Luton Town FC vs Northampton Town (25th Oct 2014)

Luton Town 1 (Guttridge 90) Northampton Town 0

Substitute Luke Guttridge scored a 90th-minute winner as the Hatters made it seven successive victories to reach the top of the League 2 table.

The former Northampton midfielder was the coolest man in the penalty area when receiving Michael Harriman’s perfect pass to slot home and send a sell-out Kenilworth Road crowd into ecstasy.

It may have been harsh on the Cobblers but the Hatters did not care as they overcame a resolute visiting side with a goal that turned out to be the last chance of a game low on clear-cut chances.

The Town started showing one change to the side that beat Dagenham on Tuesday with Alex Lawless replacing Ricky Miller.

Northampton, who came into the game off the back of three straight defeats, started on the front foot.

However, after failing to test Mark Tyler, the Hatters eased themselves into the game: Mark Cullen – fresh from scoring his first senior hat-trick in the week – nodded over from Lawless’ header across goal on 15 minutes, before Andy Drury cut inside from the right and curled a left-foot shot just wide.

Tyler was tested, though, on 25 minutes when Cobblers’ midfielder John-Joe O’Toole headed straight at the Town keeper from inside the six-yard box – it was the closest either side came to scoring in the opening half.

The first period ended with John Still replacing an injured Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu with Paul Benson, and, at the start of the second half, the boss introduced Jim Stevenson for Nathan Doyle.

After the restart Northampton spurned a great chance to take the lead on 57 minutes, and the Town had Tyler to thank for a fantastic block to keep out Ashley Nicholls’ low strike after the forward was found unmarked in the penalty area.

On the hour Guttridge was introduced for Lawless and within two minutes of being on the pitch the midfielder had the Town’s best chance – a sharp low-shot which arrowed to the bottom corner that Cobblers keeper Jordan Archer did well to keep out with a strong hand.

As the game meandered into its final quarter, the Town upped the ante in search of a winner as things on the pitch threatened to boil over – referee Sheldrake harshly booking Benson, before carding a couple Cobblers.

As time ticked down and hope of a winner seemingly out of reach, Drury saw a thunderous free-kick from the edge of the box hit his own man – Luke Wilkinson – and, as the closing stages approached, it seemed the game would end goalless.

But then step forward Guttridge. The midfielder’s stop-start campaign following his metatarsal injury last season has been tough, but eight months of frustration was released when he stuck the ball home to give the Town the lead in the final minute. Drury poked the ball to Harriman and his deft pass found Guttridge in space and he picked his spot low into the bottom corner to bring the house down.

Northampton had no time to respond despite four added minutes, and once the game was over the Town could celebrate another win in the knowledge the last-gasp goal had sent them top of League 2.

Town: Tyler, Harriman, Griffiths, McNulty, Wilkinson; Doyle (sub Stevenson 46), Smith, Drury; Lawless (sub Guttridge 60), Ruddock Mpanzu (sub Benson 45), Cullen. Subs not used: Lacey, Wall, Walker, Justham.

Attendance: 10,040, including 1,018 Northampton.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CauWajJK_Ls#t=13

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJbEsGlJEqk&list=UUQoDXQ4Z2Ie3fTPrpjfT97w

http://www.lutontown.co.uk/news/article/northampton-gallery-2510-2039905.aspx

League Two: Luton Town 1 Northampton Town 0

A dramatic late winner by sub Luke Guttridge saw Luton Town edge past Northampton Town to hit the top of the League Two table this afternoon.

It had looked like the hosts were going to be frustrated front of a season-high crowd of 10,046, before Guttridge, an ex-Cobbler, took Michael Harriman’s perfect pass in his path and fired past Jordan Archer, sending Kenilworth Road into ecstasy. The midfielder has been frustrated at his lack of first team action in recent weeks, but showed just what in influential player he is, timing his run to perfection and decide a match with precious little goalmouth action to speak of.

Town boss John made one change as a fit-again Alex Lawless replaced Ricky Miller, who dropped out of the squad entirely.

In-form forward Mark Cullen almost had an early opening as he burst into the box, but was denied by a stunning sliding challenge from Gregor Robertson as he was about to pull the trigger.

The visitors then enjoyed a sustained period of pressure as Steve McNulty was forced into a hasty clearance, while Lawson D’Ath won a corner when his shot was deflected behind.

Town had their first real chance of note on 11 minutes when Lawless’ header back across goal was met by Cullen, but he couldn’t direct it on target. Drury was then narrowly off target after cutting in from the right flank and sending a left footer just over.

Luton keeper Mark Tyler was called upon to make his first meaningful save from John-Joe O’Toole’s close range header, which either side of him, could have led to the opener.

With Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu looking surprisingly out of sorts, and assistant boss Terry Harris admitting afterwards, he was struggling due to a hamstring injury, Paul Benson was brought on in his place just before half time.

Town also made another change for the start of the second period as Jim Stevenson came on for Nathan Doyle, who had taken a few heavy challenges in the opening half.

The critical point of the match came just before the hour mark when Alex Nicholls was sent clean through by a tremendous sliderule pass, but Tyler, as he has done so often this season, produced a crucial low save.

Guttridge replaced Lawless on the hour and brought out the first meaningful save from Jordan Archer as he linked well with Cullen, the Cobblers keeper parrying at his near post. Torn finally started to get a head of steam in the latter stages as both sides picked up a number of unnecessary bookings, which served to create an excellent atmosphere around the ground.

Drury saw two free kicks either deflected or cleared, before another of what are becoming regular magic moments, Guttridge escaping Ben Tozer and slotting in to lift the roof off Kenilworth Road.

Hatters: Mark Tyler, Michael Harriman, Scott Griffiths, Steve McNulty (C), Luke Wilkinson, Nathan Doyle (Jim Stevenson 46), Jonathan Smith, Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu (Paul Benson 45), Andy Drury, Alex Lawless (Luke Guttridge 60), Mark Cullen. Subs not used: Elliot Justham, Alex Lacey, Alex Wall, Charlie Walker.

Cobblers: Jordan Archer, John-Joe O’Toole (Chris Hackett 76), Ben Tozer, Alex Nicholls (Ivan Toney 63), Gregor Robertson, Ricky Ravenhill, Lawson D’Ath, Kaid Mohammed, Joel Byrom, Enda Stevens, Ryan Creswell (C).

Subs not used: Matthew Duke, Daniel Alfei, Kelvin Langmead, Emile Sinclair, David Moyo.

Booked: Stevens 71, Benson 77, Robertson 85, Wilkinson 87, Tozer 88.

Attendance: 10,040 (1,018 Cobblers)

Referee: Darren Sheldrake.

Hatters MOM: Steve McNulty - inspirational display once more from Town’s captain fantastic.

Hatters assistant boss Terry Harris was delighted to go top of the league after yesterday’s 1-0 win over Northampton, but would naturally prefer to be there come the end of the season instead.

Luke Guttridge’s last-gasp winner sparked wild celebrations from a full house at Kenilworth Road lifting Luton to the summit for the first time this season.

But Harris kept his emotions in check, as he said: “There’s no celebrations, if it was May 6 or whenever the season finishes then we’d be celebrating, but at the moment it’s just one game at a time, I know it’s easy to say, we’ve just to regroup on Monday.

“Of course, we’d be lying to say it’s not nice to be top of the league, but I’d rather be top of the league on May 6 than October 25.

“I’m just delighted we had a full house here and delighted to send them away with a win.

“The fans were absolutely fantastic, the hairs on the back of your neck go up when they get their voices going. I have to say well done to them, all around the ground they were absolutely fantastic.”

Although Hatters were never at their best throughout the contest, as they hadn’t been against Dagenham on Tuesday night, Harris felt his side deserved victory for an adventurous approach to the latter stages.

He continued: “We were saying with 20 minutes to go, shall we change the shape and fair shout to John (Still), he said lets be bold and we put Gutts into the left channel and pushed Cully (Mark Cullen) up front to make a front two and it worked.

“It was what dreams are made of, certainly for the Luton fans. On the bench, John said, this game is made for Gutts to get the winner and so it happened.

“But well done John, he was bold, he said lets go for it, would we have got the winner if we hadn’t, I don’t know.

“We got our just rewards, it was tough game I have to say. They’re a very tough side. Did we play well? No. Did we make that many chances? No. But we played like Luton.”