Luton Town FC vs Oxford United (15th Aug 2015)

PUBLISHED 18:34 15th August 2015 Town denied first league win by United late-show

LUTON TOWN 2-2 OXFORD UNITED

The Hatters let a two-goal lead slip in the final seven minutes as they were held to a 2-2 draw with Oxford United at Kenilworth Road.

The Town looked set to collect all three points in their first home league match of the campaign as goals from Luke Wilkinson and Cameron McGeehan put John Still’s side in control.

But on 83 minutes the visitors halved the deficit when Kemar Roofe struck, and just when it looked as though the Hatters had done enough, substitute Patrick Hoban poked home from close range at the end of stoppage time to stun the Town and the points were shared.

It all began with the Hatters showing four changes to the side that beat Bristol City in the week with Nathan Doyle, Scott Griffiths, Paddy McCourt and Craig Makcial-Smith restored the starting line-up.

And backed by a 9,000-strong crowd, the Town started on the front foot with McGeehan shooting high and wide inside the opening 30 seconds, and Paul Benson was then unable to turn home a chance when gifted the ball by Oxford keeper Sam Slocombe on three minutes.

The Hatters were dominating the opening exchanges, as they searched for an early lead, and they almost got it on seven minutes. McCourt waited and waited to play the perfect pass through to Mackail-Smith but the striker was denied by the quick-thinking for Slocombe.

Still the Town pushed as the visitors found it difficult to get the ball off McCourt, and his cross on 13 minutes led to Wilkinson firing a shot from 20 yards just over the crossbar.

Oxford, fresh from a 4-0 win over Brentford in the Capital One Cup on Tuesday, were slowly edging their way in the game and the Town defence did well to charge down a shot from Alex Macdonald on 16 minutes before Mark Tyler held onto Roofe’s dangerous cross five minutes later.

Back came the Hatters, Mackail-Smith’s dipping half-volley was deflected over the crossbar as the game began to swing from end to end.

Then it was Oxford’s turn to push the Town back. Tyler’s first real save of the game came on the half-hour when he pounced on a low volley from Macdonald before Roofe then went down claiming a penalty but was ignored by the referee.

The Hatters had the ball in the United goal on 35 minutes when Mackail-Smith thundered home from Stephen McNulty’s free-kick but the effort was chalked off for offside.

But, as the break approached, the Town went up a gear and took the lead through Wilkinson. McCourt floated over a corner from the right and the centre-half leapt highest in the crowded penalty area to plant a precise header in the net.

Hurt by going behind the visitors almost levelled immediately but the Hatters had Scott Cuthbert to thank when charging down Roofe’s goal-bound blast from eight yards.

However, the Hatters came close to going in at half-time two goals to the good when Benson nodded against the post from close range after Wilkinson’s header from another McCourt corner was cleared off the line.

Like he did in the first half, McGeehan tried his luck from distance in the opening minute of the second period but saw his shot stopped by the boot of Joe Skarz.

But Oxford were beginning to find their rhythm and the visitors thought they had found an equaliser on 52 minutes but Macdonald’s header was ruled out for a push on Stephen O’Donnell at the back post.

Shortly before the hour John Still made his first change of the game, introducing Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu for O’Donnell as the Hatters reverted to a flat-back four.

The visitors continued to have more of the ball, however, and Danny Rose wasn’t far away from levelling the score on 66 minutes when his sweetly-struck shot from the edge of the box whistled inches wide of the target.

After that near miss, however, the Town doubled their lead through McGeehan’s first goal since arriving permanently. The midfielder could not at first control a bouncing ball in the Oxford penalty area but he eventually tamed it, held off the attentions of several defenders and guided a low left-foot shot into the corner of the net to make it 2-0.

With the Hatters two goals up with 10 minutes to go, Still introduced Jonathan Smith and Jack Marriott for McCourt and Mackail-Smith – but moments later the visitors halved the deficit. There seemed little danger on when Roofe rifled a shot goalwards but the ball took a wicked deflection off Stephen McNulty and bounced past Tyler.

The Town were holding on as time ticked down but United were in the hunt for a late leveller.

As four minutes were added at the end of the 90 the Hatters came close to making it 3-1 when Smith’s low shot was parried by Slocombe – but McGeehan blazed the follow-up way over the crossbar.

But just when the Town thought they’d done enough, Oxford grabbed an equaliser deep into injury time. A left-wing cross was only half-cleared by Tyler and, after a brief scramble in the six-yard box, Hoban poked home to send the United support into raptures and leave the majority inside Kenilworth Road stunned.

There was no time left for the Town to mount one last chance for a winner and that was that.

Town: Tyler; McNulty, Cuthbert, Wilkinson, O’Donnell (sub Ruddock 58), Griffiths; Doyle, McGeehan, McCourt (sub Smith 81); Benson, Mackail-Smith (sub Marriott 81).

Attendance: 8,877, including 781 from Oxford.

http://www.lutontown.co.uk/news/article/luton-1-1-oxford-photo-gallery-2621877.aspx

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFyrRjJY4N4

League Two: Luton Town 2 Oxford United 2

Luton Town threw away a 2-0 lead as they were held to a draw by fellow promotion hopefuls Oxford United in a pulsating encounter at Kenilworth Road this afternoon.

With just seven minutes to go, it looked for all the world as if Hatters would be celebrating their opening League Two victory of the campaign courtesy of goals from Luke Wilkinson and Cameron McGeehan.

However, the U’s pulled one back through Keemar Roofe’s deflected shot, before a rare error from recalled keeper Mark Tyler, saw Oxford’s forwards react first, with sub Pat Hoban turning the ball over the line at the second attempt.

The hosts had made four changes to the side that knocked Bristol City out of the Capital One Cup, with Scott Griffiths, Paddy McCourt, Nathan Doyle and Craig Mackail-Smith all restored to the starting line-up.

Retaining the 3-5-2 formation that had served them so well in miweek, Hatters made a superb, all-action start as a burst by Mackail-Smith saw McGeehan shoot over from 18 yards and keeper Sam Slocombe then kept out Stephen O’Donnell’s low effort from a short corner.

McCourt was clearly given license at the point of Town’s midfield three, a role he had plenty of joy in early on, delaying and delaying until unleashing an inch-perfect through ball to Mackail-Smith, but Slocombe was off his line quickly to save at the striker’s feet.

Scott Cuthbert then nodded a corner over, while Wilkinson. after another lung-busting charge back to blunt an Oxford attack, hammered over from 25 yards.

The visitors, who themselves are fancied by many for promotion after making some stand out summer signings, began to show just why that was the case, as they took a foothold in the game.

After weathering the storm, the impressive Roofe finally started to find some pockets of space along with Liam Sercombe, while Danny Rose’s corners caused concern, with Tyler having to palm one over the bar.

As Oxford enjoyed the better of proceedings, Luton struggled to continue their free-flowing football, forced on to the back foot, with Alex MacDonald firing at Tyler after a clever corner routine.

The Luton stopper then had to rush out to parry at the feet of Sercombe, but Town got their second wind, with Mackail-Smith burying McNulty’s wonderful free kick delivered from inside his own half, only for the offside flag to be raised.

However, Hatters weren’t to be denied for long as on 43 minutes, McCourt’s lofted corner was nodded beyond Slocombe by Wilkinson, with the defender having also opened the scoring in this fixture last season.

The visitors almost levelled immediately, but Cuthbert, who is quickly becoming an integral part of the Town defence, throwing himself in front of Roofe’s goalbound shot.

McGeehan nearly embarrassed Slocombe after a driving run saw the keeper fumble behind as Town’s tried and tested corner routine almost worked once more. Wilkinson again met McCourt’s delivery, only for Danny Hylton to clear off the line, with Benson’s rebound coming back off the post.

After the break, Oxford thought they had a leveller when MacDonald headed beyond Tyler, but he was adjudged to have climbed on O’Donnell and the goal was dubiously chalked off.

On the hour mark, Hatters swapped O’Donnell for Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu, moving to a 4-1-3-2 formation, but the move couldn’t stop Still’s side conceding ground and possession to their opponents, with Danny Rose sending a peach of a drive inches wide.

As they had done in the first half though, Luton had a second out of absolutely nothing as from Tyler’s long punt forward, the ball broke to McGeehan who showed great determination and plenty of skill to pick his way through and find the bottom corner.

However, once Hatters have moved 2-0 in front, they then sat back once more, with centre half Johnny Mullins seeing his instinctive volley cannon back off the bar, with Roofe narrowly off target too.

With Jonathan Smith and Jack Marriott on for McCourt and Mackail-Smith, Roofe then upped the tension, taking aim from 25 yards, with his shot deflecting past the wrong-footed Tyler.

Hylton glanced wide too, as Luton then had a superb chance to finish the game off as Slocombe could only parry Smith’s low drive back out, but McGeehan could only blast the loose ball high into the stands.

He was made to pay for his profligacy too in stoppage time, as with Luton wasting endless chances to clear the danger, a cross was swung in from the left and with Tyler failing to gather, Hoban struck the killer blow.

Hatters: Mark Tyler, Scott Cuthbert, Steve McNulty, Luke Wilkinson, Stephen O’Donnell (Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu 59), Cameron McGeehan, Nathan Doyle, Paddy McCourt (Jonathan Smith 81), Scott Griffiths, Paul Benson, Craig Mackail-Smith (Jack Marriott 81).

Subs not used: Dan Potts, Alex Lawless, Elliot Justham, Josh McQuoid.

Robins: Sam Slocombe, George Baldock, Joe Skarz, Kemar Roofe, Johnny Mullins, Jake Wright (C), Danny Rose, Liam Sercombe, Danny Hylton, Alex MacDonald (Callum O’Dowda 72), Ryan Taylor (Pat Hoban 72).

Subs not used: Josh Ruffels, Sam Long, Josh Ashby, Cheyenne Dunkley.

Referee: Mark Brown. Booked: MadDonald 34. Attendance: 8,877 (781 Oxford).

Hatters MOM: Luke Wilkinson - great leap for the first goal and looks back to his best in the centre of defence once more.

LUTON TOWN 2 OXFORD UNITED 2

Luton's Mark Tyler marked his first league start in six months with a horrendous last-gasp error, to throw away a two-goal lead and draw undeservedly against Oxford United.

The Hatters had been the better side but United crosses had caused them problems all game and four minutes into added time the goalkeeper rushed off his line for a ball he couldn't quite reach, watching helplessly as Pat Hoban scrambled it into an unguarded net.

The gaffe was made worse by a miss moments earlier from Cameron McGeehan, whose seventh goal for the club in the 69th minute had looked like the decider.

Luke Wilkinson had given the hosts a deserved lead late in the first half and when Kemar Roofe's deflected drive halved the deficit with eight minutes remaining it appeared to be merely a consolation.

But the late drama proved that the honeymoon period is still very much in swing as Town try to integrate their 11 new signings.

If only they could have made more of an irresistible, yet goalless, opening 15 minutes of swashbuckling stuff which will have hinted that the Hatters have the arsenal to win the battles, the war, the whole shebang.

If and when this team gel they could be a real force but that will be no consolation now as the ghost of last season's defensive frailties re-emerged in crushing fashion against a side that should be one of their main promotion rivals this term.

There was no place in the starting line-up for Jack Marriott, the midweek goal hero against Bristol City in the Capital One Cup. Returning in his place was Craig Mackail-Smith among four changes, and the reason was evident within 30 seconds when he made an early break, setting up McGeehan – preferred in place of Jonathan Smith – who fired just past the angle of the goal frame.

It signalled an irresistible opening quarter of an hour from Town, though a goalkeeper gaffe from Sam Slocombe almost assisted them.

Paddy McCourt – also returning to the starting 11 –pulled all the strings and the Northern Irishman sliced opened the visitors' defence to put Mackail-Smith in on goal, but Slocombe atoned for an earlier case of butterfingers to rush out and save at the striker's feet. Oxford scrambled the ball to the safety of a corner, from which Scott Cuthbert headed over.

So fluid were Town that centre back Wilkinson, playing with some fire in his belly, was only a lick of paint away from rifling in an opener on 13 minutes. His moment would come but not before United grew into the game. Yet a series of nerve-inducing corners and a comfortably saved Alex MacDonald drive were all that constituted a threat.

Mackail-Smith thought he'd opened his Luton account on 35 minutes, slamming home a difficult volley from Steve McNulty's clever deep free-kick, but an offside flag chalked it off. It was close.

That sparked a rediscovery of their earlier intensity and the Hatters ended the half as they began it when, three minutes from the break, the deadlock was broken with Wilkinson burying a header in the bottom corner. The defender does love the Oak Road end, where four of his five goals have come.

McGeehan almost doubled the lead when he burst into the box and saw his shot slip through Slocombe's fingers only to drop the wrong side of the upright. From the resulting corner, that post was then clunked by Paul Benson from close range after Wilkinson had headed back into the danger zone.

United were lucky to have entered the interval just one goal behind and they thought they'd levelled seven minutes into the restart but MacDonald was adjudged to have climbed on Stephen O'Donnell's shoulders to head in.

Ryan Taylor was under no such scrutiny when he headed wide from another dangerous corner, while Danny Rose lashed just past the post.

From a position of command, Luton were forced onto the back foot, but the antidote came in the 69th minute from McGeehan, who twisted and turned in the box, getting the better of three defenders, before drilling low into the corner.

Oxford refused to give up the ghost and after Johnny Mullins thumped a volley off the crossbar, Roofe scored a deflected goal eight minutes from time.

McGeehan had a golden chance to settle it in the 90th minute after substitute Smith's long range effort was pushed into his path by Slocombe. The midfielder ballooned into the Kenilworth Road Stand, but it looked inconsequential until Tyler's blunder.

Luton: Tyler, O'Donnell (Ruddock Mpanzu, 58), McNulty, Cuthbert, McGeehan, Benson, Griffiths, McCourt (Smith, 81), Mackail-Smith (Marriott, 81), Doyle, Wilkinson

Unused subs: Potts, Lawless, Justham, McQuoid,

Oxford: Slocombe, Baldock, Skarz, Roofe, Mullins, Wright, Rose, Sercombe, Hylton, MacDonald (O'Dowda, 72), Taylor (Hoban, 72)

Unused subs: Ruffels, Crocombe, Long, Ashby, Dunkley

Referee: Mark Brown. Attendance: 8,877 (781)