Luton Town FC vs Millwall (8th Nov 2016)

PUBLISHED 22:19 8th November 2016 Hatters go down for first time in ten, but still qualify

LUTON TOWN 1 (Hutchinson (OG) 57)

MILLWALL 3 (Onyedinma 71, Smith 81, 87)

Att: 2,251 (370 away)

The Hatters were on the losing side for the first time in ten matches tonight as Millwall came back from a goal down to win 3-1 in the third and final game in Southern Group H of the Checkatrade Trophy.

Nathan Jones’ side had already secured qualification to the knockout stages of the revamped competition, as had the visitors from Sky Bet League One after recording identical 2-1 and 2-0 victories over Gillingham and West Brom’s Under-21s.

The Town looked good value for another victory when Lions skipper Shaun Hutchinson turned Craig Mackail-Smith’s low cross into his own net in the 57th minute.

But the visitors from south Londoners turned things around in the closing stages, with substitute Fred Onyedinma netting a 71st-minute equaliser and debutant Harry Smith bagging a double to ensure it’s them who will have home advantage in the second round draw due to take place on Thursday, with the Town set for an away tie.

Jones had named Mackail-Smith in his starting line-up for the first time since the striker broke his leg at Plymouth last March, having made a 20-minute first-team comeback at Exeter three days earlier.

The Town boss selected a more experienced team than in the opening two games in the competition, with Jonathan Smith captaining the side, Stephen O’Donnell at right-back, Jake Gray and Josh McQuoid in midfield and Isaac Vassell partnering Mackail-Smith in attack.

The Hatters started brightly and could have been in front with just four minutes on the clock when a flowing move from their own penalty area, involving Tyreeq Bakinson, Gray, Smith and McQuoid, ended with the latter heading a Jack Senior cross just wide from six yards out.

Senior swung another dangerous cross a few moments later, this time from a free-kick, that just evaded Akin Famewo’s head at the far post, but the teenage left-back was proving a good outlet on both flanks.

It was just after Lions striker Smith had warmed Craig King’s hands in the Town goal that Senior delivered his next inviting cross, on 20 minutes, but Vassell couldn’t keep his towering header down.

The Hatters were moving the ball around with confidence and McQuoid was at the heart of most of the early advances, spraying a lovely ball out to O’Donnell on the right, but his cross was just too high for Smith.

Vassell had another sight of goal in the 27th minute, but this time his left foot shot from the edge of the area was straight at Lions keeper Tom King.

The visiting keeper’s namesake in the Town goal, Craig, was called into action again just before the half-hour when Aiden O’Brien hit a stinging volley on the turn, but the Hatters stopper turned it over the bar.

McQuoid’s work-rate was proving first class, and the striker – playing at the tip of the midfield diamond – sprinted back 50 yards to track the visitors’ rampaging midfielder Calum Butcher and make a crucial sliding challenge.

Vassell latched onto a pass from Gray to send another good effort goalwards in the 36th minute, but Lions keeper King turned it around the post with his foot.

Then the ex-Truro City striker got the crowd going with a surging turn and run down the right wing, then a thunderous challenge on left-back Joe Martin after regaining his footing after seemingly being shoved to the ground in full flow.

Dominant in the air throughout, Vassell then flicked a long kick from King onto Mackail-Smith, who laid the ball back for Smith, whose curling shot from 20 yards was always rising.

The Hatters came out on the front foot in the second half too, and Gray led the first promising break five minutes in with a burst through the middle, but Millwall keeper King was quickly off his line to smother Vassell’s shot.

Millwall responded immediately with David Worrall heading O’Brien’s 52nd-minute cross over the bar, before debutant Smith shot straight at King and O’Brien chipped over the bar into his team’s travelling fans in the Oak Road End.

The Town had the lead on 57 minutes, and Mackail-Smith was instrumental in gaining the advantage, spinning his man to the right of the penalty area and fizzing a low shot across the six-yard box that Lions skipper Hutchinson turned past his own keeper.

Just after the hour mark Millwall had a great chance to level when Onyedinma, seconds after coming on as a substitute, raced clear of Famewo, but Hatters keeper King saved well with his feet.

More quick interplay in midfield resulted in Bakinson spreading the play to O’Donnell on the right, but Smith couldn’t generate enough power in his header from the Scot’s cross to really trouble King.

Millwall drew level in the 71st minute when Gregg Wylde raced clear on the left and crossed low for Onyedinma to slot home under pressure from the sliding Senior.

They came close to taking the lead six minutes later when left-back Joe Martin, son of former England defender Alvin, arrowed a 30-yard shot that King tipped over, seconds before Onyedinma was presented with a great chance to net his second, King again denying him at full stretch.

King was being kept busy in the Town goal and he repelled a stinging effort from Butcher with nine minutes to go, but Smith was on hand to tap in the rebound and grab a debut goal to put the south Londoners in front.

Jones threw on Freddie Hinds, a scorer for the Under-18s in their FA Youth Cup win at Barnet last week, in an attempt to drag the Hatters back into it.

But within seconds, the Lions had extended their lead when Smith claimed his second of the night, heading in a right-wing free-kick from Worrall.

Hinds latched onto a pass from Hatters skipper Smith at the other end and sent in a low cross-shot that Tony Craig turned into his own keeper’s grateful arms.

Jones handed debut to an academy graduate for the 11th time in his ten-month tenure as Hatters boss, with youth teamer Arthur Read coming on in injury-time for Gray, but it would be Millwall who progress as group toppers, with the Hatters through as runners-up.

TOWN: C King, O’Donnell, Musonda, Famewo, Senior, Bakinson (Hinds 86), Gray (Read 90), J Smith, McQuoid, Mackail-Smith (Banton 66), Vassell. Subs: Snelus, Cotter, Bean, Gooch (GK)

MILLWALL: T King, Cummings, Martin, Hutchinson (Craig 84), Worrall (Twardek 89), Wylde, Butcher, O’Brien (Onyedinma 61), H Smith, Rooney, Farrell. Subs not used: Archer (GK), Williams, Pavey, Brown.

Yellows: Smith

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_1nQ8cYZ04

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgrxKNv6BP0

http://www.lutontown.co.uk/news/article/2016-17/luton-town-millwall-football-3406085.aspx

Checkatrade Trophy: Luton Town 1 Millwall 3

Luton Town ended their Checkatrade Trophy group stage campaign with defeat to League One Millwall this evening.

With 70 minutes gone, it had looked like Luton were going to be on their way to the knock out section with a home draw, leading 1-0 through Shaun Hutchinson's own goal.

However, the introduction of Fred Onyedinma saw the hosts' previously secure back-line struggle to cope with the Lions striker, as he quickly made it 1-1, while Harry Smith's double then knocking the stuffing out of Town's youngsters.

Boss Nathan Jones as expected made 11 changes to the side who beat Exeter City 3-1 in the FA Cup, with Craig Mackail-Smith handed his first start since breaking his leg against Plymouth in March, while Jack Senior was back from injury too.

Millwall also swapped most of their team, making nine alterations, but Luton had a glorious chance on four minutes, counter-attacking at blistering pace, with Senior's cross nodded wide by Josh McQuoid from eight yards.

The Lions only effort of note saw Harry Smith head straight at Craig King, as Luton looked the most likely to score, with another excellent cross from the impressive Senior diverted over the top by Isaac Vassell, who then scuffed at Tom King after an incisive burst.

Home stopper King turned over Aiden O'Brien's hooked volley midway through the half, while Vassell thought he had his first strike in Luton colours on 35 minutes.

Released by Jake Gray, he sped away and with the target in his cross-hairs, drilled low and hard, only for Lions keeper Tom King to flick out a boot and divert inches wide.

Jonathan Smith tried his luck from 20 yards, unable to keep his effort on target, as Luton could reflect on yet another impressive half of football from their youngsters in this much-maligned competition.

After the break, Millwall were more lively early on, with David Worrall heading over, although Town broke, Jake Gray finding Vassell when a ball to Mackail-Smith would have been better, the Luton forward denied by King's right glove from an acute angle.

The deadlock was broken on 57 minutes though when Mackail-Smith wriggled clear in the box, delivering a low cross that was turned into his own net at full stretch by Lions skipper Hutchinson.

Millwall should have levelled on 62 minutes as Onyedinma robbed Akin Famewo with his first touch, and bearing down on goal, selfishly opted to go it alone, when Smith was free for a tap-in, King saving well with his legs.

Mackail-Smith's return lasted just three more minutes, replaced by Zane Banton, as Onyedinma did have the equaliser five minutes later as Gregg Wylde outpaced Stephen O'Donnell and his cross was perfect for the striker to clip over King.

With the visitors starting to run the show, the Luton stopper kept his side on level terms, tipping Joe Martin's 30-yarder over, and then standing up well to palm Onyedinma's close-range toe-poke away.

Banton tricked his way into the area, King repelling his low attempt, before Millwall completed the turnaround as Calum Butcher's rasping low drive drew a fine save from King, only for Smith to convert the rebound with nine minutes left.

With Luton's heads dropping, as they struggled to keep a lid on their opponents attacks, the Lions had a flattering third late on, when Smith was left unmarked to nod home his second.

Even later on, Jones did hand the 11th debut to an academy graduate since taking over, with Arthur Read replacing Gray, as Luton now await Thursday's draw to see where they will be heading to in the next round.

Luton: Craig King, Stephen O'Donnell, Jack Senior, Akin Famewo, Frankie Musonda, Tyreeq Bakinson (Freddie Hinds 86), Jake Gray (Arthur Read 90), Jonathan Smith, Josh McQuoid, Craig Mackail-Smith (Zane Banton 66), Isaac Vassell.

Subs not used: Liam Gooch, Jack Snelus, Harry Bean, Kavan Cotter.

Millwall: Tom King, Shaun Cummings, Joe Martin, Shaun Hutchinson (C, Tony Craig 84) David Worrall (Kris Twardek 90), Gregg Wylde, Calum Butcher, Aiden O'Brien (Fred Onyedinma 62), Harry Smith, Paul Rooney, Kyron Farrell.

Subs not used: Jordan Archer, Shaun Williams, Alfie Pavey, James Brown.

Bookings: Harry Smith 67.

Referee: Oliver Langford.

Attendance: 2,251 (370 Millwall).

Millwall** defeat a real learning curve for Town’s teenage back-line**

Hatters boss Nathan Jones believes that Tuesday night’s Checkatrade Trophy defeat to Millwall will provide a valuable lesson for both centre halves Akin Famewo and Frankie Musonda.

The teenage duo had looked composed once more at the back for Luton, with the hosts leading 1-0 through Shaun Hutchinson’s own goal, until the introduction of striker Fred Onyedinma just after the hour mark.

It was the substitute who drew the Lions level, before lanky forward Harry Smith notched twice in the final 10 minutes, with his first goals in senior football, as Luton struggled to contain the pair.

Jones said: “Tonight’s been a real good learning curve, especially for our two centre halves.

“They’ve come up against a real big, direct, real threat, which at our level they’re going to come up against, so they’re going to need to handle that if they want a career.

“That’s probably the first time they’ve come up against that type of threat, and the boy will cause a lot of problems for a lot of defenders, so it’s a good exercise for us.”

Smith’s second goal came when he was left completely unmarked from a free kick to easily head past Craig King, as Jones continued: “That’s the thing, it’s a free header and he’s being marked, he’s stronger, he’s bigger, we have to find a way, young Frankie has to find a way.

“It’s a big job marking him, he’s probably six inches bigger than him, but he has to find a way to defend that as that’s what results are all about.

“You find a way to keep clean sheets, even when the odds are against you and that’s what a career’s about and he will learn from that, that’s a good thing.

“We needed a bit more nous, we lacked a little bit of experience, just to settle down and to see the game out, but we didn’t do that.

“Late on they had a few opportunities, especially when they put it in our box, and we didn’t quite see it out and that’s the learning curve, because we’ve had a young back four.

“Tey’re all teenagers, three of the back four are 17, 18, 19 and (Stephen) O’Donnell’s only 24 himself, so it’s a very young back four.

Despite the defeat, Jones was pleased with the way his side went about their evening’s work once more, with progression to the next stage already secured.

He added: “I thought for large periods we were excellent, I really did.

“We probably could have had a bit more cutting edge first half, but I thought some of our play was superb and we competed with a young side, so9 I’m pleased on the whole, just disappointed we lost.”

Luton Town 1 Millwall 3

Maybe you can't win anything with kids after all, but for Luton in the EFL Trophy that's not really the point.

Alan Hansen's infamous Match of the Day remark about Manchester United's 1995 vintage is now so old that six of Luton's starting line-up for this 3-1 defeat to Millwall weren't even born when he said it.

That's not to say that these young Hatters – who, before this dead rubber, had already qualified out of their group along with the Lions – can't go all the way to Wembley, but they've already caused quite a stir, regardless.

It may have been a fleeting cameo, but Arthur Read's 90th minute introduction took the number of homegrown players given their professional debuts since the turn of the year by manager Nathan Jones to 11.

Of course, now the club will have to give the Football League their 'observations' as to why, for three games in this competition, they've broken rules about squad selection.

Remember, teams are required to field at least five starters from either the preceding or following games. As expected Jones made wholesale changes for this inconsequential result but, like the previous two times, it's unlikely that enough of this team will line-up against Accrington in the league, back at Kenilworth Road on Saturday.

The question is whether the governing body will punish Luton for their defiance or recognise their achievement of progressing to the knockout rounds by putting faith in youth. And at the expense of the West Bromwich Albion Under-23 side that were crowbarred into the competition – along with 16 other category one academy outfits – by the powers that be.

It should be the latter, in case you were wondering.

On this occasion, Town were deservedly beaten by the Londoners' superior second half, in which they scored all the goals – even Luton's, as Shaun Hutchinson put through his own net.

That put the hosts in the lead and on course for a perfect trio of results in this group stage, which their first half performance deserved.

Former Lion Josh McQuoid should have scored in the fourth minute and Isaac Vassell went a 15th appearance with breaking his Hatters duck thanks to an instinctive save from Millwalll goalie Tom King.

At that stage, Tyreeq Bakinson stood out as one of those midfielders that can always find that rarest of commodities in the rush-rush of lower league footaball – space. Jack Senior also threw his hat into the ring, in an attacking sense, for a run-out in the league with a series of dangerous crosses, not often seen from Town's full backs this term.

But despite their command of possession, they ended the first period goalless and couldn't build on that beyond the hour mark.

But first, striker Craig Mackail-Smith – who was handed his first start since breaking his leg in March – twisted and turned in the box and delivered a cross that left egg on the face of Millwall's captain.

The tide turned for the visitors with the introduction of Fred Onyedinma and though he wasted a golden chance seconds after his introduction – when he picked Akin Famewo's pocket but saw Craig King keep him out – striker didn't pass up his second chance. He couldn't, really, as it was put on a plate for him by Gregg Wylde's devil of a cross into Town's six-yard area.

Luton's King then tipped over from Joe Martin's long range stinger and denied Onyedinma for a second time at close quarters before making a fabulous save in vain from Calum Butcher as Millwall took the lead, with Harry Smith following up.

Five minutes later the Lions ace scored again as he went unchecked to power a header home in front of the Londoners' 370 travelling fans.

So yes, for the first time in this Trophy trail, Jones did not win with his youngsters.

But the Luton kids are all right. Let's hope the Football League see it that way too.

Luton Town: King, O'Donnell, Smith, Gray (Read, 90), Mackail-Smith (Banton, 66), Vassell, Senior, McQuoid, Bakinson (Hinds, 86), Musonda, Famewo Unused subs: Snelus, Cotter, Bean, Gooch

Millwall: King, Cummings, Martin, Hutchinson (Craig, 83), Worrall (Twardek, 89), Wylde, Butcher, O'Brien (Onyedinma, 61), Smith, Rooney, Farrell Unused subs: Archer, Williams, Pavey, Brown

Referee: Oliver Langford

Attendance: 2,251 (370)