Luton Town FC vs Portsmouth (22nd Nov 2016)

PUBLISHED 22:26 22nd November 2016 Pompey halt Hatters' unbeaten run at nine matches

LUTON TOWN 1 (Hylton 7) PORTSMOUTH 3 (Smith 11, Evans 45, Naismith 84)

Att: 8,805 (975 away)

The Hatters’ nine-match unbeaten run came to a halt in front of the biggest crowd of the season at Kenilworth Road tonight as Portsmouth leapfrogged the Town into fourth place in the Sky Bet League Two table with a 3-1 win.

The Town took an early lead as things started so brightly, with Danny Hylton netting his 12th goal of the season with a textbook header on seven minutes as the biggest home crowd of the season, 8,805, produced an electric atmosphere.

But the visitors from Hampshire hit back quickly with an equaliser from striker Michael Smith, then went on to assert their authority on the night with a goal on the stroke of half-time from Gareth Evans and a third in the second half from substitute Kal Naismith.

Town boss Jones had opted to stick with the starting XI that played so well up at Morecambe on Saturday, when Hylton and Isaac Vassell goals secured a 2-0 win for the Hatters.

The game started at a blistering pace, but it was the visitors who came close to breaking the deadlock in the third minute when Matt Clarke met a Gary Roberts free-kick at the far post, but Christian Walton got a good hand to it and Alan Sheehan cleared off the line.

It was the Hatters who took the lead in the seventh minute, however, when Sheehan proved equally effective at the other end, delivering a peach of a cross from the left that Hylton headed past visiting keeper David Forde into the top corner.

Jones’ side had their tails up, and with the crowd roaring them on, they thought they had doubled the lead two minutes later when Vassell burst past Evans with an exquisite first touch, and Hylton turned his low cross in from close range.

An assistant’s flag cut short the celebrations though, and it was Pompey who would next have the ball in the back of the net, levelling in the 11th minute when Smith curled a low shot in off the far post from 20 yards.

The frenetic feel to the game continued with a string of full-blooded challenges, and it was a cruncher from Sheehan in the 26th minute the set off the move that freed Hylton down the right.

The striker nutmegged his marker Clarke twice before teeing up Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu on the edge of the box, although the midfielder was fouled and Sheehan’s free-kick was cleared.

Pompey were the next to threaten, Roberts climbing highest in the box to meet Carl Baker’s right-wing cross, but Walton’s hands were as safe as ever in dealing with the danger.

McGeehan then tried his luck from 25 yards, but his shot was deflected for another corner that Sheehan pinged to the edge of the box where Olly Lee was waiting to pull the trigger Paul Scholes-style, and his 20-yard volley was only just off target.

It was real end-to-end stuff, and from the visitors’ next corner, in the 34th minute, they worked it short to Roberts who picked out Michael Doyle coming around the far post, but the Pompey captain’s volley flashed into Walton’s side-netting.

The Hatters keeper had to be at his best four minutes before half-time when Roberts was gifted the ball 25 yards from goal and the ex-Ipswich man let fly, but Walton flew across his line to push it away.

A minute later there was a huge shout for a penalty when Alex Gilliead, whose gliding runs were starting to penetrate the visitors’ defence more and more, crossed low and the ball appeared to strike Evans’ hand. Referee David Coote was not moved, and waved play on.

Before the half was out, Hylton hit a screamer from fully 30 yards that had Forde at full stretch, but the visitors’ keeper managed to push the ball away and within a couple of minutes, it was in the back of the Town net as Evans fired into the roof of Walton’s net after a corner was only half-cleared.

The Town came out positively after the break and Vassell’s pace was causing the visitors problems. They were taking drastic measures to try to halt him in full flow, which referee Coote finally recognised when he showed Danny Rose a yellow card for a trip just before the hour.

But the Town weren’t creating any clear-cut chances, and it was Portsmouth who came closest to adding to their score in the 62nd minute, when Christian Burgess headed against the bar from close range after Baker had cut the ball back from the right byline.

Evans spurned a glorious opportunity to net his second in the 66th minute when he glanced Roberts’ cross wide from close range.

Sheehan took the fight to Pompey at the other end, cutting in from the left to fire an effort at goal with his right foot, but it was straight at Forde in the Pompey goal.

McGeehan was the next to have a go, but was off balance when he hit a left-footer from 25 yards and it flew into the Kenilworth Road End, then – with eight minutes to go – Burgess cleared off the line when Sheehan volleyed at goal with Forde stranded after punching a Justin cross clear.

Portsmouth struck the killer blow two minutes later, however, when substitute Kal Naismith fired low across Walton from the right-side of the area and found the bottom corner.

Jones, who had brought Jordan Cook on for Gilliead just before the hour, immediately introduced Craig Mackail-Smith for Justin as the Town sought a way back into the game.

Unfortunately it wasn’t to be, and it’s on to Exeter on Saturday with an impressive record of just one defeat in ten matches.

TOWN: Walton, Justin (Mackail-Smith 86), Rea, Mullins, Sheehan (c), Lee, Mpanzu, Gilliead (Cook 58), McGeehan, Hylton, Vassell (Marriott 79). Subs: O’Donnell, Smith, Cuthbert, King (GK)

Yellow: Lee, Sheehan

POMPEY: Forde, Doyle (c), Burgess, Clarke, Stevens, Rose, Evans, Bennett (Whatmough 88), Baker, Roberts (Naismith 74), Smith (Hunt 90). Subs: O’Brien, Talbot, Linganzi, Lalkovic.

Yellow: Evans, Stevens, Rose, Hunt.

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFYdxOa2Ny0

http://www.lutontown.co.uk/news/article/2016-17/gallery-luton-portsmouth-3430291.aspx

League Two: Luton Town 1 Portsmouth 3

Luton Town's nine game unbeaten run was ended all too easily by fellow promotion hopefuls Portsmouth at Kenilworth Road this evening.

In a week where boss Nathan Jones was searching for maximum points to make a concerted push for the top three, he had seen his team get off to the perfect start against Morecambe on Saturday.

However, despite taking the lead early through Danny Hylton's superb header, once Pompey quickly restored parity, there really only looked like one winner in front of a season's high gate of 8,805, with the visitors giving Luton a taste of the medicine they had dished out at the Globe Arena.

Hatters were unsurprisingly unchanged for the clash, but Pompey almost went in front on three minutes, Matt Clarke's header going through Christian Walton, with Alan Sheehan clearing from on his own line in the nick of time.

The game then burst into life as first, Hylton leapt like a salmon to power a magnificent header home from Sheehan's cross on seven minutes.

There was a hint of controversy as full back Gareth Evans had gone down in the build-up, but play wasn't halted by referee David Coote, in what was a quite brilliant 12th of the season for Hylton.

Hatters top marksman thought he had a second moments later, tapping home after superb work from Isaac Vassell, but an offside flag stunted the celebrations.

Pompey were level within three minutes. Michael Smith producing a beautifully measured angled side-footed finish from 20 yards that was beyond the diving Walton, ending the keeper's run of three straight clean sheets.

The next 20 minutes made for engrossing viewing as for once Luton were up against a side willing to attack them on home soil, Gary Roberts sending a header at Walton on the half hour.

Hatters then opted for the Paul Scholes corner routine, with Sheehan picking out Olly Lee, whose connection was true, just six yards wide.

Pompey responded with a clever set-piece effort of their own, Roberts picking out captain Michael Doyle, who volleyed into the side-netting as the visitors produced some excellent football at times, Evans' deep cross just beyond Roberts.

Walton had to fly through the air to deny Roberts from range after both Sheehan and Lee gave the ball away, with Hylton's 25-yard rasper drawing a parry from Forde.

Pompey turned it around on the stroke of half time though as a corner wasn't properly cleared, with Evans hammering into the net from close range.

The visitors asserted a clear degree of control in the second period, as they could and should have put Luton out of sight, Christian Burgess nodding against the bar and then a completely unmarked Evans glancing woefully wide from eight yards.

Pompey kept Luton at an arms length with relative ease too, the visiting centre halves' heads like a magnet to any cross in their vicinity, Luton's only effort of note a tame right footer that was easy for Forde.

Cameron McGeehan then epitomised the growing frustration encompassing the ground, shooting well over from 25 yards.

Despite their lack of threat, Luton almost grabbed an equaliser out of nothing when inside the final 10 minutes, Forde made a mess of James Justin's high and hanging cross, with Sheehan's volley rolling in, but for the perfectly positioned Burgess.

The visitors then made the game safe with five minutes to go, sub Kai Naismith lashing home from an acute angle as Hatters could have no complaints with the evening's final outcome.

Hatters: Christian Walton, James Justin (Craig Mackail-Smith 86), Alan Sheehan, Johnny Mullins, Glen Rea, Olly Lee, Alex Gilliead (Jordan Cook 57), Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Cameron McGeehan, Danny Hylton, Isaac Vassell (Jack Marriott 79).

Subs not used: Craig King, Scott Cuthbert, Stephen O'Donnell, Jonathan Smith.

Pompey: David Forde, Enda Stevens, Danny Rose, Matt Clarke, Christian Burgess, Carl Baker, Michael Doyle (C), Michael Smith (Noel Hunt 90), Gary Roberts (Kai Naismith 74), Kyle Bennett (Jack Whatmough 88), Gareth Evans.

Subs not used: Milan Lalkovic, Liam O'Brien, Amine Linganzi, Drew Talbot.

Attendance: 8,805 (975 Pompey).

Booked: Evans 17, Stevens 49, Rose 60, Lee 63, Sheehan 64, Hunt 90.

Referee: David Coote.

Jones admits Pompey deserved their victory

Hatters boss Nathan Jones conceded that Portsmouth were deserving winners at Kenilworth Road last night.

Luton had enjoyed the perfect start when Danny Hylton thundered a header home after just seven minutes.

However, Pompey levelled moments later through Michael Smith, before going in front on the stroke of half time through Gareth Evans. They then dominated the second period and had a clinching third late on through sub Kai Naismith, as Jones said: “I’m disappointed, disappointed with the result.

“I felt it was a good game, a positive game, both sides wanted to win the game.

“There was a lot of talking points from the game which could have affected the result, but if I’m honest, I probably felt Portsmouth deserved to nick it in the end.

“They’re quite inventive in terms of what they do and they’ve got good players, they’ve got very, very good players, got above the level players.

“They’ve been together, it’s the second year they’ve been together, they’ve added quality again in the summer, so these are a good side, there’s no bones about it.

“Not many come out and have a go at them and want to play against them, but we did tonight and it’s a disappointing result.”

The talking points that Jones was hinting at was a disallowed goal for Hylton with Luton leading 1-0, while the hosts also had two penalty appeals, with the visitors’ Enda Stevens lucky to remain on the pitch for a foul on Hylton when having already being booked.

Jones said: “It would be unfair of me and take away from Portsmouth’s performance if I was to talk about those things, but big things change games, change performances, change certain things.

“Now we’re talking about a second yellow card that should have been for Enda Stevens, but that’s by and by. There were two penalty appeals, a disallowed goal for us which was probably slightly offside, so that was a good decision in the end.

“Yes, they could have and might have changed the result, but we can’t say that because we’ve probably had decisions that other managers would complain about.”

However, Jones was far from happy with the performance of referee David Coote throughout the 90 minutes, saying: “I’m probably going to mention the referee as I didn’t feel he helped the game in any way.

“I felt his performance defied, or wasn’t fitting of the two teams out there. In terms of how he went about it, very picky, stopped the game, stopped any flow, and that was for both sides, not just for us. So he didn’t help that, but I’m proud of my players as we’d been on a great run, we gave everything. We just lacked a little bit of cutting edge and then in both boxes, needed to be a little bit cuter, win first headers and then it might have been a different result.”

Pompey defeat not a disaster for Hatters boss

Hatters boss Nathan Jones was not getting too downhearted despite his side going down 3-1 to promotion rivals Portsmouth at Kenilworth Road last night.

Town took the lead through Danny Hylton’s 12th of an increasingly impressive campaign, before Pompey hit back to claim a deserved victory with goals from Michael Smith, Gareth Evans and Kai Naismith.

However, although seeing his Luton’s nine game unbeaten run in the league come to an end, Jones said: “Normally we do very well against sides in the top three, four, five, six.

“It’s the first time we’ve lost to a big side, so it’s disappointing but we’ve just got to make sure we go again.

“It’s a season of ups and downs, you have that. We’ve been nine games unbeaten and we’ve come up against some good sides in those nine games and we’ve come through it.

“Today wasn’t to be, they put in big shifts on the weekend, were fantastic on Saturday and then we’ve got to come here and put a big shift in again, But we just lacked a little bit tonight.

“But we’re a good side, we know it and will look to bounce back on Saturday as that’s the important thing, that’s what good sides do.

“It’s a disappointment but it’s by no means a disaster. We’re still in November, I can’t remember anyone crowned champion in November or promoted in November, so it’s a long season.

“We can’t get too down as we’ve been on a fantastic run, we’re still in a good position. We’ll learn from it, dust ourselves off and go again.”

Centre half Johnny Mullins was of the same opinion as his boss, as despite being leapfrogged into fourth by their opponents, Hatters didn’t lose too much ground in the promotion race, with leaders Plymouth beaten at home by Barnet, Carlisle drawing at Grimsby and Doncaster not in action.

He said: “I’ve been in the game long enough now and I’m experienced enough to know that you’re not the best team in the world after a win and you’re not the worst after a loss, so we can’t get too down.

“Results half went for us but we know, on our day and when we’re at it, we’re one of the best teams in the division, so we’re more than confident. We’ll lick our wounds and go again.”

Jones had also seen the table before speaking to the press, as on failing to make up ground on their rivals, he added: “Not many have gone away from us as it’s just condensed a little bit, with Plymouth losing and Carlisle drawing.

“It’s kind of that (frustrating not to gain ground) or kind of a blessing, you can see it both ways.

“We’re fortunate enough that no-one’s gone away from us, so that’s a good thing, or you can say that we haven’t capitalised. But these are big games and we’ve done well in big games.

“We’ve just got to make sure we get back on track, we’re disappointed, but we’re a bit philosophical about it as the run had to come to an end sooner or later you’d imagine. It’s just a shame it’s tonight.”

Luton Town 1 Portsmouth 3

Mark tonight down as this season's sobering Northampton moment for Luton as their nine-game unbeaten run came to a shuddering stop against Portsmouth.

In the penultimate game of last term, Town gave newly-crowned champions the Cobblers a guard of honour before being played off the park at Sixfields. The realisation for boss Nathan Jones that day was that his Hatters had some way to go to emulate their title-winning tilt.

Improvements have been plenty but, seven months later, the 7,830 Lutonians that made up the biggest Kenilworth Road crowd of this current campaign must have had a similar feeling – their team, on this evidence, are not the best in the division.

When Danny Hylton hammered home a header – his 12th of the season in the seventh minute – all in the garden looked rosy. But Pompey had an answer.

Four minutes later, once Michael Smith cut short the home celebrations, Luton could not muster a similar riposte.

There was a strong sense that Hylton had been wrongfully flagged offside for a second before the leveller and, at that point the Hatters were rampant, but the very best sides find solutions and they all came from the south coast club.

It didn't help that, after three straight clean sheets in the league, the hosts were truly horrendous at defending their own penalty area, for which Gareth Evans made them pay in the second minute of first half stoppage time.

The home faithful waited and waited for a response after the interval but Pompey's game management was of the boa constrictor kind – they squeezed the life out of Luton. It was clear from the early stages of the second half that their two-month loss evasion scheme had reached the end of its life..

Substitute Kal Naismith then fired a painful third late on to make extra sure that Portsmouth leapfrogged Luton into fourth as a result.

It will be amazing if, after this comprehensive showing, the Fratton Park side stay there and don't finish in the top three coming the final reckoning. The Hatters have it all to prove once more.

You wouldn't have thought that after Jones named an unchanged side from the "complete" performance he purred over at the weekend up in Morecambe.

You still wouldn't have thought that they way his men instigated a blistering start and took the lead.

After an early scare where Alan Sheehan scooped Matt Clarke's header off the line, the skipper supplied the assist for a flying Hylton to ram a header into the top corner.

The striker then had the ball in the net for a second time moments later when Isaac Vassell wriggled into the box and picked him out in the six-yard area to his masked partner, only for the linesman's flag to cut short an enormous roar from the home faithful.

Undaunted, the visitors' impressive fightback was kickstarted with one of the most accurate long-range side-footers you're ever likely to see as Smith got his geometry right from outside the penalty area, virtually passing into the net via the base of the post.

From them on Luton were under the pump.

They needed Christian Walton to pull off a flying save from Gary Roberts, sparring the blushes of Sheehan and Olly Lee who gave it away deep into Town territory. But that was symptomatic of their evening as Pompey harried, chased and forced Luton into mistakes.

On the rare occasion they didn't fulfil that brief, the Hatters just weren't completely alive to the possibilities. That, or the basics let them down at the crucial moment.

Still, at a late stage where the Hatters just needed to see the half out, Hylton hit one from from deep which needed the full attention of keeper David Forde to beat away. It didn't have an inspirational effect because, in time added, on they failed to clear from a corner and Evans smashed in from close range.

As is often the case with goals on the stroke of half time, that was the moment that swung it. The only surprise after that was that it took Portsmouth until the 62nd minute to threaten Walton's goal again and Christian Burgess would've scored a smashing header but for the crossbar.

Town just weren't getting to grips with the visitors' penalty box threat and weren't within a mile of Evans doubled his tally but somehow headed wide from a central position.

It took until the 70th minute for the hosts to register a second half shot on target but Sheehan's stinger was bread and butter for Forde, while a second for the skipper, after the keeper had punched a cross to him, was cleared off the line by the imperious Burgess.

And, just to rubber stamp the sheer dominance, Pompey then went up the other end and Naismith lashed in low from an acute angle.

Luton Town: Walton, Mullins, McGeehan, Hylton, Gilliead (Cook, 58), Rea, Mpanzu, Lee, Vassell (Marriott, 79), Justin (Mackail-Smith, 86), Sheehan

Unused subs: O'Donnell, Smith, Cuthbert, King

Portsmouth: Forde, Stevens Rose, Clarke, Burgess, Baker, Doyle, Smith (Hunt, 90), Roberts (Naismith, 74), Bennett (Whatmough, 88), Evans

Unused subs: Lalkovic, O'Brien, Linganzi, Talbot

Referee: David Coote

Attendance: 8,805 (975)

Boss Nathan Jones said that last night's 3-1 defeat at home to promotion rivals Plymouth was "by no means a disaster" as Luton's nine-game unbeaten streak in League Two came to a crushing end.

His side started well and took the lead early on through Danny Hylton's wonderfully taken 12th of the season, but the conceded quickly after to Michael Smith before a Gareth Evans first half injury time second put Town on the back foot, from which they couldn't recover.

A third goal late on for Kal Naismith rubber-stamped a below par performance and allowed Portsmouth to leapfrog Luton into fourth place.

"We're a good side, we know it and will look to bounce back on Saturday as that's the important thing, that's what good sides do," Jones said.

"It's a disappointment but it's by no means a disaster, we're still in November, I can't remember anyone crowned champion in November or promoted in November, so it's a long season, we'll learn from it, dust ourselves off and go again."

The Hatters are still only three points off the automatic promotion places, albeit having played one more game than third placed Doncaster, so Jones isn't too concerned about a dent in their primary goal of getting out of League Two.

Jones said: "We can't get too down as we've been on a fantastic run. We're still in a good position, not many [teams] have gone away from us as it [the league] has just condensed a little bit, with Plymouth losing and Carlisle drawing.

"We've just got to make sure we get back on track. We're disappointed, but we're a bit philosophical about it as the run had to come to an end sooner or later, you'd imagine, just a shame it's tonight."

But Jones would not take anything away from Portsmouth, who were comfortably the better side in the second half, with Luton rarely troubling keeper David Forde.

"We're disappointed because we felt we lacked a bit of quality in the final third. If we'd had a bit more it could have been a little bit closer, and then they scored the third when we were chasing it, but to be fair, I felt they deserved to nick it in the end," the manager said.

"They're quite inventive in terms of what they do and they've got good players. They've got very, very good players, above the level players, in terms of they've been together. [It's the] second year they've been together, they've added quality again in the summer, so these are a good side, there's no bones about it.

"Not many come out and have a go at them and want to play against them, but we did tonight and it's disappointing result."