boro: Mark Travers, Hayden Hackney, Kelechi Iheanacho, Delano Burgzorg, Anfernee Dijksteel, Jonny Howson ©, Aidan Morris, Finn Azaz, Tommy Conway (Marcus Forss 75) Samuel Iling-Junior, Neto Borges.

Subs not used: Tom Glover, Dan Barlaser, Morgan Whittaker, Ryan Giles, Luke Woolston, George McCormick, Josh Dede, Law McCabe.

Referee: Farai Hallam.

Booked: Iling-Junior 25, Brown 64, Walsh 66, Dijksteel 75, Hackney 89.

Attendance: 11,815 (1,338 Boro).

Bloomfield 'incredibly disappointed' as Luton spurn chances galore against Middlesbrough

Town somehow fail to hit the net in Kenilworth Road stalemate

Luton boss Matt Bloomfield couldn’t quite believe he had to face the press and discuss a goalless draw against Middlesbrough this afternoon, knowing full well his side simply had to have left the field with three points.

Looking to build on the 2-1 win at Cardiff in midweek and a 1-0 success over Portsmouth in their last home game, the Hatters came roaring out of the traps, Liam Walsh denied by Boro keeper Mark Travers and dragging another volley wide. Tuesday night match-winner Thelo Aasgaard then somehow fluffed his lines from a few yards out when Elijah Adebayo’s cross deflected invitingly into his path, shooting over the bar in what was a truly glaring miss.

The January transfer window signing had another gilt-edged opportunity inside the opening 20 minutes, picked out by Alfie Doughty’s inch-perfect delivery only to volley straight at Travers from close range. Adebayo was next to showcase the Hatters’ inability to score, collecting Aidan Morris’s woeful backpass to go one-on-one with Travers, only to once more, put his shot too close to the keeper, meaning his lengthy barren run was extended by another game.

Doughty himself miskicked, with Walsh wide, as Luton were unable to make their superiority count, Morris’s shot pushed away by Travers, the rebound cleared away before Adebayo could pounce, with Morris then seeing his snapshot smartly tipped over by the keeper. After the break, the chances weren’t as often, Luton relying on set-pieces, Mark McGuinness directing his towering header wide and then sub Lasse Nordas unable to win it late on as they had to make do with a single point.

With Oxford, Derby and Cardiff all winning, the failure to score means Town are now four points from safety with eight games to go, as they appear destined to drop into League One this term, having drawn a fourth blank from the six home games that Bloomfield has been in charge for, netting just twice. Asked if he felt the outcome was something of a travesty, Luton having 19 shots, but only five on target, with Boro failing to test Thomas Kaminski from any of their seven attempts, also having 37 touches in their opposition’s penalty area, as opposed to just 12 from the visitors, Bloomfield said: “Yes, I think the fact you’re even asking me that tells you.

"I was really proud of the performance, I thought some of the football we played, the chance creation, the way we put pressure on our opposition, top opposition as well by the way for the league, I thought the boys were excellent, especially first half. It was never going to be easy to replicate that second half because of how dominant we were, but I feel incredibly disappointed that I’m not sat here with three points now.

"We created numerous opportunities to win the game, on another day we probably take two, three or four of them, they were that good the opportunities. Some of the football we played, tactically we spoke a lot about how to break our opposition down and the boys implemented it and I'm so proud of the way they are going about their work at the moment.

"We’re playing against some real top teams here and we’re having a right go, so to not take one of them is obviously incredibly disappointing and frustrating, but I have to go back to the positives of the performance. Defensively another clean sheet which is fantastic. When we came in there was a lot of talk about the goals conceded, another clean sheet.

"Tactically again I thought the boys were excellent, the chance creation, it’s just we should be sat here talking about a win and we’re not. I understand the situation, I’m a realist, I understand, but I'm also incredibly proud of the performance the players put in. There were lots of different chances that fell to different players and I really hoped that one of them would go in. On another day, there’s loads of chances and a few of them do go in, but it’s disappointing for us today that none did.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXUYwHKVQqI – Matt Bloomfield post match interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ym5ZZToVNZ8 – match highlights