Luton Town FC vs Queens Park Rangers (12th Jan 2021)

Match Report | Luton Town 0-2 Queens Park Rangers

A goal in each half condemns the Hatters to a rare home defeat...

The Hatters were condemned to a first defeat in seven home matches at Kenilworth Road by Queens Park Rangers this evening.

Charlie Austin tapped in from close range in the first half and Macauley Bonne added a late second, putting a stop to the Town’s magnificent midweek home record in the league - 22 games unbeaten - a run which dates back to January 2018.

Manager Nathan Jones made three changes to the side that defeated Bristol City in the league prior to the turn of the year, including a second league start of the season for Kazenga LuaLua.

The Hatters found it tricky to contain Queens Park Rangers in the first half as Simon Sluga was tested a number of times, key to thwarting their initial attacking intent.

Early on, the Croatian international parried Bright Osayi-Samuel’s fierce shot away from goal, before crucially denying Lyndon Dykes who rushed down on goal half-an-hour into proceedings.

But Sluga was unable to preserve his clean sheet as QPR found the breakthrough six minutes from time in the first period.

Charlie Austin marked his second Hoops debut with a goal from close range, tapping home following Geoff Cameron’s flick-on from Ilias Chair’s corner.

The Hatters immediately had an opportunity to find an equaliser as the second half began.

QPR’s intended clearance rebounded off Austin which allowed Collins to run through on goal, however, the usually composed striker failed to hit the target, a let-off for the away side.

Town created better openings for themselves and came closest to replying in the 70th minute, when Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu hit the outside of the post.

Harry Cornick played the ball inside to Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who in turn released a quick ball to his team-mate, but Mpanzu’s curler was just wide of the mark.

Jones rolled the dice with a triple change inside the last ten minutes and Dewsbury-Hall had a late effort well-saved, before Rangers put the game beyond doubt, scoring a second through substitute Macauley Bonne.

Looking ahead, the Hatters will look to put loss behind them when they travel to Vitality Stadium to face second place Bournemouth on Saturday.

Town: Sluga; Bree, Lockyer, Bradley (C), Potts (Nombe 77); Rea, Mpanzu (Berry 83), Dewsbury-Hall; Cornick, LuaLua (Moncur 83), Collins (Hylton 83).

Subs not used: Shea, Tunnicliffe, Clark, Kioso, Galloway.

QPR: Dieng; Kane, Barbet, Cameron (C), Dickie; Ball, Carroll, Chair (Adomah 75), Osayi-Samuel; Dykes (Kelman 90+3), Austin (Bonne 59).

Subs not used: Lumley, Thomas, Willock, Hamalalinen, Bettache.

Goals: Austin (39), Bonne (89)

Yellows: Bonne

Referee: Andy Woolmer

Nathan Jones' verdict on defeat against Queens Park Rangers

The gaffer shared his thoughts following the first home midweek league loss for nearly three years…

Manager Nathan Jones was disappointed his side couldn’t continue their good home form after they were condemned to a two-nil defeat against Queens Park Rangers.

It was a rare off night at Kenilworth Road for the Hatters, who had their 22-match home midweek unbeaten run ended courtesy of goals from Charlie Austin and Macauley Bonne.

“We were flat,” Jones admitted. “Maybe it was the two-week break we have had since that team played at home, but we were really flat and really disappointing. We started quite well, stuck to the game plan early on but then just dropped deep, allowed them to get into the front, allowed them to put balls in our box, we just weren’t brave and that just hasn’t been us at home.

“That’s the disappointing thing. We lost the first header and then someone doesn’t realise that Charlie Austin has been doing that for the last 20 years, just drifts in and gets a free tap in. Really poor from our point of view, but let’s give QPR credit, they won the game and we didn’t step onto them.

“We started quite well and then we were just so passive. Second half was much better, and we should have scored straight after half-time.

"We had so many situations second half. George comes on and gets an opportunity, but we have got to be better, we have to show more quality in those moments.

"We played with far more vigor and front-footedness in the second half but we can’t chase games at this level, that is what we’re learning. If we don’t start well and if we don’t get on the front foot, then we don’t get a foothold in the game.”

https://issuu.com/lutontownfc/docs/qpr_e-programme - programme

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqquwxwUEFc – Nathan Jones interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ViaXiykB1g – match highlights

Luton’s unbeaten record under the Kenilworth Road lights is ended by QPR

Championship: Luton Town 0 QPR 2

Luton Town's proud and lengthy unbeaten run under the lights at Kenilworth Road was ended this evening after not just a bad day at the office, but a pretty shocking one, as they lost out 2-0 to QPR.

The Hatters hadn't tasted defeat on home soil during a midweek league game in just under three years, going back to a game with Wycombe Wanderers on January 30, 2018, a run spanning 19 matches.

Town had defeated the likes of Norwich City, Blackburn Rovers and Portsmouth in that time, but from the early stages it was clear they were going to struggle against a Rangers side who often enjoy the better of things between these two sides in recent times, Luton winning just twice in their 22 previous meetings.

Although the visitors came into the contest with just four wins all season, their last was back on November 24, some 10 matches ago, they always looked the more likely to triumph, Town seemingly unable to awaken from a slumber that engulfed them all game.

Passes went astray, mistakes crept in, and Nathan Jones' looked a shadow of the team who were nursing a seven game unbeaten run at Kenilworth Road themselves.

The boss made three changes from the last league game, James Bree starting only a second Championship match of the season, with Kazenga LuaLua back in for the first time since October, Dan Potts also included after Rhys Norrington-Davies was recalled by Sheffield United and sent to Stoke City.

Visiting winger Bright Osayi-Samuel was a real menace during the 1-1 draw last season, and showed he had lost none of his menace, setting off on a run from inside his own half, unleashing a cross shot that required parrying by Simon Sluga.

Town showed their own inventive wing-play though, Harry Cornick reaching the by-line, his low ball cannoning off Geoff Cameron's defender's foot, with Seny Dieng reacting well to save with his legs.

Luton pressed again, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall slipping Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu away on the left, whose dinked cross was met by a visiting defender, with Bree's header back fired over by James Collins.

Recent addition from West Bromwich Albion Charlie Austin sent a shot at Sluga from 20 yards, the vastly experienced striker then meeting Todd Kane's cross with a glancing header that the Croatian collected.

The visitors were having by far the better of proceedings, and should have gone ahead on the half hour when Lyndon Dykes went clean through, but a poor first touch forced him wide, Sluga saving with his legs.

Town reacted to create a first real moment of danger since the opening stages, Dewsbury-Hall picking out the run of Potts, whose right-footed attempt was straight at Dieng.

Austin continued to look increasingly full of beans, his powerful charge forward seeing Kane drag a volley across goal and behind.

The goal that QPR had been threatening from very early on finally arrived with 38 minutes gone through a strike of alarming simplicity, Cameron flicking a corner on and Austin nodding home from a matter of yards.

After a dire first half in which Town were nowhere near the levels they had previously produced on home soil, they still had a glorious chance to immediately put that behind them and restore parity when a fortunate rebound sent Collins clean through, however, on his left foot, he sliced horribly, horribly wide.

Potts then blazed ambitiously over from range, but Luton were finally gaining some kind of a foothold, although the poor finishing was catching, Dewsbury-Hall shanking woefully wide from 20 yards.

QPR continued fashioning opportunities which would have surely put the contest to bed, Ilias Chair going through after another error saw Luton give the ball away once more, unable to get the power to beat Sluga.

Mpanzu was inches away from a leveller on 70 minutes, his curling attempt from the edge of the area appearing to clip the frame of the goal on its way behind.

Once more Rangers might have put the game beyond Town, Rob Dickie rising highest from a corner, planting his firm header over.

Despite the well below par efforts he was witnessing from his side, Jones waited until the 77th minute to make his first switch, Sam Nombe introduced, a triple change occurring moments later, Danny Hylton, George Moncur and Luke Berry all tasked with righting the wrongs that went before them.

Town almost forced an equaliser with three minutes left, Dewsbury-Hall's low curler palmed away by Dieng, before it was well and truly game over soon afterwards.

Rangers broke with real precision and Albert Adomah picked out fellow sub Macauley Bonne to sidefoot beyond Sluga, completing a thoroughly deserved victory.

Hatters: Simon Sluga, James Bree Dan Potts (Sam Nombe 77), Tom Lockyer, Sonny Bradley ©, Glen Rea , Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu (Luke Berry 83), Kazenga LuaLua (George Moncur 83), Harry Cornick, James Collins (Danny Hylton 83).

Subs not used: Brendan Galloway, Peter Kioso, Jordan Clark, Ryan Tunnicliffe, James Shea.

Rangers: Seny Dieng, Todd Kane, Rob Dickie, Yoann Barbet, Lyndon Dykes (Charlie Kelman 90), Ilias Chair (Albert Adomah 74), Bright Osayi-Samuel, Dominic Ball, Geoff Cameron, Tom Carroll, Charlie Austin (Macualey Bonne 59).

Subs not used: Joe Lumley, George Thomas, Chris Willock, Conor Masterson. Niko Hamalainen, Faysal Bettache.

Bookings: Bonne 90.

Referee: Andy Woolmer.

Jones critical of his side's attempts to contain Rangers striker Charlie Austin during QPR defeat

Hatters chief felt back four dropped far too much in midweek reverse

Luton boss Nathan Jones was critical of his side’s defending during their 2-0 defeat against QPR on Tuesday night, particularly their approach to trying to contain experienced striker Charlie Austin.

The visitors came into the game on the back of a 10-game winless run, but were by far the better side for long periods.

They opened the scoring before the break through, that man Austin getting his first goal on his second debut for the R’s after joining from West Bromwich Albion, nodding home from a matter of yards.

Mark Warburton’s side then sealed victory in the final minute, Glen Rea’s error pounced on by the visitors, with Macauley Bonne side-footing passed an exposed Simon Sluga.

Jones said: “When your back four drops pretty much beyond the stand, then it’s quite easy to get it in and with all due respect, Charlie Austin is a very good target man, a very good box man, but he’s not going run behind you.

“He’s not going to stretch you, he’s not going to frighten the life out of you with pace, so I don’t know why our back four dropped and gave him enough space to get into feet, to get into chest, to set, and then to dictate play.

“That was our own fault as if we’d have been slightly braver and been on the front foot then our front bunch could have gone pressing, our midfield could have got tighter, then our back four would have been right up close, because realistically, none of those are going to run in behind you.

“That’s the thing that I was really disappointed with as we couldn’t get on the front foot as we weren’t brave.”

Jones could be heard bellowing those exact instructions to his back-line during the game, but they appeared to fall on deaf ears for much of the first half in particular.

When asked how frustrating that was, the boss continued: “We work on what we do and we’ve been very good at it.

“Against Millwall away we weren’t brave and we dropped and we allowed pressure and then when you’ve got big men that can get territory, you spend a lot of time in and around your box and then you’re susceptible, and that’s what happened.

“So you have to be brave, if you’re not brave then people tend to think that dropping is a safety net, it’s not against certain sides.

“Against Man City for example you might have to deny space as they can carve you right open, but with respect, some teams are not Man City.

“It’s just disappointing as normally we play front-footed and tonight we couldn’t or we didn’t, for large periods of the first half.

“Second half we did, and I was much happier with the overall performance, but we’ve got to show more quality in the moments that we get.

“The disappointing thing for me is we weren’t the best version of ourselves, if we were the best version of ourselves, that’s a different game, whether we win the game or not, it’s a different game.”

The Hatters weren't without their chances, James Collins slicing badly wide when clean through just after half time, while late on, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall was denied by keeper Seny Dieng and substitute George Moncur blazed over.

However, they couldn't make amends for what was an awful opening 45 minutes, in a game that Jones had targeted to get something from, with trips to Bournemouth and Brentford on the immediate horizon.

He added: "It’s really disappointing, we started the first 10 minutes really well, front-footed, stuck to the gameplan, then the rest of the first half we were really passive, dropped right off, allowed them to do what they wanted with the football.

"There was no aggression, no pressure on the ball and that‘s been absolutely the polar opposite of how we’ve been here, and that’s been the really disappointing thing.

"Second half we came out, we wanted to step on to them, we went back to the original gameplan, and we did.

"We had a glorious chase straight away (through James Collins), we had a lot of opportunities in and around their box, without having the quality to punish, because we did have a lot of situations.

"Then when we’re chasing the game we get by a sucker punch, but it's really disappointing as this was a game we felt it was was a real opportunity."