Luton Town FC vs Millwall (2nd Apr 2022)

Match Report | Luton Town 2-2 Millwall

Luton Town had to come from a goal behind on two occasions, as the Hatters recorded a 2-2 draw at home to Millwall.

Tom Bradshaw put the Lions ahead, before Elijah Adebayo’s side-footed effort meant the two sides were level at half-time.

Benik Afobe restored Millwall’s lead with less than ten minutes left, but Town would claim a point after George Cooper’s headed own goal.

The draw means Town sit in 4th place in the Sky Bet Championship table.

Nathan Jones made four changes from the win against Hull before the international break. Kal Naismith and Tom Lockyer returned in defence for the Hatters. Henri Lansbury and Pelly Ruddock-Mpanzu came into Town’s midfield, in place of Luke Berry and Jordan Clark.

After a quiet opening 25 minutes at Kenilworth Road, the away side would go in front with the first effort on goal for either side. Bradshaw found the bottom corner with his effort.

The Millwall goal seemed to be a wake up call for Town, as they pressed for an equaliser. And they’d only be behind for less than ten minutes, with Adebayo finding the equaliser. After some superb passing, Amari’i Bell’s pass was perfect for the striker, who found the bottom corner via the post.

In a first half of few chances, Jed Wallace fired a free-kick well over James Shea’s crossbar, as the two sides went in level at the break.

The Hatters had the first chance of the second half. Harry Cornick reacted quickest to latch onto a through ball, but Bartosz Bialkowski did well to keep the effort out.

Scott Malone came close with an effort for the visitors. The ball fell to the Millwall player from a corner, and his curling effort went over the crossbar.

Town made their first substitution of the game just after the hour mark, as Fred Onyedinma was introduced for Cornick.

Millwall would regain the lead with just under ten minutes remaining. Oliver Burke found Afobe in the area, who beat Shea with a side-footed finish.

Jones made two changes after the goal, with Cameron Jerome and Robert Snodgrass coming on for Dan Potts and Mpanzu.

And Town would grab another equaliser. From a Snodgrass free kick, the Hatters would find the back of the net after Cooper headed beyond his own goalkeeper.

Both sides went in search of a winner, but the game would end as a draw with the Hatters now in fourth place ahead of Tuesday's match against Peterborough United.

Goals:

Town: Adebayo (33’), Cooper OG (86’)

Millwall: Bradshaw (25’), Afobe (81’)

Att: 10,069 (1,032 away)

Nathan Jones' Millwall reaction

Manager Nathan Jones was content with a point after fighting back to draw an entertaining contest against Millwall at Kenilworth Road.

Benik Afobe’s late goal looked to have sealed an away win for the Lions but for a later own goal by Jake Cooper, a result that means the Hatters stayed in fourth place.

Assessing the game post-match, Jones said: “It’s not a bad point, I’ve said in there we want to win every game, especially here at Kenilworth Road, but Millwall are a good side. They do things similar to us, they run hard, they work hard, they have good experience and a hell of a lot of firepower out there. For us to be disappointed with a draw is natural but shows where we’ve come from.

“They probably edged the first half but second half I thought we were more us. We came out the blocks, Harry Cornick had a glorious chance to put us 2-1 ahead and then the second goal came at a time where we were in the ascendency.

"We made some bad decisions in transition and we worked on that this week which is the disappointing thing but then to show the character to come back, great delivery from Snods, that’s why we brought him here in terms of showing his quality. It’s a real important point because if not they go three points behind us and it brings another team into the mix.

“That keeps them at a distance, they’re not out of it by any means but it was important if we didn’t win the game, that we didn’t lose it either. It’s tight now, teams will lose and win but it’s another point.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVaNoZ6tbnI – match highlights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JV6tFxSx5Q – Nathan Jones interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPUpscGgfDg – Robert Snodgrass interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZrAypYzEDA – Elijah Adebayo goal from every angle

Late own goal sees Hatters hit back twice to earn a batting point against Millwall

Championship: Luton Town 2 Millwall 2

Luton showed their fighting spirit in abundance as they twice hit back from a goal down to pick up what could well become an absolutely crucial point in their play-off battle this season.

With three minutes to go, it looked like the Hatters were going to be faced with a carbon copy of their last defeat here to QPR, conceding what appeared to be a late winner.

However, with three minutes to go, Robert Snodgrass, only just on as a substitute, sent in a dangerous free kick from the right, which was diverted into his own net by Lions skipper Jake Goodman for what was on the balance of play, a deserved point for Nathan Jones' side.

The Hatters manager had made four changes from the 3-1 win at Hull prior to the international break, with Kal Naismith, Tom Lockyer, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu and Henri Lansbury all coming in for Peter Kioso, Fred Onyedinma, Luke Berry and Jordan Clark.

Club captain Sonny Bradley also made his return to the substitutes bench, where he was joined by Snodgrass as well.

A scrappy opening 20 minutes which saw Dan Potts require treatment more than once for a head injury, ended with Luton creating the first real opportunity when Amari'i Bell found Mpanzu inside the area, but after a few step-overs, he fired wastefully and disappointingly miles over.

Just when it looked like the hosts might be about to step it up, they fell behind on 25 minutes as a long ball was only half cleared, Tom Bradshaw producing an unerring first-time strike into the bottom corner from 20 yards to put Millwall in front.

Town tried to respond, Allan Campbell managing to somehow keep the ball in by the byline, his cross cleared to Mpanzu, who once more got it wrong, shanking wide.

Luton weren't behind for long though, just eight minutes In fact, with a terrific team goal, started by Mpanzu, found again by Lansbury's clever backheel and then moving it wide to Bell.

The in-form wing-back played an incisive get and go with Adebayo, releasing Town's top scorer who showed real class in opening up his body and superbly placing his shot beyond Bartosz Bialkowski and into the net via the inside of the post.

Millwall responded well to the equaliser, Benik Afobe's looping header having too much on it to trouble James Shea.

After the break, Luton had a glorious opportunity to move in front early on as Lansbury collided with Cooper to a ball forward which left Cornick in the clear, but faced with just Bialkowski to beat, the couldn't repeat his efforts from the Den earlier in the season when he had won that battle twice, the Lions stopper standing tall this time.

Lansbury was called on at the other end shortly afterwards to make a vital interception as Bradshaw shaped to shoot, Murray Wallace connecting from 30 yards, Shea holding on with ease.

The keeper was thankful to see Scott Malone's effort from a corner veer away from the target, while Naismith looked to add another long range effort to his back catalogue, deflecting behind for a corner.

However, with seven minutes to go, just as Town had done against QPR recently, they were breached once more, a counter-attack on the hosts' right ending with Oliver Burke sprinting away to deliver the perfect cross for Afobe to clinically volley beyond Shea.

Boss Jones reacted quickly, Snodgrass and Cameron Jerome both coming up, and it was Snodgrass who was to play a vital role in the equaliser with three minutes to go, ensuring Luton's goals from set-play statistic since Alan Sheehan joined the coaching staff received another boost.

There was still time for either side to grab a winner and both almost did, another break by Millwall ending with Malone's volley forcing Shea into a save at his near post.

Ex-Lions attacker Onyedinma then did splendidly on the right to engineer a crossing opportunity and when the ball eventually dropped to Bell, his drive took a nick on its way behind.

The three minutes of stoppage time saw Luton rather strangely seem content with keeping the ball at the back rather than knock it forward to Jerome and Adebayo, which seemed the more obvious avenue to goal.

It meant they were unable to fashion another last-gasp chance, but the result meant they stayed in fourth, and although Bournemouth's win over Bristol City now puts the Cherries virtually out of reach, Luton still have their destiny in their own hands ahead of Tuesday night's trip to bottom of the league Peterborough.

Hatters: James Shea, James Berry, Amari'i Bell, Tom Lockyer, Kal Naismith (C), Dan Potts (Robert Snodgrass 83), Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu (Cameron Jerome 83), Henri Lansbury, Allan Campbell, Harry Cornick (Fred Onyedinma 64), Elijah Adebayo.

Subs not used: Harry Isted, Danny Hylton, Peter Kioso, Sonny Bradley.

Lions: Bartosz Bialkowski, Danny McNamara, Murray Wallace, Jake Cooper ©, Jed Wallace (Maikel Kieftenbeld 90), Tom Bradshaw (Oliver Burke 73), Scott Malone, George Saville, Benik Afobe, Billy Mitchell, Daniel Ballard.

Subs not used George Long, Sheyi Ojo, Alex Pearce, George Evans, Tyler Burey.

Referee: Graham Scott.

Attendance: 10,069 (1,032 Lions).

Jones claims it was a 'good point' as Luton claw back a late equaliser at home to fellow play-off chasing Lions

Town boss reacts to 2-2 draw with Millwall

Luton boss Nathan Jones felt Town's 2-2 draw against fellow play-off rivals Millwall represented a 'good point' for his side.

Twice the Hatters had fallen behind to clinical finishes from their opponents in either half, but twice they swiftly hit back, firstly through Elijah Adebayo's 16th of the season, finishing a wonderful team move with a classy finish.

Then when Benik Afobe looked to have won it on 83 minutes, Robert Snodgrass came off the bench to send in a free kick that Lions skipper Jake Cooper diverted into his own net four minute later, ensuring the Hatters stayed fourth in the table, with Millwall remaining six points behind them.

When asked if he thought he might be a repeat of the QPR finale that had seen the visitors score in the final 10 minutes and hold on for an undeserved victory, Jones said: "Actually, we played better against QPR than we did against these.

"We were robbed and I don’t think at any point that QPR were ever going to beat us on the day, but that’s what happens when we play them.

"It was a tough game today, In the first half, they probably shaded it, doing the basics and doing things right, but in the second half, I thought we were excellent, I really did.

“We had a glorious opportunity early on with Harry Cornick and it was a game of margins, it was a tough game but, to be fair, it’s a good point.

“If we’d have lost the game, they’d have been three points closer to us, so it was important we didn’t lose today.

“Some of have lost, some have drawn, some have won, so it just keeps us going.

"One game down, seven to go and it’s going to be a really tough end to the season, but I’m really delighted with the application.

“The second half performance was more us, really in the ascendancy and I thought we were the better team in the second half.

“But it’s probably a fair result on everything because they’ve led twice so they will be disappointed that they didn’t see the game out."