Luton Town FC vs Port Vale (12th Sep 2017)

REPORT: LUTON TOWN 2 PORT VALE 0 Hatters return to winning ways as Stacey bags stunning first for the club

The Hatters turned in a thoroughly professional performance against bottom club Port Vale to return to winning ways at Kenilworth Road tonight.

A goal in each half and a third clean sheet of the season ensured that Nathan Jones’ men bounced back from Saturday’s 3-0 home defeat by Swindon in perfect fashion, an own goal from the visitors’ Ben Whitfield and a terrific first Hatters strike for right-back Jack Stacey securing victory.

Jones made two changes to the side from Saturday’s 3-0 defeat to Swindon as his side went in search of a first win since Colchester were beaten here three weeks ago, with excellent draws on the road at Mansfield and Lincoln preceding Saturday’s reversal against the Robins.

One was enforced, with Glen Rea coming into the starting line-up as a replacement for captain Scott Cuthbert, who was serving a one-match suspension following his red card against his former club. The other change saw Luke Berry return to the midfield in place of Olly Lee, who was among the substitutes.

The Town bossed most of the early possession, but it took until the 13th minute to engineer an attempt on goal, Berry picking out Andrew Shinnie in oceans of space in the Valiants’ penalty area with a pinpoint cross, but the Scottish midfielder’s header was way off target.

Berry, who seemed to be constantly on the ball in the opening exchanges, was the next to have a crack at goal, Stacey making good progress down the right to reach Rea’s pass and tee the ex-Cambridge man up, but his 25-yard drive was straight at Sam Hornby in the Vale goal.

There was a two-minute break in play while Dan Potts received treatment midway through the half after taking a blow to the head while clearing a dangerous looking cross from David Worrall on the Vale left.

Berry was the architect of the Town’s next opening just after the half-hour, whipping in a cross from the left that found Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu breaking into the visitors’ box, but the midfielder couldn’t get a clean connection on his attempt.

The breakthrough came in the 36th minute and it started with Shinnie being dumped on his backside as he flicked the ball around the corner to Mpanzu, but referee David Webb played a great advantage. He allowed play to go on, with Hylton popping the ball off to Berry as Vale midfielder Whitfield arrived at exactly the same time to inadvertently steer it past his own stranded keeper from the edge of the area.

Marek Stech had been a virtual spectator at the other end, but in the 42nd minute he had to fly across his goalline to not only keep out an Anthony de Freitas free-kick that looked bound for the top corner, but hold on to the ball as well.

The Czech keeper, already a firm favourite with the Kenilworth Road faithful, then drew further applause as he came to claim a high cross almost on the edge of his penalty area as the Hatters saw the half out maintaining the upper hand – but more plaudits would come his way in the second half.

The Town’s lead was doubled five minutes after the break – and what a goal on the break it was!

After having to deal with some early Vale pressure, Potts again heading one cross clear at the far post, McCormack – who was dictating the midfield – broke free from his own area as the Town managed to repel a Vale corner.

The Irish midfielder initially lost the ball to Whitfield as he tried to outpace him 35 yards from his own goal, but his determination won it back instantly and he set Stacey haring off down the right flank from inside his own half.

As he reached the right edge of the Vale penalty area, the former Reading and Exeter man unleashed a right-footed rocket into the roof of the net at Hornby’s near post, the keeper straying off his line in the belief Stacey would cross to the unmarked Mpanzu in the box.

Within seconds, Worrall fired a warning shot from 30 yards, but the Hatters were soon up at the other end again, looking to put the game beyond doubt, Collins playing Mpanzu in on the right side of the Vale area, although Hornby managed to repel the midfielder’s blast on this occasion.

Vale boss Michael Brown made his first substitution in the 62nd minute, taking striker Tyrone Barnett off and replacing him with Dan Turner – but it was captain Nathan Smith who had their next half-effort on goal, a looping header that sailed safely over Stech’s crossbar.

As the Town went in search of that killer third goal, Mpanzu pounced on a loose ball just outside the area and played Shinnie into the box, but the Birmingham loanee’s shot on the stretch went into the side-netting.

Vale reminded Town they still carried a threat, Worrall seeing another powerful shot from range deflected wide in the 68th minute, before Stech had to make two first-class saves in three minutes – first tipping de Freitas’ header over, then getting down low to turn another Worrall shot around the post.

There were no more scares as the Hatters saw the game out professionally, with the excellent Berry coming closest to adding to the scoreline in the 88th minutes as a Potts cross was only headed clear as far as the edge of the penalty area, but the midfielder’s volley was always rising.

Mpanzu and Stacey then combined down the right with 90 minutes almost up, but the right-back’s pull-back towards Hylton was cut out as the intended target waited frustrated as he went in search of his second goal of the season.

The Town had done enough, though, and the three points took them back up to ninth place ahead of Saturday’s trip to face Wycombe, who sit one place and one point above them.

TOWN: Stech, Stacey, Rea, Sheehan ©, Potts, McCormack, Mpanzu, Berry, Shinnie (Cornick 84), Hylton, Collins (E Lee 90+1). Subs: Justin, Mullins, O Lee, Gambin, Shea (GK)

Yellows: McCormack

Goals: Whitfield OG 36, Stacey 50

PORT VALE: Hornby, Anderson, Davis (Pyke 85), Pope, Worrall, Barnett (Turner 62), Smith ©, de Freitas, Whitfield, Gunning, Middleton (Stobbs 73). Subs: Wilson, Denton, Kay, Boot (GK)

Yellows: Middleton

REFEREE: David Webb ATT: 7,046 (136 away)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsFAI3avs-o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQm3NqwHNjU

NATHAN JONES ON THE 2-0 WIN OVER PORT VALE

Town boss Nathan Jones felt his side were "excellent" in their 2-0 win over Port Vale at Kenilworth Road this evening.

The Hatters took the lead when Ben Whitfield inadvertently fired the ball past his own keeper just after the half hour mark, before Jack Stacey netted his first goal for the Hatters early in the second half from a fantastic counter attack after being set on his way by Man of the Match Alan McCormack.

The result moves the Town up to ninth place with 11 points from seven games.

Jones said: "It was a difficult night in terms of the conditions with the wind and the rain. We needed to bounce back from the weekend – it was a difficult game at the weekend going down to ten men because that changed the game.

"Tonight though I thought we were very professional. We had to defend our box well because of the wind and they put a lot of balls in the box from all angles and I thought we defended fantastically well, my keeper was excellent. My back four defended very well and on the counter attack we could have had a few more.

"We have faltered in games that everyone expects us to win and there's not too many that they don't, but the games we are we sometimes come unstuck. Maybe that's a psychological thing because there's not anything that we do differently, but tonight I thought we were professional.

"They were a difficult side to play against, they have got some real size and they're very direct. They demand a lot from you, they ask questions, physical questions, as do a lot of sides in this league. I thought we dealt with them excellently and I thought we were excellent."

**Luton bounce back to winning ways as they heap further misery on **Valiants

League Two: Luton Town 2 Port Vale 0

It might not have been vintage by any means, but Luton Town bounced back from Saturday's defeat against Swindon Town to heap further misery on bottom side Port Vale this evening.

An own goal from Ben Whitfield plus Jack Stacey's first strike for the club ensured that the Hatters came through what was a tricky test on a difficult night under the lights at Kenilworth Road.

Town boss Nathan Jones made two changes, with Glen Rea replacing the suspended Scott Cuthbert, while Luke Berry was preferred to Olly Lee in midfield.

Despite their opponents heading into the match having gone five games without a win, failing to score in their last four games too, they proved to be a tough nut to crack, setting up a wall of white shirts that Luton just couldn't penetrate.

The hosts should have done just that on 12 minutes, as Andrew Shinnie ghosted into the box to meet Berry's cross, but from six yards out, misdirected his header horribly wide.

Clearly eager to make up for his miss, the midfielder tried his luck from further out, shooting straight at Sam Hornby.

A tepid first half then finally flickered into life on 38 minutes as Luton found a dash of tempo, and after some incisive one touch passing through the middle, Berry's pass cannoned against Whitfield, giving the wrong footed Hornby no chance.

Vale then looked for a response, Anthony de Freitas's free kick drawing an excellent full length save from Marek Stech.

After the break, the game finally had some entertainment to warm the home fans, as Town netted the second that they craved on 50 minutes.

From a Vale corner, and with men committed forward, Alan McCormack strode away and found full back Jack Stacey, still well inside his own half.

The right back sent off on a lung bursting run and as the space opened up, let fly from 18 yards, catching Hornby by surprise, with the ball arrowing into the roof of the net.

David Worrall's 35 yard blast didn't miss by much, before Luton almost had a third, James Collins sending Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu clear on the right, with Hornby parrying his fierce blast.

Luton still looked to try and grab another, as Vale finally took risks, Shinnie firing into the side-netting, while Worrall was getting closer, his effort deflected narrowly wide.

Stech then tipped over from de Freitas, while the keeper was becoming far more overworked that he would have wanted, with a quite brilliant low stop from Worrall's low drive.

Berry fired over late on, but despite some late scares, Town had the victory they wanted, ahead of this weekend's trip to Wycombe Wanderers.

Hatters: Marek Stech, Jack Stacey, Dan Potts, Glen Rea, Alan Sheehan, Alan McCormack, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Luke Berry, Andrew Shinnie (Harry Cornick 84), Danny Hylton, James Collins (Elliot Lee 90).

Subs: James Shea, Johnny Mullins, Olly Lee, James Justin, Luke Gambin.

Vale: Sam Hornby, Tom Anderson, Joe Davis (Rekell Pyke 84), Tom Pope, David Worrall, Tyrone Barnett (Dan Turner 62), Nathan Smith (C), Anthony de Freitas, Ben Whitfield, Gavin Gunning, Harry Middleton (Jack Stobbs 73).

Subs not used: Lawrie Wilson, Tyler Denton, Antony Kay, Ryan Boot.

Referee: David Webb. Booked: Middleton 54, McCormack 65.

Attendance: 7,046 (136 Vale).

Hatters MOM: Alan McCormack.

Jones relieved victory lifted some of the pressure he had placed on himself

Hatters boss Nathan Jones was delighted his side relieved some of the pressure he had placed on himself during last night’s victory over Port Vale.

Town had gone into the match without a win in three games, after being soundly beaten 3-0 by Swindon at the weekend, due mainly to Scott Cuthbert’s red card on the half hour.

However, a Ben Whitfield own goal, plus Jack Stacey’s strike saw Hatters make it three wins from four on home soil, as Jones said: “I put pressure on myself, I demand from us and from me and from the team.

“It’s only the pressure I put on, that’s all, but I sometimes I feel it from myself.

“I don’t feel it from the fans, definitely don’t get it from the club because they’re unbelievably supportive, but from myself, from my own point of view, I wanted us to win.

“Because, one I don’t want to lose pace with the others, but also we’re a good side and I want us to win games.

“We bounced back tonight, and they handled that as this was a difficult game, it wasn’t as clear cut.

“It was important as it wasn’t a bad loss on the weekend as we were down to 10 men and that was the game changer, 100 per cent, that was the game changer.

“Whether we would have definitely won the game or not, that was the game changer, so it’s not like we’ve lost the game and been battered by a much better side, because I didn’t think that.

“So I couldn’t get too down, but I don’t like going many games without wins.

“We’ve gone a couple in terms of the two draws, good draws, and then to lose, put a bit of pressure on tonight and they’ve handled it very, very well.

“I know Port Vale are on a bad run, but they’ve been in every game, they lost to Wycombe 3-2, they lost 1-0 on the weekend away to Coventry, so they don’t concede a lot of goals, to win 2-0 was a real good win for us.”

As he had stated during his press conference prior to the game, Jones didn’t ring the changes for the clash after Saturday’s loss, with Glen Rea replacing the suspended Cuthbert, and Luke Berry in for Olly Lee too.

He added: “Any kneejerk reactions to that (Swindon defeat) would have been wrong on my part as I thought we were very, very comfortable.

“Yes, things can happen in any game of football, but especially this league, you have got be careful as there’s such physicality in the league that one slip, or one error can let teams in.

“But absolutely not at all, we have processes here, have a way of doing things. We believe in them and we stick with them and that’s the main thing .

“I believe in them, because if I didn’t, how am I going to get my players to do that? I thought at times we were were excellent, not all the way through as we had to really show a different side and defend the box.

“But I’m delighted with the win and to bounce back was important, as we’ve gone a couple of games without a win.

“We’ve got two fantastic away draws and needed to back those up and apart from a sending off, I think we would be sitting here in a different position.”