Luton Town FC vs Reading (9th Jan 2021)

Match Report | Luton Town 1-0 Reading

Moncur's first-half strike earns the Hatters progression in the FA Cup...

The Hatters progressed to the fourth round of the Emirates FA Cup after a hard-fought victory against fellow Championship side Reading.

On a chilly afternoon at Kenilworth Road, George Moncur’s volley in the 30th minute was the difference between the two sides as the Town made sure it was their name in the hat for the draw on Monday evening.

Manager Nathan Jones made nine changes for this afternoon’s game – including handing a debut to Gabriel Osho and a first competitive appearance of the season for Brendan Galloway.

The gaffer watched on as his side make a good start to the match, bossing possession and looking the more likely in-front of goal too.

George Moncur was denied from close range midway through the half, though four minutes later, nothing could stop his shot rippling the back of the net.

James Bree – who made his third start of the season – was a constant outlet on the right-hand-side and it was no surprise when he turned provider for Moncur with a lofted ball into the box.

Moncur, in truth, made the finish look very easy as he volleyed past Luke Southwood from close range, which was by no means an easy feat.

The Hatters were positive in their search for a second goal and Danny Hylton was inches away from providing the vital touch.

Joe Morrell found Ryan Tunnicliffe in space and the latter directed a header across goal towards Hylton, but he was unable to make clean contact and the goalkeeper gathered.

Reading were still very much alive in the tie and were quick to remind Town just that. Alfa Semedo tried his luck from distance and Simon Sluga spilled the ball into the path of the onrushing Sam Baldock, but Osho was there to make a vital, last-ditch tackle.

The Royals went even closer after the hour mark as Sonny Aluko thundered a shot off the top of the crossbar, a let-off for the Hatters.

Sluga was under siege with a couple of shots from distance in quick succession, before making a superb double-save, getting to his feet quickly after he denied Sam Baldock from the edge of the box to block Jayden Onen’s rebound effort.

In-between Reading’s period of pressure, the Hatters were denied a penalty by referee Darren Bond after Elliot Lee went down under challenge following Hylton’s neat chip into his path.

The Royals almost equalised in the dying embers as substitute Nuhum Melvin-Lambert hit the crossbar from close range but Town withstood the late pressure to secure victory.

Town: Sluga; Bree (58), Osho, Potts, Galloway (Norrington-Davies 74); Lee (Berry 74), Tunnicliffe, Morrell, Moncur; Hylton, Nombe (LuaLua 81).

Subs not used: Isted, Cornick, Lockyer, Rea, Mpanzu.

Goals: Moncur (30)

Yellows: Hylton

Reading: Southwood; Esteves, McIntyre, Dorsett, Bristow; Semedo (Lawless 78), Pendlebury, Onen, Olise (Camara 78); Baldock (Melvin-Lambert 78), Aluko (Tetek 72).

Subs not used: Boyce-Clarke, Holmes, Samuels.

Referee: Darren Bond

Nathan Jones' thoughts on victory against Reading

The gaffer on FA Cup progression this afternoon...

Manager Nathan Jones was pleased his side could progress into the fourth round of the Emirates FA Cup after a battling display against Reading.

The Hatters, who were much changed from the 2-1 victory against Bristol City prior to the New Year, produced a gritty performance and were victorious courtesy of George Moncur’s first-half strike.

But the gaffer did insist that his team could have made it easier for themselves despite putting themselves in the hat for the draw on Monday evening.

“I think we made it hard for ourselves,” Nathan admitted after the match. “First half I thought we were excellent, we had so many opportunities and situations where we should have extended the lead.

"We scored a good goal, and then what we said at half-time is ‘win the first ten minutes’, we like to come out of the traps and win that first ten, and we didn’t.

“We played into their hands, played with a slow tempo, gave the ball away five times in the first eight minutes which allowed them to play in our half and we never really grasped the momentum back.

“That was the thing, but I’m delighted we kept a clean-sheet, made pretty much ten changes. We kept Sluga in because he hasn’t had football lately, so it was a good game all in all.”

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1bHJXZUSpI& - Nathan Jones interview

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/football/55501391 - match highlights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGzCOSF6Jwo – match highlights

Moncur's stunner downs Royals and sends Luton through to fourth round of the FA Cup

FA Cup third round: Luton Town 1 Reading 0

Luton Town weathered some serious second half pressure to reach the fourth round of the FA Cup for the first time since the 2012-13 season thanks to a narrow victory over fellow Championship side Reading this afternoon.

The hosts grabbed a first half lead courtesy of George Moncur's magnificent finish, but were then under the cosh for large chunks after the break, indebted to some brilliant saves from keeper Simon Sluga, coupled with some wastefulness from the Royals attackers, as they eventually went through.

Town made wholesale changes as expected, nine in total, giving a debut to former Reading defender Gabriel Osho, while Sam Nombe started for the first time and Brendan Galloway was involved for the first time since his serious knee injury at Brentford on November 2019.

Also in was Dan Potts, handed the captain's armband, James Bree, Danny Hylton, Joe Morrell, Elliot Lee and Moncur, with just Sluga and Ryan Tunnicliffe remaining from the team who beat Bristol City, although Jones did pack the bench with first-team options and not any from the U23 squad as he might have.

Reading also swapped things around, leading scorer Lucas Joao not involved, while giving three full debuts, although did include both goalscorers Tom McIntyre and Alfa Semedo from the 2-1 win over Luton on Boxing Day.

The much-altered Hatters settled well, fashioning a number of shooting opportunities, but opted to turn them down until Bree picked out Tunnicliffe in the 10th minute, the midfielder volleying over.

Town's fit-again right back then drilled another ball in that Lee stabbed wide, before Hylton couldn't quite divert Potts' looping header in at the far post from a corner.

The forward had an even better chance on 26 minutes when strike partner Nombe sent over an inviting cross, but he connected with fresh air from close range, while Moncur's follow up was blocked.

There was no stopping the midfielder on the half hour though when Morrell spread the play wide to find Bree, who delivered a hopeful up and under into the area.

Moncur popped up at the back post, making the run that boss Jones constantly demands of him, showing wonderful technique to cushion a glorious sidefooted volley beyond Luke Southwood and into the bottom corner for his third goal of the season.

Reading almost had a swift leveller when Sone Aluko turned Morrell inside and out before seeing his right footer from 20 yards only just miss the bottom corner.

Sluga was then called on for the first time, parrying Oliver Pendlebury's attempt back into the danger area, but thankfully for him, no Reading player was there to pounce.

After the break, Hylton wasted another magnificent chance to be on the scoresheet for the first time since March 2019, when Morrell sent over a cross that Tunnicliffe headed cleverly across goal but from a few yards, the forward somehow couldn't beat a sprawling Eastwood.

Town were almost pegged back moments later, when Sluga could only parry Semedo's effort back where it came once more, and it looked like Sam Baldock as about to make it 1-1, only for Osho to produce a brilliant full stretch sliding intervention to put the ball behind.

It was the visitors turn to miss a glaring chance just after the hour mark as Aluko was left completely unmarked from Tomas Esteve's cross, but managed to thrash his attempt against the top of the bar and out.

Sluga did get it right midway through the second period, with an excellent save from Esteve's daisycutter destined for the bottom corner, sticking out a right hand to fingertip behind.

He then collected Baldock's header and turned away Michael Olise's long range attempt although it looked like it was flying wide.

Tunnicliffe saw his angled cross-shot safely gathered by Southwood, before Sluga was back in the thick of things again, a superb double save to keep the visitors out, repelling Baldock's 20-yarder and then up quickly to get back on his line and keep out Onen's follow up too.

In stoppage time, Luton should have been facing an extra half hour as referee Darren Bond waved play on when Hylton looked to have been fouled, Reading sub Nahum Melvin-Lambert going clean through.

He finally beat Sluga, but not the underside of the bar, as Onen was unable to keep his composure when the loose ball dropped to him, skying into the stands, ensuring it was a relieved Luton who went into Monday night's draw.

Hatters: Simon Sluga, James Bree (Jordan Clark 58), Brendan Galloway (Rhys Norrington-Davies 74), Gabriel Osho, Dan Potts, Ryan Tunnicliffe, Joe Morrell, Elliot Lee (Luke Berry 74), George Moncur, Sam Nombe (Kazenga LuaLua 81), Danny Hylton.

Subs not used: Harry Isted, Harry Cornick, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Tom Lockyer, Glen Rea.

Royals: Luke Southwood, Tomas Esteves, Tom McIntyre, Michael Olise (Nahum Melvin-Lambert 78), Sam Baldock (C, Mamadi Camari 78), Sone Aluko (Dejan Tetek 71), Alfa Semedo (Conor Lawless 78), Ethan Bristow, Oliver Pendelbury, Jayden Onen, Jeriel Dorsett.

Subs not used: Tom Holmes, Coniah Boyce-Clarke, Imari Samuels.

Bookings: Hylton 90.

Referee: Darren Bond.

**Jones felt Town made it difficult for themselves during cup triumph ove Reading **

Hatters chief praises keeper Sluga for second half stops

Luton boss Nathan Jones felt his side made it harder than necessary for themselves to progress in the FA Cup during this afternoon’s 1-0 victory over Reading.

After a bright start to proceedings, Town scored what proved to be the winner, thanks to George Moncur’s breathtaking volley from James Bree’s cross.

How it was the only goal of the game will remain a mystery as Danny Hylton missed a wonderful chance in the second period, before the Royals wasted a number of opportunities themselves.

Sone Aluko hit the bar, while Simon Sluga made a superb double save from Sam Baldock and Jayden Onen, also denying Tomas Esteves, before in stoppage time, Nahum Melvin-Lambert went clean through to hit the bar, Onen putting the rebound into the stands.

Jones said: “In the first half he (Sluga) didn’t have much to do and I thought we were excellent first half, but then we kind of made it hard for ourselves.

“We didn’t come out of the blocks flying, which is what we wanted to do.

“We gave the ball away too easily and allowed them to break on us and gain the momentum and it was difficult to get it back.

“We made it hard for ourselves, he’s made some good saves, a lot of them were from distance and some they’ve missed.

“It’s good to get in the hat, but we could’ve made it a lot, lot easier for ourselves.”

Moncur’s goal was his third of the season and another marvellous strike as he ghosted in at the far post to display top-notch technique to meet Bree’s hanging delivery and volley into the bottom corner.

Jones added: “He did it against Huddersfield as well, it’s controlled and he does it week in, week out, he’s got real good technique.

“I felt we could hurt them in certain ways and we did that really well in the first half.

“We created a lot of chances and opportunities in and around their box, with just a little bit more quality or a little more conviction, we would’ve gone in further ahead.

“At 1-0 you’re susceptible, they can get back into it and, to be fair to them, they stepped on and we didn’t combat that.

“We had a great chance to make it two, but no-one will remember the chances missed, they’ll remember that we won it 1-0, kept a clean sheet and we’re into the hat.”