Luton Town FC vs Preston North End (18th Jan 2025)

18/01/2025 LUTON TOWN 0-0 PRESTON NORTH END

Hatters held in home stalemate

Matt Bloomfield era begins with a point and clean sheet against Preston

Matt Bloomfield’s first game in charge ended in stalemate as the Town couldn’t find a way past a stubborn Preston North End at Kenilworth Road.

Both sides were restricted to half-chances on a freezing afternoon with a point for the Hatters ending a run of four successive Championship defeats.

New Hatters manager Bloomfield made four changes to the side that were in action last time out at Nottingham Forest with Daiki Hashioka in at right-back and Tom Krauß and Jordan Clark starting in midfield.

Jacob Brown started in attack with Reuell Walters, Liam Walsh and Zack Nelson dropping to the bench. Lamine Fanne missed out altogether with an ankle knock.

The first half saw the Town begin on the front foot with Mark McGuinness poking a shot wide following pinball in the penalty area after three minutes.

As the Hatters enjoyed plenty of the ball Jordan Clark tested Freddie Woodman in the Preston goal with a left-foot effort on 12 minutes.

The Town continued to press, and on 23 minutes Tom Krauß’s cross fizzed across goal but no man in orange was there to convert.

But in truth clear-cut opportunities were at a premium at either end.

The Hatters had a sniff of an opener two minutes into the second half when Clark’s teasing cross from the left almost found Carlton Morris before Morris’s shot on the turn from the edge of the box on 66 minutes was held by Woodman.

With 15 minutes left on the clock, Bloomfield made a triple change, introducing Elijah Adebayo, Victor Moses and Nelson.

However, the Hatters could not break the deadlock. Clark curled a free-kick on target that was saved by Woodman with six minutes left and Adebayo’s shot from 18 yards was also stopped by the visiting keeper.

Five added minutes were shown but neither side could find a goal and the points were shared.

For the Town, there was promise – especially in the first half – and heart can be taken from a first clean sheet in 12 matches that helped stop the rot of five straight defeats in all competitions.

Next up for Bloomfield’s Hatters is a trip to Oxford on Tuesday night.

We’ll see you then.

Town: Kaminski, Hashioka, Bell, McGuinness, Holmes, Nakamba, Krauß (sub Woodrow 89), Clark, Brown (sub Moses 74), Jones (sub Nelson 74), Morris (sub Adebayo 74).

Subs: Krul, Walters, Andersen, Mpanzu, Walsh.

Attendance: 11,540, including 1,214 from Preston.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rb7L753H_cE – Matt Bloomfield post match interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cstONZ8mjg – match highlights

Bloomfield starts his Luton reign with drab goalless draw against Preston

Championship: Luton Town 0 Preston North End 0

New Luton manager Matt Bloomfield kicked off his reign in charge of the Hatters with a solid but hugely unspectacular goalless draw against Preston North End this afternoon.

With plenty made of the manager's former club Wycombe Wanderers being the top-scorers in League One in the pre-match build-up, there was hope that his appointment would lead to some excitement and enjoyment returning to Kenilworth Road to light up what has been a rather grim season for any seasoned Town followers.

That might well happen in time too, Bloomfield having had just a few days to work with his new charges and implement the kind of style that saw the Chairboys already net 50 goals, but it will clearly take some time to transfer to Bedfordshire, Lilywhites keeper Freddie Woodman barely extended all game, as the result saw Luton drop into the relegation zone after wins for both Cardiff and Hull prior to kick-off.

He did ensure Town tightened up defensively though, with the visitors not having a single shot on target as Luton picked up a first clean sheet since November 23, a sequence of 11 matches, ending a run of five straight defeats in all competitions. The new boss made four changes from the FA Cup exit to Nottingham Forest when naming his first XI, Daiki Hashioka, Tom Krauss, Jacob Brown and Jordan Clark coming in, Lamine Fanne missing out through injury, while Elijah Adebayo, Reuell Walters and Liam Walsh dropped to the bench.

A first look at the Hatters under Bloomfield saw them line up with four at the back, Nakamba the deep-lying midfielder, Clark and Krauß operating in front of him, while Carlton Morris was the lone striker, Brown to his left and new signing Isaiah Jones over on the right. The Hatters did look to attack early on, but it was from a set-piece that they had their first opportunity, Clark's delivery seeing Tom Holmes unable to bulldoze his way through, Mark McGuinness dragging wide of the target.

Town continued to have the better of proceedings, showing some good intent, Clark breaking forward and sizing up a shot on his left foot that was comfortable for Woodman. It was clear the Hatters had worked on their in possession play, with some sharp and snappy passing, particularly in the centre of the pitch, as looking to build from the back when possible, they had a number of one touch interchanges in the centre, one move seeing Krauß’s whipped cross a whisker away from Morris.

After the break, the Hatters made a promising start, Clark dinking over an inviting cross that both Morris and Jones couldn't get a touch on as the opportunity frustratingly went begging. Luton and Bell in particular had to stay switched on the back though, a well-worked free kick routine from deep seeing Preston have men unmarked, the full back covering well to nod away from inside his own six yard box.

Centre half Tom Holmes then saw yellow for what referee Tim Robinson felt was a high challenge on Milutin Osmajic, as from the set-piece, Morris cleared, with Kaine Kesler Hayden putting an ambitious volley well wide. Luton were struggling to create any meaningful chances of their own, although they did finally have an attempt on 66 minutes, Morris taking Clark's chipped pass in his stride only to put his snapshot straight at Woodman.

With 15 to go, Bloomfield altered his front three completely, Nelson, Adebayo and Victor Moses coming on for Jones, Brown and Morris, but it didn’t really pep up the hosts in terms of an attacking sense. Luton did have another crack on target with 84 minutes on the clock when awarded a free kick 25 yards out, Clark trying to beat Woodman at the post he was stationed by, the keeper equal to it. In stoppage time, Adebayo's shot from distance was also easy for Woodman as the game finished, as it looked like doing so for the entire second half, and even before that, goalless.

Hatters: Thomas Kaminski, Daiki Hashioka, Tom Holmes, Mark McGuinness, Amari’i Bell, Marvelous Nakamba, Tom Krauß (Cauley Woodrow 89), Jordan Clark, Isaiah Jones (Victor Moses 74), Jacob Brown (Zack Nelson 74), Carlton Morris (C, Elijah Adebayo 74). Subs not used: Tim Krul, Mads Andersen, Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu, Reuell Walters, Liam Walsh.

Lilywhites: Freddie Woodman, Liam Lindsay, Will Keane (Mads Frokjaer-Jensen 62), Ali McCann ©, Jordan Storey, Andrew Hughes, Ryan Ledson, Lewis Gibson, Sam Greenwood, Milutin Osmajic (Emil Riis Jakobsen 74), Kaine Kesler Hayden. Subs not used: David Cornell, Jayden Meghoma, Jack Whatmough, Robbie Brady, Ched Evans, Stefan Thordarson, Duane Holmes.

Referee: Tim Robinson. Booked: Storey 17, Brown 42, Holmes 55, Morris 62, Hughes 68.

Attendance: 11,540 (1,214 Preston).

Bloomfield satisfied with the foundations laid by his Hatters side during Lilywhites stalemate

New Luton boss reacts to goalless draw

Luton boss Matt Bloomfield thought his side began to lay their foundations during this afternoon’s goalless draw against Preston, even if he was frustrated by the lack of goalscoring chances created throughout the 90 minutes.

Having been appointed on Tuesday afternoon, the former Wycombe Wanderers manager only had a couple of days to work with his new squad before sending them out to do battle with the Lilywhites. The visitors had clearly come for a point, as they barely showed anything in an attacking sense, with just two attempts, none of them on target.

At the other end, the Hatters had nine efforts, but although four of them required stopping, Freddie Woodman easily gathered Jordan Clark’s angled first half attempt and another free kick late on. He also collected Carlton Morris’s snapshot after the break, plus Elijah Adebayo’s stoppage time drive from range, as summing up the display, Bloomfield, who saw his team keep their first clean sheet since beating Hull City 1-0, said: “Some good and some not so good.

“I thought out of possession, it was nice to get a clean sheet, the first one in 12 I’m led to believe, since November and stop a run of five straight defeats as well. So there’s some bits to be pleased with, identity-wise, I thought there were some bits that came out, obviously we’d have loved to have scored, created more clear-cut opportunities, we didn’t quite do that as we were going after today, but I don’t think that’s been just today, I think that’s been throughout the season. So more work to be done but a good foundation for us to build.

“You learn a huge amount in game situations, both individually and collectively, so what I’ve learned today is that as a group they're willing to take on the work and really try to implement that on a Saturday afternoon, so that’s really encouraging and pleasing. The work-rate can not be questioned, the desire to defend their goal, no shots on target, clean sheet, is not very often you come away with that, so that has to be pleasing. Of course we would have liked to create more opportunities, that’s a given, but I think it’s probably a good foundation for us to build.”