Luton Town FC vs Newport County AFC (16th Aug 2016)

PUBLISHED 22:22 16th August 2016 McGeehan brace steals all three points for the Hatters

LUTON TOWN 2-1 NEWPORT COUNTY AFC

Two Cameron McGeehan penalties were enough for the 10 men of Luton Town to see off Newport County in a match full of drama.

A goalless first half was a stark contrast from an eventful second, with Luton awarded two penalties, one in the dying moments of the game, as well as a Newport goal sandwiched in between from a Myrie-Williams goal direct from a corner.

Although it was a cagey start, Luton grew into the game with a midfield diamond, of Lee, McGeehan, Cook and Pelly-Ruddock showing a good understanding, with strong movement and passing causing Newport problems in the middle of the pitch.

The first real chance of the game fell Jack Marriott’s way, as the striker and Cook, playing in the point of the diamond showed great combination play on the edge of the Exiles box, with Marriott being fed through on goal, but was forced into a tight angle with Day able to force the ball out for a corner.

With the Newport defence playing deep, Cook was able to find himself on the edge of the final third with space on more than one occasion, with two strong 25 yard efforts keeping Day busy in between the sticks for the Exiles, as he palmed both efforts away.

Town boss Nathan Jones said prior to the game his side need to be prepared for a strong showing from the away side from set-pieces, but the few that Newport did have were thwarted by the Hatters defence.

Luton managed to limit the visitors to counter attacks, with Sean Rigg twice working Walton in the net after quick breaks from Newport County, but he was unable to cause the Brighton and Hove Albion loanee any real problems

With the second half barely underway, Pelly Ruddock smashed the ball over the bar after a Cuthbert long ball was headed down by Hylton, but the midfielder was unable to keep his effort down after just 12 seconds.

It was Ruddock again for Luton who should’ve given his side the lead just two minutes later, when he found himself inside the penalty area with a clear shot at goal after some good play from Hylton, but he was denied comfortably by Day.

The Hatters could have taken the lead when Jack Marriott was expertly picked out in the box by Cook, but the forward somehow had his effort bound for the bottom left hand corner tipped wide.

Fortunately for Marriott, it didn’t matter, as after 61 minutes the Hatters were awarded a penalty.

Hylton carried the ball forwards, lost it on the edge, then regained it and as he cut in from the left hand side of the box, he was dragged down by the defender just inside the penalty area.

Cameron McGeehan clinically dispatched the ball into the bottom right hand corner, sending Day the wrong way, and it wasn’t the last time the 21 year old did so either.

Newport made a pair of substitutions immediately after and it paid, in an unexpected way.

Myrie-Williams lined up a corner on the right hand side for the visitors, swung the ball in, which beat everyone including the outstretched arm of Walton, and flew into the top left hand corner to bring the game level.

Newport substitute Jon Parkin gave the away side some muscle upfront they had been looking for, and the striker won his side a free-kick on the edge of the box, with Mullins going into the book for his trouble with 15 minutes to go.

With 85 minutes gone, Mullins received his second yellow after he brought down Jamie Turley 30 yards out from goal, but the Hatters were determined, as Lee and then Mpanzu went close for the Hatters.

As the game entered the final moments, Mpanzu made a run into the Newport box, was brought down and Luton had their chance to steal all three points at the death.

McGeehan had to wait for two minutes whilst the Exiles remonstrated with the referee, leading to Parkin being booked.

With Day already beaten once by McGeehan, the pressure was on to convert.

Unfortunately for Day, McGeehan once again sent him the wrong way, as he buried the ball in the bottom left hand corner, with Kenilworth Road erupting.

Luton saw out the remaining seconds, with the result keeping them top of League Two on seven points.

LUTON TOWN: Walton, O'Donnell, Potts, Mullins, Cuthbert (C), McGeehan, Hylton, Cook, Marriott, Mpanzu, Lee

SUBS: Smith, Gray, Vassell, McQuoid, King, Justin, Famewo

NEWPORT COUNTY AFC: Day, Butler, Jones, Turley, Labadie, Randall, Myrie-Williams, Jackson, Green, Bennett (C), Rigg

SUBS: Barnum-Bobb, Parkin, Tozer, Bignot, Sheehan, Owen-Evans, Bittner

http://www.lutontown.co.uk/news/article/2016-17/gallery-luton-newport-2-1-3253127.aspx

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9BJfqkt4xw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTBM8fc8bhM

League Two: Luton Town 2 Newport County 1

Cameron McGeehan netted a hugely controversial last minute penalty as Luton Town saw off Newport County at Kenilworth Road this evening.

Heading into the last seconds of injury time, Town midfielder Pelly-Ruddock burst into the area and went over an outstretched left of a visiting defender.

It looked at first like referee Charles Breakspear was going to book the Luton man for diving, but in fact, he pointed to the spot, much to the ire of the County players, who buffeted Mpanzu in the aftermath, making clear their feelings over the decision.

Once the posturing had died down though, there was still there was the small matter of actually converting the spot kick and McGeehan, who had already beaten keeper Joe Day once from 12 yards, deserves huge credit for doing the same again, as Kenilworth Road erupted.

It had appeared that Luton were going to suffer further home frustration as after taking the lead through McGeehan’s first spot kick just after the hour, an error from keeper Christian Walton saw Jennison Myrie-Williams left direct from a corner with 20 minutes to go.

However, in a game they would most likely have drawn last season, Hatters found an extra gear in time added on to grab the winner, that left boss Nathan Jones roaring with unadulterated passion as he left the field.

The Luton chief had made just the one change, with Olly Lee replacing Glen Rea, while a quiet opening was punctuated by a break from Jordan Cook, as he took aim from 20 yards, with Joe Day parrying his shot and Dan Potts dallying over the rebound.

Cook tried his luck again on 13 minutes, with County’s defence doing their job, while Marriott then swivelled in the area, Day easily holding his low attempt.

Town dominated possession as is the norm these days at Kenilworth Road, although Sean Rigg served notice County weren’t here to make up the numbers, sending two efforts wide, before forcing Walton to tip over at the near post.

Hatters still couldn’t create anything classed as a clear-cut opportunity, Danny Hylton going close, his low drive repelled by a fine Jamie Turley block.

Mpanzu then started to go through the gears, whipping over a cross that Day finger-tipped away, the keeper then easily holding on to McGeehan’s follow up.

County started to find their feet though, with Luton unable to pierce the visitors’ back-line, until seven minutes before the break when Stephen O’Donnell’s pinpoint cross was headed badly wide by a completely unmarked Hylton from five yards out.

Mark Randall almost made the striker pay for his profligacy instantly, waltzing thrown Hatters’ defence with the cover back in the nick of time.

To their credit, Town were defending solidly from the visitors’ set-piece delivery, something that hasn’t always been the case, Randall then scuffing a decent chance wide.

Luton who came out for the second period trying to raise the intensity that boss Jones craves, as they almost did that within 12 seconds, Hylton flicking on for Mpanzu, who once again, didn’t keep his composure when the shooting chance arose, whacking well over.

The midfielder went close moments later too, released by Hylton again, and although on target this time, Day was out bravely to block with his body.

Town then took their time in working a wonderful opening for Marriott, who when played in by Cook, saw his shot destined for the bottom corner, flicked behind by Day.

Hatters finally upped their forward press in in an all-action five minutes spell, as began winning the ball back much higher up the pitch, snapping into their challenges, with Hylton starting to become a real influence.

It was the forward who played a huge role in the opener too, pick-pocketing possession back from Turley in the area, forcing a foul from the Newport defender in the area, allowing McGeehan to send Day the wrong way and break the deadlock.

After doing all the hard work to open the scoring, Hatters then threw all of that away, as Newport brought on Jon Parkin and his presence alone unsettled the hosts from a corner, Jennison Myrie-Williams’ delivery going straight through Walton’s weak punch and into the net.

Facing further home frustration, Town tried to up their urgency, Cook sending Hylton clear, although Day was out quickly to deny the Town forward with his feet.

With five minutes to go, the hosts were down to 10 men as Johnny Mullins, who had been booked moments before, then received his second for an ill-timed challenge as youngster Akin Famewo came on for his Town debut.

To their credit, Hatters kept two upfront, as both sides were inches away in stoppage time, Mpanzu’s deflected effort and Lee’s angled volley narrowly wide, as was Ben Tozer’s delightful curler.

However, in the final seconds, Mpanzu won the penalty for McGeehan to send Kenilworth Road into raptures, as County’s players lost their discipline big time, picking up a number of bookings, with angry scenes after the full time whistle as well, with many in the ear of Mpanzu once more.

A clearly animated Town boss Jones got his player out of the firing line though, the manager roaring with passion as he left the pitch, with his side staying at the summit ahead of this weekend’s trip to Stevenage.

Hatters: Christian Walton, Stephen O’Donnell, Dan Potts, Johnny Mullins, Scott Cuthbert, Olly Lee, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Jordan Cook (Akin Famewo 86), Cameron McGeehan, Danny Hylton, Jack Marriott (Isaac Vassell 90).

Subs not used: Craig King, Jonathan Smith, Jake Gray, Josh McQuoid, James Justin.

Newport: Joe Day, Dan Butler, Darren Jones, Jamie Turley, Joss Labadie, Mark Randall (Ben Tozer 82) Jennison Myrie-Williams, Marlon Jackson (Jon Parkin 69), Jordan Green (Jazzi Barnum-Bobb 67), Scot Bennett (C), Sean Rigg.

Subs not used: Paul Bignot, Josh Sheehan, Tom Owen-Evans, James Bittner.

Bookings: Mullins, Jones, Butler, Tozer, Myrie-Williams, Parkin.

Red cards: Mullins.

Attendance: 7,058 (115 County).

Hatters MOM: Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu

Hatters boss Nathan Jones hailed his side’s ambition as they beat Newport County 2-1 at Kenilworth Road last night.

The hosts had gone down to 10 men in the final 10 minutes when centre half Johnny Mullins was sent off, but Jones kept two strikers on the pitch and it paid dividends in injury time when Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu won a penalty and Cameron McGeehan converted.

On the result, Jones said: “They’re a great bunch of footballers a great bunch of characters and I love them, I absolutely love them.

“Because we have ambition and they want to win stuff, and they have a real pair.

“They really want to play here and we really want to win games. We know sides are going to come, park the bus, play like that, where they try and slow the game down, try to cause problems, diving, nah, we try to play right and what a magnificent performance.

“With 10 men, we still kept two upfront, tried to win the game, I’m proud of my Luton Town and everyone in this stadium should be proud of Luton Town.”

On what he made of the red card handed out to Mullins for his second foul in quick succession, Jones continued: “I don’t know, the second one was definitely a booking and it’s one of those things.

“But he could do with a rest anyway, he’s played every game, so he’ll get one now.”

Hatters boss Nathan Jones has questioned what kind of side the club’s supporters want to see during his tenure in charge at Kenilworth Road.

The Luton chief witnessed Cameron McGeehan’s hotly-disputed penalty ensure Town stayed top of the table with a last-gasp 2-1 win over Newport County this evening.

However, there were a few audible groans among the 7,058 fans inside the ground at times before Hatters had gone ahead on the hour mark through another McGeehan spot kick, and after Jennison Myrie-William’s leveller pegged them back with 20 minutes to play.

Speaking afterwards, an animated Jones said of the home crowd: “It’s rocking, after we got them rocking, but what I’m saying to them is, and you can put this in a headline, they need to lift the players as well.

“It’s not going to be five, six nil every week, you have to earn the right. When sides come in and camp and sit in, it’s difficult, there’s no space, they want to deny us because they know what a good side we are.

“Now if the crowd want to win, get behind your players, get behind them, if they want a footballing side.

“If not, they can have a long ball side where we put two giants up there, we’ll smash it, get the knock downs and then we won’t have build up football.

“What do they want? Ask them, that’s the headline, what do they want?

Jones also spoke in glowing terms of his players after they kept going until the final whistle, and believes supporters should be supremely proud of the side he has put together this term.

He continued: “I’m proud of my Luton Town and everyone in this stadium should be proud of Luton Town tonight.

“I know what good players I’ve got here, characters, that want to play the right way, that are brave, that if no-one else believes in them, they believe in themselves. What a great night, great night.

“We’re building a reputation and everyone says so. I’ve had people from Newport saying what a good team we’ve got here and I’m proud of my team, I’m really proud of my team.

“The people of Luton should be proud and get behind them early too. Are you just going to moan when we have a stray pass? Or when something doesn’t go right?

“We have no god given right to win a game here, we’ve got to earn it and if it takes to the 95th minute, like it did today, then that’s what we do.

“They should be proud of that group of players, because they showed a real character tonight and I love my players, love them.”

Jones was quick to try and diffuse the situation at the final whistle with County players who were clearly incensed with the decision to award Luton a late, late spot kick as the boss added: “I want them to celebrate with the fans, that’s what I wanted to do, I don’t want all that palaver and all that rigmarole, fighting afterwards, want them to celebrate with their fans.

“They had the place rocking and they deserved it, because we showed a right bit of ambition tonight.”

Luton Town 2 Newport County 1

Cameron McGeehan doubled up from the spot as a controversial 96th minute penalty beat Newport County to keep ten-man Luton Town top-of-the-tree in League Two.

The Exiles raged as they rounded on Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, who they accused of diving and, for an age during a 22-man spot of push-and-shove, referee Charles Breakspear looked set to caution the Hatters' man-of-the-match.

When the official finally restored order it emerged that he'd awarded a spot-kick. McGeehan, who'd sent keeper Joe Day the wrong way from the spot just after the hour, did so again with virtually the last kick of the contest.

Snatching back victory, when they'd played so well but nearly shot themselves in the foot – these are often the barometers used to measure title triumphs in May.

County's Ben Tozer and Darren Jones were booked for their furious protestations and, once the final whistle went, the Welsh side, en masse, made a beeline for Mpanzu, while Newport boss, former Luton striker Warren Feeney, headed straight for Breakspear.

Scuffles ensued and it took Town manager Nathan Jones – raging with excitement – to push his players away and order them to take the applause of the Kenilworth Road crowd.

And why not? It was the sort of game where – a promising first half an hour yielded no goals, they relinquished a comfortable lead and then lost Johnny Mullins for a second bookable offences five minutes from time – Luton of old would have passed up the points.

The relief at the final whistle was palpable for anyone of an orange persuasion, perhaps because it was a sign that this current vintage have discovered early in a campaign that they can be on the winning side of dramatic.

The man who probably felt it most keenly was Walton after Mpanzu and McGeehan spared him from being the fall-guy.

Eight minutes after Danny Hylton had done superbly well to win McGeehan his first penalty, the Luton goalie erred, seeing Jennison Myrie-Williams' corner sail past his flailing fist and inside the back stick to level.

But in truth, it would have been cruel for the Brighton loan man to have taken the flack as he had little else to do but watch the men in front of him create chances and squander them. The hosts should have been home and hosed by the time McGeehan stroked in his first from the spot.

Before then it was the close-but-no-cigar feeling and Jones could have been forgiven for calling the phone number on an oddly prophetic advertising hoarding, right next to Luton's dugout, which read 'Finishing Touch Services'.

Hylton, Jack Marriott and Mpanzu all passed up chances to make the evening more comfortable. The latter really only needed a finish to round off a fine performance where he was at the beating heart of everything good about Town's attacking play – but twice the former West Ham United youth wasted chances in the second half, while having a strong spot-kick claim waved away.

If, however, he can add goals to his game, in the same way he seems to unearthed a new eye for through-ball, then Mpanzu will be truly devastating.

For now, being the penalty box protagonist in Town's late, late show will do just nicely, controversy or not.

Luton: Walton; O'Donnell, Potts, Mullins, Cuthbert, McGeehan, Hylton, Cook (Famewo, 86), Marriott (Vassell, 90), Mpanzu, Lee Unused subs: Smith, Gray, McQuoid, King, Justin

Newport: Day; Butler, JonesS, Turley, Labadie, Randall (Tozer, 81), Myrie-Williams, Jackson (Parkin, 69), Green (Barnum-Bobb, 67), Bennett, Rigg Unused subs: Bignot, Sheehan, Owen-Evans Bittner

Referee: Charles Breakspear

Attendance: 7,058 (115)