Luton Town FC vs Queens Park Rangers (13th Mar 2022)

Report | Luton Town 1-2 Queens Park Rangers

Queens Park Rangers leapfrogged the Hatters into the Championship play-off places after coming from behind to win 2-1 at Kenilworth Road.

Cameron Jerome's fifth goal of the season had given the Town a half-time lead, but ex-Hatter Andre Gray equalised with a penalty early in the second half and Rob Dickie netted a late penalty to lift the seventh-placed visitors above the Hatters into sixth.

Taking charge of his 100th match since returning to the club, manager Nathan Jones made four changes with James Shea and Kal Naismith back fit and available, the latter slotting into the back five in place of Dan Potts.

Allan Campbell joined Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu and Jordan Clark in midfield, whilst there was a return to the starting line-up for Cameron Jerome, who partners Tuesday's match winner Elijah Adebayo up-front.

The Hatters started in the ascendancy, Campbell twice trying his luck in the opening eight minutes, the first a 25-yard skidder that Hoops keeper David Marshall got down low to save, then an angled shot after good link-up play between Naismith and Adebayo, but that one was too high.

Town suffered a blow in the 15th minute when Mpanzu was forced off after being injured in a challenge with Rangers skipper Stefan Johansen in front of the away dugout.

Shea had to make his first save on 16 minutes, pushing away a 20-yard drive from Moses Odubajo that skidded through Naismith's legs, but Town were lookg a real threat at the other end.

Adebayo had the ball in the net after some lovely combination play with Clark in the 24th minute, but the top scorer's wait for his 15th goal of the season went on after a linesman's flag was raised, correctly, for offside.

The striker was flagged offside again moments later as he steered Naismith's cross goalward, with Campbell presented with an open goal from Marshall's parry, only to head wide. The linesman's flag spared the Scot's blushes, but Town were finally in front in the 37th minute.

The ball came in from the right from Bree, Clark controlled, Campbell rolled the back and there was veteran striker Jerome to lash in from just outside the box, with Marshall getting a hand to it but unable to keep the shot out.

It might have been two a couple of minutes later when Adebayo, a constant threat to the Rangers back four, rose at the far post to meet Bree's right-wing corner, but he couldn't direct his header on target.

Rangers were lucky to end the half with 11 men after Ilias Chair was called back after the half-time whistle had been blown to be shown a yellow card by referee Josh Smith, who might well have brandished his red had he seen a replay of the QPR midfielder pushing Tom Lockyer in the face.

Town started the second half well, too, Adebayo pulling the ball back for Campbell to side-foot goalward, only for Marshall to turn it away.

The visitors were level by the 55th minute, when Gray lured Naismith into fouling him by the touchline, just inside the area. The ex-Hatters striker stepped up to convert from 12 yards and turned away without celebrating.

The Hatters went in search of a second goal, Jerome racing to the right byline and Lockyer sending a header over, just after the hour.

The goalscorer was replaced by Cornick with just over quarter-of-an-hour to go, and the substitute was at the heart of the Town's next threatening move, as he drove into the left side of the penalty area and as the ball was only half-cleared, Amari'i Bell let fly from the angle of the box, only to find the side-netting of Marshall's goal.

Rangers took the lead with eight minutes to go when Johansen's left-wing corner was flicked on by Dickie at the near post and found its way inside the net at the far.

Jones introduced Snodgrass in place of Clark, and the former Scotland international tested Marshall from 20 yards, but the Hatters couldn't find a way back into things and dropped a place to seventh.

Goals:

Luton: Jerome (37)

QPR: Gray (55 pen), Dickie (83)

Attendance: 10,073

Nathan Jones disappointed with QPR loss

Manager Nathan Jones shared his disappointment after this afternoon’s 2-1 defeat against Queens Park Rangers.

After Cameron Jerome had given Town the lead, the away side fought back in the second half to leave Kenilworth Road with three points, leapfrogging Jones’ men into the play-off places.

Speaking after the match, he admitted: “We have to do better in situations. I didn’t see us having any problems in the game, I thought we were comfortable in a certain way and then dived in in the box, gave away a penalty and they desperately needed that because they weren’t knocking on our door in any way which is the frustrating thing. We then have an opportunity to clear it, slice a clearance and concede from a corner.

“Bitterly disappointed with the result and the margins that have gone against us, but we have to be better.

"We felt we were the better team, got the goal, had a marginal offside which we felt could have gone for us but it has been really frustrating to come away and concede two second goals because we don’t do that often.

"We started really brightly in the second half, we had a glorious chance to take a two-nil lead but we just imploded a little bit really. We went off it a little bit and that is the frustrating thing really.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEhCeqo0hlI – Nathan Jones interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsAlUjBuOAY – Tom Lockyer interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hmILNxuoq4 - match highlights

Hatters' wretched run against bogey side QPR continues as visitors hit back in the second half to triumph

Championship: Luton Town 1 QPR 2

Luton's wretched record against QPR was painfully extended at Kenilworth Road this afternoon as the visitors ran out 2-1 winners in a contest the Hatters can feel massively hard done by not to have picked up at least a deserved point from.

After a run of just one league victory in their last 21 meetings against their west London opponents, it had looked like Town would finally put that to bed, leading 1-0 at half time through Cameron Jerome's strike.

However, the visitors equalised through former Luton striker Andre Gray's penalty early in the second half, and won it late on when Rob Dickie flicked home from a corner as the Hatters also lost a game at home under Nathan Jones when opening the scoring for the first time since November 2016 when beaten 3-1 by Portsmouth in League Two.

Jones had made four changes to the side that won 1-0 at Coventry City on Tuesday night, James Shea fit enough to take his place in goal, meaning the end of Alex Palmer's emergency loan deal from West Bromwich Albion.

Kal Naismith, Allan Campbell and Jerome all returned too, as Dan Potts, Luke Berry and Harry Cornick dropped to the bench.

Town made a bright start, with the recalled Campbell showing his confidence to have a go from range, David Marshall gathering low down, before on eight minutes he was sprung by a clever Jordan Clark touch, slicing wide from a decent position.

Jones was forced into an early change on 15 minutes, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu appearing to injure himself and despite trying to continue, had to make way for Henri Lansbury.

Rangers went close themselves, Moses Odubajo having a crack from outside the box and Shea shovelling away from danger.

Town thought they had the lead on 25 minutes when a glorious spin and through-ball by Clark saw Adebayo go through and cheekily poke past Marshall, but unfortunately the the offside flag was raised, Luton's top scorer going a fraction too early.

Campbell then had his blushes spared by the linesman as Naismith's cross was met by Adebayo, Marshall making a stunning reaction save from point blank range and the midfielder heading wide of an open goal from two yards, although it wouldn't have counted, his team-mate once more caught well offside.

There was no need to worry about the officials on 37 minutes though as Bree's cross rebounded out to Jerome, whose snapshot from 22 yards should have been stopped by Marshall, the Scottish international getting a good hand to it, but unable to prevent it finding the net.

Town almost had a second when Adebayo's knock back found Clark who saw his two efforts charged down.

QPR were lucky to not start the second period with 10 men as a frustrated Ilias Chair raised his hands to Tom Lockyer on the stroke of half time, but despite being called back by referee Josh Smith, he somehow escaped with a yellow.

Luton should have extended their lead within a minute of the restart, Campbell teed up on the edge of the box, his shot too close to Marshall who was able to beat it away.

The Hatters were pegged back on 55 minutes somewhat against the run of play too, as with the hosts just starting to look a little sloppy at the back, Naismith needlessly slid in on Gray inside the area for a penalty that the forward coolly converted, not celebrating the leveller.

Jones threw on Cornick for the final 15 minutes as he looked to try and get the winner, as picked out by Lansbury's excellent pass, he was blocked off, Bell firing into the side-netting.

However, the visitors then won it with eight to go when a corner from the left by Chris Willock was flicked into the net by Rob Dickie for Rangers to win it.

Late sub Robert Snodgras put his curler too close to Marshall as the hosts, who started the day with the chance of going fourth, ended up slipping down to seventh.

Hatters: James Shea, James Bree, Amari'i Bell, Tom Lockyer, Reece Burke, Kal Naismith, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu (Henri Lansbury 15), Allan Campbell, Jordan Clark (Robert Snodgrass 81), Cameron Jerome (Harry Cornick 74), Elijah Adebayo.

Subs not used: Harry Isted, Luke Berry, Dan Potts, Fred Onyedinma.

Rangers: David Marshall, Lee Wallace, Rob Dickie, Yann Barbet, Stefan Johansen ©, Ilias Chair (Charlie Austin 60), Sam Field, Andre Gray (Chris Willock 78), Jimmy Dunne, Moses Odubajo, Jeff Hendrick (Luke Amos 74).

Subs not used: Sam McCallum, Andre Dozzell, Albert Adomah, Murphy Mahoney.

Booked: Chair 45, Barbet 86, Wallace 90.

Referee: Josh Smith.

Attendance: 10,073 (1,032 QPR).

Crestfallen Luton boss struggles to find the words to sum up yet another defeat to QPR

Reaction from the Hatters boss to this afternoon's 2-1 reverse

Town boss Nathan Jones couldn't hide his bitter, bitter disappointment after the Hatters failed to beat bogey side QPR yet again, following their 2-1 defeat at Kenilworth Road this afternoon.

The hosts looked to be on their way to a second league win in 22 meetings with their west London opponents after Cameron Jerome gave Luton the lead on 37 minutes when his 20-yard shot slipped through the hands of keeper David Marshall.

However, Kal Naismith then needlessly slid in on Andre Gray 10 minutes into the second period for a penalty that the ex-Hatter converted.

Naismith then sliced his clearance behind for a corner that Rob Dickie flicked home with seven to go as QPR once more claimed all three points.

A visibly crestfallen Jones said: "I feel low, I’ve got to be honest with you, the manner of it, just disappointed.

“The decisions to give them the goals were poor, I felt we were decent all afternoon, we were excellent first half and this is a tough one to take.

“These never have got to to play well to beat us.

"I don’t know what it is, because we have chance after chance against them away from home, and we gift them the goals and then here exactly the same.

“Just stay on your feet, you don’t have to dive in, so I’m just disappointed with the goals, it’s killed me and I’m finding it hard to speak.

“We’ve been in the top six, should have been fourth today, if you just do the basics well enough you're fourth in the league today which is the biggest over achievement in history.

“If we finish in the top six it will be like Leicester winning the Prem, easily, so to do that we just have to do the basics well enough today.

“I thought we were fine, we were excellent first half.

"We came out second half could have scored again but these have just never got to work hard to beat us and they beat us all the time.”

The manner of the goals was the most frustrating aspect of the defeat for the Luton manager, as he added: "I thought were excellent throughout really, if Kal stays on his feet, defend that, they don’t score.

"Then it’s a ball in, he’s been off for a week, slices his clearance and then they score an offside goal as it’s clearly offside.

"So it’s a really frustrating one and it sounds like sour grapes as they've not ever got to work hard to beat us and we gift them.

“They beat us all the time, they need us and they were having an absolutely horrific time when they came here, we had to call the game off and they were in poor form and we kickstarted their season.

"They've been in really poor form now and we've kickstarted their season again, they don't have to work hard to win and that’s the frustrating thing.

“It’s probably the wrong time to interview me if I'm honest as I’m bitterly, bitterly disappointed.

"I really, really wanted us to do well today as it showed how far we've come.

"We're in the most amazing position, today is just really hurtful today and for lots of reasons, and to be honest, I’m struggling to talk.”

Town chief castigates some 'horrific performances' as he felt Rangers midfielder Chair should have been sent off for raising his hands

Home boss gives his view on half time incident at Kenilworth Road

Town chief Nathan Jones felt QPR midfielder Ilias Chair should have been sent off during this afternoon's 2-1 defeat at Kenilworth Road.

On the stroke of half time, the talented Moroccan international, clearly frustrated by his side's display, raised his hands to centre half Tom Lockyer and was called back by referee Josh Smith.

However, the officiall only issued Chair with a yellow card for the offence, as discussing it afterwards, Jones said: "If you raise your hands, put them in someone’s face, you get sent off.

"Why he didn’t? He felt it wasn’t malicious."

Asked if he agreed with the decision, Jones continued: "No. If you raise your hands and put them in someone’s face, you get sent off.

“Whether that was a turning point, I don’t know, those decisions went against us.

“To be fair, I can’t comment on it, but there were some absolutely horrific performances out there.

"Horrific performances out there."

Giving his view of the incident, Welsh international Lockyer added: "I'm not really too sure, I can’t remember exactly what happened but he turned around and poked me in the eye, which is a bit of a weird one.

“The ref said there was no intent or force.

"Apparently he was looking straight at it, so we have to go with that.

“He hasn’t whacked me or anything, he’s just brushed my eye so I can’t really say he deserves a red card."