Luton Town FC vs Millwall (23rd Feb 2021)

Match Report | Luton Town 1-1 Millwall

Late heartbreak for the Hatters as Millwall snatch a point...

The Hatters were denied three points by a 95th-minute Millwall equaliser at Kenilworth Road tonight, after Elijah Adebayo's first goal for the club had looked like securing a first win in three matches.

Manager Nathan Jones made five changes from Saturday's defeat at Stoke, with Tom Ince and Adebayo made their respective first starts for the club after arriving on Deadline Day - and it was the latter, signed permanently from Walsall, who grabbed the second-half winner from the former's deft flick.

Joe Morrell and Ryan Tunnicliffe, who came on during Saturday’s match, were also in from the start, as were Martin Cranie and Kal Naismith as Jones refreshed his line-up.

Naismith and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall combined to set Tunnicliffe up for the game's first shot at goal with less than two minutes on the clock. The midfielder would have dreamt about the chance to score against the club from whom he joined the Town in the summer of 2019, but his effort was well wide.

Town were attacking with freedom and Morrell was the next to have a go, after Ince had been wrestled to the ground on the edge of the box and Dewsbury-Hall's free-kick had come back off the wall. The Welsh international's 25-yarder was gathered by Lions keeper Bartosz Bialkowski at the second attempt though, as the Hatters' forwards prepared to pounce.

Adebayo was proving a threat both aerially and on the ground, but it was after he'd seen a shot blocked that Jordan Clark had the Town's best chance, chesting down Morrell's clip into the box and sending a volley on target, but Bialkowski was again in the right place.

Ben Thompson had the visitors' first effort of the game in the 37th minute, firing wide after Jed Wallace did well to whip in a cross from the right. Another chance came the midfielder's way two minutes later, but again he was off target from 18 yards.

Thompson was on the end of a late challenge by his former team-mate Tunnicliffe, who became the first player to be shown a yellow card by referee Graham Scott five minutes after half-time.

Then Ince brought the best out of Bialkowski, the former Ipswich keeper having to tip over the Stoke loanee's left-footed shot after terrific build-up play involving Cranie, Adebayo - who was fouled from behind laying it off for Tunnicliffe - Dewsbury-Hall and Naismith took the Hatters from one end of the pitch to the other.

The breakthrough came a minute later, in the 55th, and it was Adebayo who placed his left-footed shot low through the defender's legs and past Bialkowski after Ince had flicked Tunnicliffe's cross on.

Wallace bent one just over moments later as Millwall looked to hit back, but Adebayo might have had a second on 63 minutes when Clark stood a lovely cross up to the far post, only for the ex-Walsall man to head over the bar.

Morrell was withdrawn a minute later, having worked tirelessly during an impressive return to the side, with Rea coming on in his place. Within seconds Naismith fancied his chances from full 35 yards, but his volley nestled high in the Kenny End.

Sluga did well to claw a Scott Malone cross onto his cross bar, and then behind, when the left-back's deep centre looked like it was heading into the top corner.

The Croatian keeper raced off his line to deny sub Mason Bennett, after the Lions forward appeared to trip Clark as he raced onto the ball in the Town box, before flying across it to push Wallace's 20-yard free-kick around the post immediately afterwards. He completed the hat-trick by punching the resulting corner clear from right under his bar, under heavy pressure from the Millwall attack.

Millwall grabbed a 95th-minute equaliser when George Evans nodded in from close range. With seconds left on the clock, the ball was crossed towards Matt Smith, who headed across goal to George Evans and he prodded the ball beyond Sluga.

It was a tough blow for the Hatters, who will look to claim all three points when they welcome Sheffield Wednesday to Kenilworth Road on Saturday.

Town: Sluga; Cranie, Bradley (C), Potts, Naismith; Tunnicliffe (Berry 83), Morrell (Rea 64), Dewsbury-Hall (Cornick 83); Ince (Mpanzu 76), Clark, Adebayo (Collins 84).

Subs not used: Shea, Hylton, Moncur, Bree

Goals: Adebayo (55)

Yellows: Tunnicliffe, Sluga

Millwall: Bialkowski; Romeo, Hutchinson, Pearson, Malone; Thompson (Bennett 61), Bodvarsson (Burey 75), Woods (Williams 75), Evans, Wallace, Bradshaw (Smith 61)

Subs not used: Fielding, Tiensia, McNamara, Mitchell, Ferguson.

Goals: Evans (90+5)

Referee: Graham Scott

Nathan Jones' reaction to draw against Millwall

The gaffer spoke post-match after the point against Millwall...

Hatters boss Nathan Jones felt a draw was tough to take after the Hatters suffered late heartbreak against Millwall this evening.

On his first start for the club, Elijah Adebayo had given Town the lead but the three points were slashed to one in the dying embers, a result harsh on a much-improved Luton performance.

The gaffer was honest in his reaction post-match, starting: “I feel sick really, we didn’t deserve that. We made a lot of changes, we tried to be as positive as we could.

“We took a few gambles with a few personal and look, it is a difficult game against Millwall. They are big and strong, we found that out in the away game.

“They sat off, tried to play on the counter attack and we did all the running, without having a real cutting edge in the final third, which a few of them haven’t played for a while. Then when you take the lead, we should have seen the game out.

“Where they got six (minutes added time) from I don’t know, it was just subs. Every time we are one-nil down there is four minutes, no matter what people do, and I just felt he buckled a little bit playing six and that is what cost us.

“At the end of the day you have to win headers in your box, when Matt Smith comes on you know what they are going to do, you know they are going to go direct.”

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VizvW1BJ1A – match highlights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyZw7E3lSj0 – Nathan Jones interview

Stoppage time heartbreak for Hatters as Millwall rescue a point

Championship: Luton Town 1 Millwall 1

Luton were hit by a late heartbreak at Kenilworth Road this evening as they conceded an injury time leveller against Millwall.

With the officials somehow finding six minutes of stoppage time to play, it was in the very last one that the Lions struck, a hopeful cross met by substitute Matt Smith, with George Evans stealing into nod beyond Simon Sluga and rescue a point.

The result was harsh on the Hatters who had looked like they were about to enjoy a confidence-boosting first home win of 2021.

However, unable to grab a second goal and attempting to try and run the clock down from well before the final whistle, they were always in danger of failing to finish off a visiting side on an eight game unbeaten run and who had the imposing Smith on by now, as sadly so it proved.

Hatters boss Nathan Jones was ruthless in his selection, making sweeping changes, five in total, from the side who were hopelessly beaten 3-0 at Stoke City on Saturday.

Out went Glen Rea, James Collins, Danny Hylton, Harry Cornick and James Bree, with Elijah Adebayo and Tom Ince in for their first starts, while Joe Morrell, Ryan Tunnicliffe and Kal Naismith returned too, Morrell for the first time since early December.

It meant Jones went with a team that had just four goals between them in the Championship this term, as Town looked to improve that statistic early on, Tunnicliffe dragging wide from 20 yards.

Ince then won a free kick just outside the area after being hauled down, with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's set-piece going straight into the wall, Morrell's spectacular 3o-yard volley gathered by Bartosz Bialkowski.

The early stages showed that new signing Adebayo was enjoying his first taste of life in the second tier, with some excellent and intelligent hold-up play, always giving his team-mates an outlet.

Town were then almost undone on 25 minutes as Sonny Bradley was caught on the ball, giving Tom Bradshaw a clear run on Simon Sluga.

Fortunately for Luton, the striker's touch was way too heavy allowing the Croatian to sprint off his line and gather.

Kjust before the half hour, Hatters created their best chance, Morrell's skimming cross chested down and volleyed goalwards instinctively by Jordan Clark, Bialkowski saving low down.

Millwall should really have done better on 34 minutes, Jed Wallace's cross not cleared properly as Bradshaw teed up Ben Thompson on the edge of the area who fired wildly off target.

The Lions midfielder then did so again when another ball dropped to him from a similar range, but the half finished with neither side able to break the deadlock.

That was to change just 10 minutes after the restart though, with Luton finally seriously testing Bialkowski, a neat move forward seeing Ince's effort flipped over.

From the corner, the ball was cleared out to Tunnicliffe, whose cross flicked to Adebayo, Town's deadline day signing diverting the ball past Bialkowski, who was caught out badly by his low effort, for a first Hatters goal.

Adebayo could and should have given Luton some breathing space just after the hour mark, Clark doing wonderfully on the right wing to beat his man and stand up a cross to the far post that the striker could only head over.

Naismith, confidence boosted after the first half, whacked a volley into the stands as Jones brought on Rea for Morrell to combat the extra height of Lions sub Matt Smith.

A left wing cross by Scott Malone almost caught out keeper Sluga, who managed to tip it on to the bar and then behind for a corner, which the hosts defended valiantly.

Sluga was then to the rescue on 78 minutes, as Mason Bennett got the better of Clark, with the Town bench screaming for a foul, referee Graham Scott waving play on and the Hatters stopper stood up excellently to block.

He then kept his position by the post to tip Wallace's free kick behind, while Town made a triple sub with seven to go, Collins, Cornick and Luke Berry all on to give the hosts some extra legs in the closing stages.

With time running out, Smith hooked a volley over at the back post following a deep cross, but with the pressure intensifying, Town just couldn't cling on, Evans snatching a point with virtually the last kick.

Hatters: Simon Sluga, Martin Cranie, Kal Naismith, Sonny Bradley ©, Dan Potts, Joe Morrell (Glen Rea 64), Ryan Tunnicliffe (Luke Berry 83), Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (Harry Cornick 83), Jordan Clark, Tom Ince (Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu 75), Elijah Adebayo (James Collins 83).

Subs not used: James Shea, Danny Hylton, George Moncur, James Bree.

Lions: Bartosz Bialkowski, Shaun Hutchinson, Jed Wallace, Ben Thompson (Mason Bennett 60), Tom Bradshaw (Matt Smith 60), Mahlon Romeo, Scott Malone, Alex Pearce (C), Ryan Woods (Shaun Williams 74), Jon Daoi Boovarsson, (Tyler Burey 74) George Evans.

Subs not used: Frank Fielding, Shane Ferguson, Dan McNamara, Billy Mitchell, Junior Tiensia.

Bookings: Hutchinson 15, Tunnicliffe 49.

Referee: Graham Scott.

Luton boss felt referee 'buckled' when awarding six minutes of stoppage time during Lions draw

Hatters chief frustrated that so long was played at the end of the game

Luton boss Nathan Jones felt referee Graham Scott ‘buckled’ under the pressure of Millwall’s bench allowing the Lions to score a stoppage time equaliser in their 1-1 draw at Kenilworth Road this evening.

In a good-natured contest, although both sides made nine substitutions between them in the second period, there were no injuries of note and just two bookings, but yet six minutes were still added to the game.

Town looked like they had seen them out, only to then concede in the final 60 seconds, Math Smith heading on a cross and George Evans stealing in to beat Simon Sluga.

Jones said: “There was no injuries, just subs, and they’re saying about time-wasting, and to be fair, their stuff were appealing for extra time, which is the right thing to do, no problem with that.

“I felt that the ref buckled to that because at the end of the day, we’ve been 1-0 down, sides have taken their time, they’re not time-wasting, they’re just taking their time.

"They're not going to run and sprint to take a goal kick when you’re 1-0 up with the importance of everything, and that’s what we felt.

“So where he found six from I don't know and that was the sad thing that he found six, in a game with no injuries, just subs.

"We made three at the same time and in the end that’s cost us, so we’re really disappointed as we felt the three points tonight would have been just desserts, but we have to see these games out.”

One thing that Jones was also frustrated about was his side’s decision to try and run the clock down well before it ticked into 90, with both Harry Cornick and Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu turning down attacking opportunities to head for the corner flag.

He continued: “It was 86th, 87th minute in there, I wanted them to go up for the corner because ironically, that would probably take more time than a short corner, to get everyone up.

"I was very fearful towards the end that the referee was going to do something silly, that he was going to book Sluga for a second time, as I've been away and we've been 1-0 down and sides are in no hurry whatsoever, the referee's not hurrying them up, he says ‘I’ll add it on' and we got four minutes.

"So this today is something I’m really, really disappointed with, we have to grin and bear it.

"If we had just won the header, they wouldn't have scored, and that's the thing we have to look at.

“A lot of positives to come from tonight, I'm just disappointed we didn’t get the three points.”

When asked for his thoughts on Town’s tactics during the second half, Lions boss Gary Rowett added: “Firstly I've got no problems with Luton time-wasting, that’s what teams can do.

"If we’re 1-0 up and desperate for a win then we're going to do that, but I thought when the referee actually booked the keeper quite early, I thought 'brilliant, they’re going to deal with this.'

"Then they took longer, they made three substitutes that seemed like it took about five minutes as everyone went over to one side and then one by one came off.

"As you can see on the sidelines it's frustrating as all you want is a chance to get something out of the game and if we don't find that opportunity, that’s our problem and that's our fault.

"But it was a very broken, sporadic last 20, 25 minutes.”