Luton Town FC vs Scunthorpe United (6th Oct 2018)

HATTERS 3 SCUNTHORPE UNITED 2

Cornick, Lee and Justin on target as Nathan's 150th game in charge brings victory

Nathan Jones celebrated 150 games in charge of the Hatters with an impressive 3-2 win over in-form Scunthorpe this afternoon, lifting the Town up to eighth in the Sky Bet League One table after another entertaining encounter at Kenilworth Road.

Harry Cornick followed up first goal of the season last Saturday with the opener on ten minutes, with Elliot Lee restoring the lead before half-time after Lee Novak had hauled the ninth-placed Iron level within seven minutes.

After half-time the Hatters had to weather a period of pressure from the side sitting one place above them at kick-off, but game changer James Justin – on for the injured Lee – netted his first of the campaign with four minutes of normal time to go to put the result beyond doubt.

Stephen Humphrys grabbed a second for the visitors in injury-time, but the Hatters had done enough to extend their unbeaten run to five matches – and remain undefeated in six home games this season – by following up the the 2-1 victory at Oxford in midweek with a second successive win.

Jones made just one change to the starting line-up, with Jorge Grant returning to the team after being on the bench on Tuesday night, with Andrew Shinnie making way.

That meant goalkeeper James Shea was in goal behind a back four of Jack Stacey, Matty Pearson, Sonny Bradley and Dan Potts. In the midfield holding role was captain Glen Rea, with Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Grant and Lee behind the strike force of James Collins and Cornick.

The Hatters had started well enough without creating anything, but that changed in the tenth minute when Cornick sprang the Scunthorpe offside trap to race onto a Pearson clip towards the corner.

The centre-half had waited patiently for the chance to play forward, swapping passes with Shea, Bradley and Stacey deep inside the Town half before playing the ball over the top.

As the Scunthorpe defence appealed for offside, Cornick latched onto the ball and slid as he neared the byline to steer it goalwards, eventually finding the bottom corner via keeper Jak Alnwick’s outstretched leg.

The Iron were level seven minutes later. Lee cleared a short corner routine as far as the centre circle, but the ball quickly came back and a flick-on found Josh Morris 15 yards out. Shea raced off his line to save from the left winger, but the ball rebounded straight to Novak who placed it into the bottom corner.

The Hatters’ lead was restored in the 26th minute when Lee rounded off another move that began deep inside Luton territory in fine style.

Bradley intercepted the ball and fed Mpanzu close to halfway. The midfielder spread the ball to his right, where Grant took over and carried it towards the Scunthorpe area, twisting and turning, and having the nous, when his path was blocked, to turn and roll it to Lee on the right angle.

The striker took a couple of touches inside and unleashed a beautiful curling effort, the like of which we normally see from him cutting in on the other side of the box, that beat a fully stretched Alnwick comfortably into the far corner of the net.

Collins looked to extend the advantage in the 34th minute when he won the ball himself by the right corner flag, closing down Burgess’ clearance, before chopping back on the same man when he reached the byline, but his low drive only found the side-netting.

There was a let-off seconds later when Novak shot on the turn after wriggling clear of Bradley, but his effort flashed across the face of goal with Morris sliding in at the far post, thankfully a fraction too late.

Town were playing some excellent football and Collins had another good chance on 36 minutes – Stacey crossing from the right and finding Collins, whose header was firm, but straight at Alnwick.

Scunthorpe went close six minutes after half-time when Jordan Clarke’s header from a left-wing Morris free-kick drifted inches wide, then Shea had to deal with Humphrys’ 25-yard shot that dipped wickedly after a deflection off Rea.

Funso Ojo was next to have a go for the Iron, who were enjoying a good spell after the break, but it was Collins who would go close again for the Hatters on 64 minutes, taking a chipped pass from Rea in his stride before shooting right-footed across Alnwick, whose strong right hand kept it out.

Scunthorpe had the ball in the Hatters’ net on 68 minutes when Lund headed a Colclough cross down for Novak to nod in from close range, but the offside flag was already raised and it counted for nothing.

The Tow were soon on the front foot again in the 69th minute, when Mpanzu and Justin combined on the left to tee up Collins, but Alnwick pulled off another good save at his near post.

Two minutes later Mpanzu skipped past Lund in the centre circle before releasing Justin with a brilliant pass inside right-back Clarke, who brought the flying substitute down on the edge of the box to pick up a yellow card. Grant couldn’t punish them further as his free-kick sailed high into the Kenny End.

Mpanzu was right at the heart of the next flowing move down the Town right, presenting Cornick with a good opportunity to double his tally for the afternoon.

Pelly started it by tracking back to nick the ball off Borthwick-Jackson almost on his own goal-line, then Stacey, Pearson, Collins, Rea, Justin and Grant all couriered the ball, with some wonderful play, to Cornick inside the Iron area.

The ex-Bournemouth man chopped back onto his left foot, but his low shot was deflected behind for a corner, from which Pearson saw his header blocked.

Three minutes later, Pearson – who was performing like a man mountain at the heart of the Town defence – won the ball in own box and fed Justin, who played a beautiful curling ball down the right just out of reach of the sliding defender.

Cornick was in again, but instead of pulling the trigger with his right, he cut back once again on his left foot and allowed Ojo the chance to slide in and nick it off his toe.

You can’t keep a prospect like Cornick down though, and he was soon flying down the right again, this time choosing to stand up a cross for Justin that Scunthorpe managed to turn behind. From the resulting corner, Grant picked out Rea at the near post, but the skipper’s header was off target.

The killer third wasn’t long in coming however, with the Hatters again carving Scunthorpe open down the right in the 86th minute – Stacey playing a crisp one-two with Rea to get to the byline and cutting the ball back for Justin to steer home from inside the six-yard box.

It should have been four a couple of minutes later when Bradley nicked the ball halfway inside the Town half, Grant found Cornick who slipped in Stacey on the over-lap, but Alnwick produced another excellent save from the right-back’s angled shot, with Collins unable to keep the rebound down.

Scunthorpe grabbed a goal back just over a minute into injury time when Humphrys flicked a Clarke cross beyond Shea, then Colclough looked to pull the trigger moments later, but captain Alan Sheehan – on as an 88th-minute sub for Potts – got in a crucial block on the edge of the box.

A long wait for referee Kevin Johnson to finally blow his whistle followed, but eventually it came and the Hatters fans could give the manager an ovation he and his team deserved after victory number 74 from those 150 matches helped cement his position as the Town boss with the highest league points per game ratio of all-time - 1.76 points per game.

It’s just one defeat in the last nine league games now as the Hatters head to Barnsley for the live TV game next Saturday with momentum well and truly starting to mount.

TOWN: Shea, Stacey, Pearson, Bradley, Potts (Sheehan 88), Rea (c), Mpanzu, Grant, Lee (Justin 43), Collins, Cornick. Subs: McCormack, Shinnie, LuaLua, Jarvis, Isted (GK).

Goals: Cornick 10, Lee 26, Justin 86

SCUNTHORPE: Alnwick, Clarke, Borthwick-Jackson, Ojo, Lund, Humphrys, Morris, Novak (Thomas 80), Burgess, McArdle (c), Colclough. Subs: Dales, Perch, Lewis, Goode, Flatt (GK), Butroid

Goals: Novak 17, Humphrys 90+2

Yellows: Clarke, Borthwick-Jackson

REFEREE: Kevin Johnson

ATT: 8,682 (432 away)

NATHAN JONES DELIGHTED WITH WIN AGAINST SCUNTHORPE IN 150TH GAME AS HATTERS BOSS

Town boss Nathan Jones was delighted to see his side defeat Scunthorpe United 3-2 this afternoon in his 150th game in charge of the Hatters.

Harry Cornick grabbed the opener when he squeezed an effort past Jak Alnwick after ten minutes, before the visitors equalised seven minutes later through Lee Novak.

Town retook the lead shortly after when Elliot Lee curled in a wonderful strike from the edge of the box, with James Justin extending the lead late on with his first of the season.

It was a slightly nervy ending after Stephen Humphrys found the back of the net with two minutes of added time still to play, but the Hatters held on to secure their second successive League One win.

The result lifts the Town into eighth, two points off the play-off places, with 19 points after 12 games.

Jones said: "I am delighted, I would have taken any kind of win really before the game. It's all about winning games. I thought it was a good game as well to be honest with you.

"Fair play to them, they came here, they played, they were positive and I think we scored at good times. I think it was a relatively even game possession wise, but on the balance of the chances – without being disrespectful to anyone – we could have scored five today easily.

"With the amount of clear, clear, clear opportunities we had, it should have been a lot more. So barring that, we were 3-1 up and should have seen it out, then they score really late and obviously with the opportunities we had it should have been far more comfortable.

"I am delighted, my 150th game, what a way to celebrate and I got a brilliant ovation, so I am very proud and I am very pleased today.

"It's a brilliant result for us, it shows that we're at a good level and I am very proud. To leapfrog them is a bit of a statement to say that we're not just here to make up the numbers and we showed that today."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTQOoQnm3mU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0aCvF0VjFE

Hatters make it back-to-back wins with Iron victory

League One: Luton Town 3 Scunthorpe United 2 Luton boss Nathan Jones celebrated his 150th game in charge of the club with a hugely entertaining 3-2 win over Scunthorpe this afternoon.

In the first competitive meeting since the Hatters had famously beaten their opponents in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy final, coincidentally by the same scoreline, the Town chief made one change, Jorge Grant in for Andrew Shinnie.

Unlike recent games where Luton have conceded first, this time they led with their real attack on 10 minutes, as Matty Pearson's ball down the wing saw Harry Cornick spring the offside trap.

With the visiting defence appealing in vain for a flag, Cornick burst away and despite taking a heavy touch, somehow slid at full stretch to divert his effort through Jak Alnwick and in for his second goal in as many home games.

Scoring first has meant the Hatters win under Jones, simple as that, but this time they were hauled back within seven minutes, the out of position home defence now looking for a linesman's flag.

It never came though, leaving Josh Morris completely clear as although James Shea saved well, the rebound fell perfectly for Lee Novak, who just had enough on his shot to beat the covering Sonny Bradley on the line.

A seesaw first period then saw Town back ahead on 26 minutes though with a lovely team move starting with Bradley finding Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu.

He set Grant away, the midfielder running from half way and when he couldn't find a shooting chance, found Lee, who quickly shifted it on to his left foot and hammered an cracking effort beyond Alniwk and into the far corner.

Hatters were sniffing a third and almost got it when James Collins did superbly to beat Rory McArdle on the byline, but with the angle against him, went for goal with Lee well placed, firing into the side-netting.

It was soon United's turn to threaten, Morris just unable to divert Novak's cross shot into the net However, Luton came close on 35 minutes when Stacey sent a lovely cross over from the right, Collins' header parried away by Alnwick.

The hosts were dealt a blow just minutes before half time, as Lee's afternoon was ended, the striker going off holding his hamstring, James Justin coming on.

After the break, Stephen Humphrys' deflected 20-yarder forced Shea into an uncomfortable stop by his line, while Funso Ojo shot over.

With just over an hour gone, Glen Rea cleverly picked out the run of Collins from inside his own half, Town's in-form striker controlling well, seeing a low shot repelled by Alnwick.

With the visitors beginning to dominate possession, they thought they had restored parity on 67 minutes, when Matthew Lund headed Ryan Colclough's ball across goal for Novak to score with a stooping header, only for the linesman to come to Town's rescue, ruling the strike out.

Luton then produced a truly wonderful move from their own corner flag with Mpanzu winning the ball back, and Town going through almost the whole team as Grant fed in Cornick, who cut back on his left and the shot was blocked.

Cornick should have virtually sealed victory, sent racing clear by Justin's perfectly executed pass, but despite Jones' instructions about shooting across the keeper surely ringing in his ears, opted to go back on his left once more, running into the back-tracking Ojo.

Hatters did looked they had wrapped the points up though with five minutes to go, another incisive team move seeing Rea put Stacey through, his low cross gleefully slammed into the net by Justin.

It should have been 4-1 immediately, Cornick releasing Stacey whose low effort was saved by Alnwick, Collins volleying the rebound into the stands.

Luton were almost made to pay as in stoppage time, Humphrys got in front of Shea to net and lead to a nervy finale, centre back Pearson coming to the fore with a number of vital clearances.

They were almost undone at the death as they had been against Charlton last week though, the defence parting, only for substitute Alan Sheehan to get a crucial block on Morris, with Cameron Burgess getting the rebound all wrong, as Iron boss Stuart McCall was beaten for the first time since taking charge back in August.

Hatters: James Shea, Jack Stacey, Matty Pearson, Sonny Bradley, Dan Potts (Alan Sheehan 88), Glen Rea (C), Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Jorge Grant, Elliot Lee (James Justin 43), Harry Cornick, James Collins.

Subs not used: Harry Isted, Aaron Jarvis, Alan McCormack, Andrew Shinnie, Kazenga LuaLua.

United: Jak Alnwick, Jordan Clarke, Cameron Borthwick-Jackson, Funso Ojo, Matthew Lund, Stephen Humphreys, Josh Morris, Lee Novak (George Thomas 80), Cameron Burgess, Rory McArdle (C), Ryan Colclough.

Subs not used: Andy Dales, James Perch, Clayton Lewis, Charlie Goode, Jon Flatt, Lewis Butroid.

Booked: Clarke 70, Borthwick-Jackson 78.

Referee: Kevin Johnson.

Attendance: 8,682 (432 United).

Jones overjoy****ed to mark milestone with a win

Hatters boss Nathan Jones was thrilled to mark his 150th game in charge of the club with a victory, beating Scunthorpe United 3-2 this afternoon.

Goals from Harry Cornick, Elliot Lee and James Justin saw Luton triumph as Jones said: “I'm delighted to have won, to lead this club, it's a great club for 150 games, and to get a win on that milestone is very good.

“I thought it was a good game, fair play to them, they're a good footballing side.

“It was even in terms of possession, but we had so many chances, it would have been a travesty if they had nicked one at the end.

“I think 3-2 flattered them very much, as it could have had five or six, and to be able to do that to a perennial play-off contender in League One, is very, very good and very pleasing for us.

“I'm disappointed we conceded late on, because it made it a little bit more hairy than it should have been, but it would have been a travesty if we didn't get anything other than three points.

“We had real cutting edge, especially on the counter, we had pace, we had energy, and a little bit more composure in the final third and that would have been over a long time ago.”

Although the Iron had a spell of dominance in the second period, Jones was impressed with the way Luton kept their opponents down to very little in terms of actual chances, adding: “They showed real good character, and we’ve had more situations in and around the box.

“They had a bit of play, they caused us a few problems centrally, without penetrating us, but they’re a good side and they’re going to do that.

“They’ve got good players, got a big budget, so they can afford those good players, so we knew that.

“We can’t get too down about that as we know sometimes we’re going to have to defend well and I thought we did that.

“Any win’s a good one, but a home win, with five goals and on your 150th game is wonderful.”