Luton Town FC vs Newport County AFC (23rd Apr 2016)

PUBLISHED 17:10 23rd April 2016 The Hatters slip to an away goal to lose their three-game winning streak

LUTON TOWN 1-1 NEWPORT COUNTY AFC

Jack Marriott’s 14th goal of the season was not enough to give the Hatters three points after a frustrating home performance at the hands of Newport County AFC.

Marriott came off the bench to net with less than ten minutes remaining, nodding home Olly Lee’s cross after a quiet first half at Kenilworth Road.

But as the Town thought they had nicked three points, substitute Souleymane Coulibaly headed beyond Elliot Justham to keep Newport in the Football League, ending the Hatters’ slim play-off hopes.

Nathan Jones kept faith in the XI that won at Oxford and Carlisle as Alan Sheehan once again wore the captain’s armband in the absence of Scott Cuthbert, expected to be back next week.

Josh McQuoid came close after just two minutes for the Hatters, meeting Danny Green’s deflected cross but only nodding wide in a bright start for both sides.

County came back into the game however, Medy Elito first testing Justham from range prior to the visitors getting a brace of corners dealt with by the Hatters defence.

Stephen O’Donnell’s raking diagonal was just out of reach of Joe Pigott’s head, while the striker also steered Pelly Ruddock’s pull-back inches wide of the far post in a truncated and “energyless” half according to the gaffer.

It was a frustrating half for the Town with opportunities at a premium, with Sheehan required to make a trio of pin-point, last-ditch tackles to keep the game goalless.

The hosts were lacking the clinical edge that saw them accrue maximum points from their last three outings, and Nathan Jones looked to change things around with Cameron McGeehan coming on for Alex Lawless just before the half-hour mark.

Despite having the better of the ball, Newport were only able to test Justham on a few occasions, the best of those coming from an Elito drive which the Hatters keeper had to fumble round the post.

Pigott, fresh from three goals in his last two outings, came close to adding to his tally, but from Lee’s cross the striker was forced to stretch after ‘keeper Joe Day slipped, nodding over without being able to force any direction.

And the best chance came on the stroke of the break. McGeehan and Ruddock linked up well down the inside-left channel, and when Ruddock out-muscled his defender and fired a shot, he looked certain to net only for Day to pull off an excellent save and keep the game goalless at the interval.

The Town came out firing for the second period, coming close to breaking the deadlock when Pigott’s near-post effort from Ruddock’s dancing was touched just wide.

Ruddock was instrumental in all the Hatters’ early attacks, feeding Pigott on the edge of the area with back to goal. The Charlton loanee somehow managed to get a shot away, with his looping effort almost foxing Day but clipping the crossbar on its way out.

The manager introduced Zane Banton to inject some pace to the fore, with the promising youngster given 30 minutes to strut his stuff and attempt to win the Town the game, while Marriott came on seven minutes later.

And those introductions gave the Town some extra impetus with O’Donnell bursting through with regularity, although there were some nervy moments when ex-Hatter Dean Morgan was clean on goal, yet he could only fire past the far post.

But the Town breakthrough did come just nine minutes from time. Super work down the right-hand side led to Lee having time to pick his cross, finding the run of Marriott at the front post to nod past Day and give the Hatters the lead.

But the hosts switched off just five minutes later to concede the lead. Alex Rodman was allowed time to get his ball in the box, and substitute Coulibaly was on hand to nod past Justham and confirm Newport’s stay in League 2 for another season.

Hatters: Justham, O’Donnell, Potts, Rea, Sheehan, Lawless (sub McGeehan 29), Lee, Green (sub Banton 59), Ruddock, McQuoid (sub Marriott 68), Pigott

Subs not used: King, Benson, Howells, Musonda

Attendance: 7,606, with 140 following Newport County AFC

http://www.lutontown.co.uk/news/article/gallery-town-1-1-newport-county-afc-3076761.aspx

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5a0D3LtytGg

League Two: Luton Town 1 Newport County 1

Luton Town’s distant play-off hopes were finally ended this afternoon after they suffered further home disappointment, conceding a late equaliser against struggling Newport County.

Even had Luton won, with AFC Wimbledon and Portsmouth both emerging victorious as well, then the top seven would have been realistically out of reach anyway, due to a vastly inferior goal difference.

The game had more importance on it for the visitors though, as Newport needed a mere point to ensure League Two survival, although that became largely irrelevant once second bottom York City were hammered 3-0 at Accrington Stanley, sending the Minstermen down.

Hatters boss Nathan Jones named an unchanged side for the third game running after away wins at Oxford and Carlisle, with the hosts going close to grabbing an early lead when Danny Green’s deflected cross was met by Josh McQuoid, but he could only glance narrowly wide.

However, it was County who looked by far the greater threat early on, easily having the better of the opening 10 minutes as Alex Rodman wasted a good break, curling over, while after Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu gave the ball away cheaply, Medy Elito shot straight at Elliot Justham.

On-loan Charlton striker Joe Pigott displayed the confidence gleaned from his three goals in two games, taking on Ruddock Mpanzu’s pass first time, dragging off target.

But any fluence and momentum taken from three wins on the spin never materialised on the pitch, with Luton second to the ball on almost every occasion as the visitors looked nothing like a side at the wrong end of the table.

County continued to look the more likely, Scott Barrow’s free kick striking the wall, with his second attempt flicking off Lenell John-Lewis’ boot and missing the bottom corner by inches.

As Luton continued to look insipid at best, Ruddock Mpanzu particularly struggling to get anywhere near the level of his previous performances, boss Jones opted to make an early substitution, bringing off Alex Lawless for Cameron McGeehan.

It was harsh on the midfielder with any number of Luton’s outfield players deserving the ignomy of being hauled before the half hour mark.

The anger in the departing Welshman was clear to see too, punching the dug out in disgust as he took his place on the bench.

Justham had to be alert to shovel Elito’s potshot behind, while the Luton stopper was called upon from range once more from John-Lewis’ deflected shot before Hatters managed to finish the half in something of the ascendancy.

They created the best two chances in quick succession as Olly Lee’s cross saw keeper Joe Day lose his footing, with Pigott stretching his neck to head over.

The Newport custodian then redeemed himself, with a strong left hand to deny Ruddock Mpanzu, who had out-muscled his opponent in a rare moment of power.

With the words of Jones ringing in their ear, Town started the second period as they should have the first, Ruddock Mpanzu’s direct run and cross side-footed narrowly wide by Pigott.

Scott Boden flicked a header just over as the game looked like it might open up, with Pigott unlucky to see his instinctive 20-yarder beat Day only to clip the top of the bar.

John-Lewis put another presentable header wide as County kept their attacking side of the bargain, while Jones made another two earlier than normal changes, with Zane Banton and Jack Marriott introduced.

The alterations allowed Luton to finally build a head of steam as it was they who were first to the loose ball, dominating territory for the first time.

A flurry of action saw McGeehan test Day, who again stood firm, before the keeper punched clear from Marriott too, with Ruddock Mpanzu dragging badly wide and McGeehan’s header simple for the keeper.

The visitors then had a marvellous chance to break the deadlock on 75 minutes when ex-Hatter Dean Morgan, the recipient of boos with his every touch, racing into the box only to slice wide.

Town made their former charge pay too six minutes later as Lee swung over a cross from the right and Marriott escaped his marker to neatly head home at the near post for a 14th of an impressive first full season.

From the moment they were in front though, Hatters appeared to clock off and with the MOM vote being read out, Rodman’s excellent cross from the right saw sub Souleymane Coulibaly rise highest to head beyond Justham in the 88th minute.

Pigott almost won it, seeing a low effort turned behind by Day, but it wasn’t to be as Hatters were left with that all-too familiar feeling of frustration at the final whistle once more.

Hatters: Elliot Justham, Stephen O’Donnell, Dan Potts, Alan Sheehan, Glen Rea, Alex Lawless (Cameron McGeehan 29), Olly Lee, Danny Green (Zane Banton 59), Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu, Josh McQuoid (Jack Marriott 68), Joe Pigott.

Subs not used: Jake Howells, Craig King, Frankie Musonda, Paul Benson.

Exiles: Joe Day, Danny Holmes, Scott Barrow (Tommy O’Sullivan 86), Darren Jones, Ben Davies, Medy Elito, Lenell John-Lewis (Dean Morgan 64), Andrew Hughes, Scott Boden (Souleymane Coulibaly 83), Alex Rodman, Mark Byrne (C).

Subs not used: Joe Green, Tom Owen-Evans, Matt Partridge, Kieran Parselle.

Attendance: 7,606 (140 Newport).

Booked: Davies 39, McQuoid 40.

Referee: Fred Graham.

Hatters MOM – Stephen O’Donnell

Luton Town boss Nathan Jones felt that Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Newport County was something of a learning curve for himself.

The Hatters chief opted to keep faith with the same side for the third game running, after excellent away victories at Oxford United and Carlisle United.

However, a frustrating first half saw the hosts never really get going, with Jones opting to withdraw Alex Lawless after just 30 minutes, and although they improved during the second period, Jones felt he should probably made changes to his team beforehand.

He said: “Maybe that’s a learning curve for me as they’ve done brilliantly and I’ve kept with the same side that’s done brilliant but we’ve got a squad here that maybe we should have used and freshened it up but we didn’t.

“Smudger (Jonathan Smith) was unlucky to miss out after only a few days back training after being ill, but those are the type that we want here and maybe I should have mixed it up a little bit.

“I went with the same side that had done superbly well because I’m not sure how they would have taken it if I had changed things.

“But maybe that’s a learning curve for me to use it and freshen stuff up at times.”

Jones was pleased with the performances of subs Cameron McGeehan, Zane Banton and Jack Marriott though, with the latter breaking the deadlock by scoring goal number 14 of the campaign.

The boss continued: “They definitely did have a real impact when they came on and that’s what we want from the game changers, as they’re not subs.

“We had good positions and should have scored first half, Joe had a couple of chances, Pelly Ruddock had a great chance, it was just a lacklustre performance. But if someone had said four games ago you’d taken 10 points, we’d have taken that.”

However, Town were pegged back late on by Souleymane Coulibaly’s strike, leaving Jones frustrated with the ease his side conceded once more.

He added: “From our point of view it’s a disappointing goal to give away. A looping ball in that we’ve got two six foot plus people in the box and their substitute gets in between and has a free header.

“It’s very, very disappointing and we’ve been excellent defending our box and we’ve had to defend our box for far longer than we did today and they just switched off.

“It’s symptomatic of our performance, they just switched off and it was lacklustre defending to see out the game, but we didn’t do that as we should have won the game.”

Luton Town boss Nathan Jones felt his side only gave themselves 45 minutes to beat Newport County after a ‘lacklustre’ first half against their Welsh rivals at Kenilworth Road yesterday.

Going into the game on the back of a three match winning run, the hosts looked a shadow of the team who had triumphed at Oxford and Carlisle, with County the better side early on.

To their credit, Hatters did improve after the break, forcing Exiles keeper Joe Day into a number of saves and looked like they had won it when Jack Marriott headed home in the 81st minute.

However, visiting sub Souleymane Coulibaly nodded home to steal a point late on as an annoyed Jones said: “I’m disappointed, a little frustrated as well, but it’s one of those things that is symptomatic a little bit of our home form, our home points tally.

“I thought we were poor first half, we were lacklustre, we didn’t come out of the traps, didn’t press, didn’t impose ourselves and it was a bit of a non-event for us.

“Fair play to them, they came out and had a few chances, but saying that, we had three or four opportunities first half that we could have scored, good chances, but we didn’t.

“In terms of a performance level, it was nowhere near first half and I was very, very disappointed as theoretically we gave ourselves 45 minutes to win a football match as we didn’t turn up first half.”

Jones admitted he got stuck into his players during the break, although was disappointed that it neeeded his input to improve the overall display.

The boss continued: “I couldn’t wait to get them off as I just felt we were nowhere near, but it shouldn’t take me to get into them at half-time, they should want to do that.

“I know sometimes that’s what I’m here for, that’s my job, but at home, we haven’t at times started and I know sides sit in and frustrate us but I’ve said, that’s going to happen and we need to handle that.

“But I just felt we were lacklustre, had no energy about us. Second half we came out and could have scored straight away from kick off, had some chances, the keeper’s made some fine saves and so on but we need to be a little bit more clinical in our finishing as I think we’ve had enough.

“They had one or two chances as well so I’m not saying it was all one-sided as it wasn’t, but we needed to be better.”

Jones did praise the Hatters fans for playing their part in the second half as they tried to lift their team, but the boss is aware it must be the other way round at times.

He added: “When we’re here, we need to give the fans something to get behind and first half I was disappointed.

“The fans have got behind us on their away journeys in their numbers, fans have done fantastically well, but at times here we’ve not given them that.

“Second half we did, and when we upped the tempo and when we press and we do what we can do very well, then the fans get behind it.”

Hatters boss Nathan Jones explained his reason behind taking off midfielder Alex Lawless after just half an hour of this afternoon’s 1-1 draw against Newport County.

The 31-year-old paid the price for Luton’s poor start to the game as he was substituted during the first half, with Cameron McGeehan introduced in his place.

Lawless showed his anger at the decision by thumping the dug out as he took his seat on the bench and on why he opted made the switch so early, Jones said: “To be honest, I probably could have taken off three or four.

“If I’d had a fantasy football wild card I could have changed a few, because we just didn’t start well and I wasn’t prepared to get hit by a sucker punch early on like has happened here against Crawley and people like that.

“We ask of them, it was harsh on Alex, because a few of them could have and I didn’t want to embarrass the kid or anything, but I needed to make a change.

“I thought Cameron was excellent when he came on, he provided that spark, that energy and it’s just unfortunate really.”

When asked about Lawless’ reaction, Jones admitted he too would have been angry had he been substituted in such a manner, but is more than happy to show the Welshman his reasoning behind it if necessary.

The boss continued: “I would be frustrated if I was him, but as long as he takes it in the right way.

“If he feels I was wrong to take him off then he can come and see me and I’ll watch the DVD with him as I don’t think I was unjust in taking him off. There were many more I could take off as I thought we started poorly, we didn’t press, didn’t get near anyone. They had more of the opportunities early on and it was lacklusture performance.”

Luton Town 1 Newport County 1

The Nobel Prize-winning Austrian physicist Erwin Schrödinger probably hadn't heard of Luton Town Football Club when he came up with his most debated idea to explain the dual nature of quantum mechanics – but like his fictional feline the Hatters proved they are simultaneously dead and alive at the same time.

After this draw with struggling Newport this 2016 vintage are, if nothing else, a thought experiment of their own, boxed in, like Schrödinger's cat, to two separate states of being simultaneously.

What does that mind-boggling hypothetical theory – in which a moggy is placed a box with some poison, a hammer and a 50-50 chance of it surviving and no way of knowing until the container is opened – have to do with a football match?

Well, if you squint hard enough, all of this preamble serves to loosely highlight the current paradoxical conundrum of Luton Town Football Club.

This result – in which Jack Marriott's 81st minute header was cancelled out by a late Souleymane Coulibaly equaliser – confirmed struggling Newport's fourth-tier survival while hammering a final nail in the coffin as far as the Hatters extending their campaign.

And, though this has been apparent for some weeks, this result – and a performance unconvincing in the first half and dominant in the second – did confirm that this season is dead.

But at the same time, on the whole, since boss Nathan Jones took the helm, the possibilities are very much alive.

Admittedly, the evidence here was more string theory than hard, irrefutable proof as they struggled to replicate their two previous promising performances on the road.

But the green shoots of revival have been emerging and the hope now is that Jones can tease them to full bloom next season.

There's plenty for him to ponder, not least which personnel will see Luton push-on.

Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu is one of his flock whose contract expires in the close season. Though he had one of his more frustration-inducing forays, he and Joe Pigott were notably denied by superb Joe Day stops.

Yet, in the last few weeks, the midfielder must have played himself to a new deal with hints and occasional full-colour illustrations of the all-action dynamo that Luton fans have demanded of him but too seldom seen.

With one, long-awaited goal last week – and two more since – Pigott has turned from a Bambi-on-ice catastrophe, destined to be sent back to parent club Charlton in the summer, to a striker worth serious consideration for a transfer raid. The 22-year-old was a lick of paint away from his fourth Town goal and unlucky not to notch a fifth and maybe even sixth in three games.

Alan Sheehan and Glen Rea are two more loan men that could be promising – if permanently assigned to this parish – as a centre half pairing that can play out from the back. And, of course, Marriott's poacher's goal after coming off the bench, was his 14th of the season. The cat is very much out of the bag – or box – that his first full Football League campaign has been a roaring personal success.

So too has Town's youth ranks as the under-18s this week added the Youth Alliance League Cup to their league title and a wonderful run to the FA Youth Cup quarter final – a 19-year best – while a new stadium appears increasingly possible and exceedingly exciting.

So, it doesn't take a quantum leap to theorise that if Town can tie together all of these things and maybe a few elements of dark matter then they can really start next season alive and kicking – a big bang even.

Luton Town: Justham, O'Donnell, Potts, Rea, Lawless (McGeehan, 29), Green (Banton, 59), Ruddock Mpanzu, Lee, McQuoid (Marriott, 68), Sheehan, Pigott Unused subs: Benson, King, Musonda, Howells

Newport County: Day, Holmes, Barrow (O'Sullivan, 86), Jones, Davies, Elito, John-Lewis (Morgan, 64), Hughes, Boden (Coulibaly, 81), Rodman, Byrne Unused subs: Green, Owen-Evans, Partridge, Parselle

Referee: Fred Graham Attendance: 7,606 (140)

A disappointed Nathan Jones confessed that conceding late to draw 1-1 with struggling Newport County was symptomatic of Luton's home form this season.

Jack Marriott looked to have won it for Town with an 81st minute opener after coming off the bench, but Souleymane Coulibaly headed the Welsh side level with two minutes remaining to finally make it mathematically impossible for the Hatters to reach the League Two play-offs.

Manager Jones said: "I'm disappointed, if I'm honest. I'm a little frustrated as well. It's one of those things that have been symptomatic, a little bit, of our home form, our home points tally.

"I'm disappointed with the overall performance. I thought we were poor in the first half, we were lacklustre, didn't come out of the traps, didn't press, didn't impose ourselves and it was a bit of a non-event for us.

"We had three or four opportunities in the first half where we could have scored, good chances, but we didn't."

So unimpressed was the manager that he made an early first half substitution, replacing Alex Lawless with Cameron McGeehan, with the former reacting angrily and punching the dugout wall.

"I would be frustrated if I was him," said Jones, adding: "If he feels I was wrong to take him off then he can come and see me and I'll watch the DVD with him because I don't think I was unjust in taking him off because we started poorly.

"I could have taken off three of four if I'd had a fantasy football wildcard I could have changed a few because we just didn't start well. I wasn't prepared to get hit with a sucker punch early on, like has happened here against Crawley.

"It was harsh on Alex because a few of them could have [come off]. I didn't want to embarrass the kid or anything, but I needed to make a change. I thought Cameron was good when he came on. He provided that spark, that energy. It's just unfortunate, really.

"Maybe that's a learning curve for me, because they've done brilliantly. We've kept the same side that had done brilliant [for three games], but we've got a squad here that we maybe should have used to freshen it up, but we didn't."

Luton were much improved after the break but Jones was still left to lament what could have been.

"We theoretically gave ourselves 45 minutes to win a football match because we didn't turn up in the first half," he said.

Nathan Jones is perplexed by Luton's home points tally this season but admits that his side need to give fans something to cheer about at Kenilworth Road.

The Hatters have only won six times at their headquarters in League Two this term, which is a worse record than relegated York City, not helped by dropping points on seven occasions where they've conceded decisive goals in the final ten minutes.

The latest of those was Saturday's 1-1 draw with lowly Newport County as Souleymane Coulibaly's 88th minute header cancelled out Jack Marriott's 14th of the season, putting paid to any lingering hopes of Luton reaching the play-offs.

Jones, who called it "symptomatic" of Town's home form, added: "I'm a bit baffled by the points haul we've had here, because we've had more possession, more chances, more crosses, more shots than we have away from home. We win games away from home on a regular basis. We're probably one of the league's best, I'd imagine."

Goalscorer Marriott said: "There's improvement to be made. You can put as many spins on it as you want, in terms of away and home, but it's difficult to say. I can't put my finger on it, to be honest."

A hardy 235 Luton fans travelled to see an excellent 2-1 win at Carlisle in midweek but there was precious little evidence of that showing for the 7,466 home supporters that witnessed the below par first half against Newport.

Jones said: "We need to give the fans something to get behind. In the first half I was disappointed. I couldn't wait to get them off because I just felt that we were nowhere near [what we should be]. Then when we up the tempo, when we press and when we do what we do very well, then the fans get behind that.

"The fans have got behind us on away journeys, in their numbers. The fans have done fantastically well but, at times here, we've not given them that. In the second half we did, but theoretically we gave ourselves 45 minutes to win a football match because we didn't turn up in the first half.

"It shouldn't take me to get into them at half time [to get them going], they should want to do that. I know, sometimes, that's what I'm here for, that's my job, but at home we haven't started [well].

"I know, sometimes, sides sit-in and frustrate us, but I've said that is going to happen and we need to handle that. But I just felt we were lacklustre, we didn't have any energy about us."