Luton Town FC vs Sheffield United (10th Feb 2024)

Disappointing Town cut down by Blades

The Town were brought back down to earth following their recent run of good form as bottom-of-the-table Sheffield United earned all three points at Kenilworth Road.

The Blades, without an away win all season, were 2-0 to the good at half-time as two goals in six minutes had Chris Wilder’s men in command.

Cameron Archer fired the visitors in front on the half-hour and six minutes later the lead was doubled when James McAtee converted from the spot after the officials had spotted a handball from Reece Burke.

The Town had a lifeline seven minutes after the restart when Carlton Morris converted a penalty following another handball to half the deficit.

But despite pushing for an equaliser the Blades restored their two-goal cushion when Vini Souza finished well past Thomas Kaminski.

Two goals behind, the Town rallied but couldn’t find a way through a determined defence and the points were heading up the M1.

Town: Kaminski; Ogbene, Doughty (sub Berry 87), Burke (sub Townsend 68), Osho, Bell; Lokonga, Barkley; Clark (sub Chong 53), Morris (sub Woodrow 87), Adebayo.

Subs not used: Krul, Berry, Woodrow, Kaboré, Chong, Mengi, Mpanzu, Brown, Townsend.

Referee: Christopher Kavanagh

Attendance: 11,138, including 1,350 from Sheffield United.

A bad day at the office - Rob

Town boss Rob Edwards was left to reflect on a difficult afternoon as Sheffield United took all three points.

"It was a tough day," he said. "It is disappointing to lose the game of course. They defended the box very well, we made a couple of errors and got punished. We were not our usual selves in terms of being snappy and creating chances.

"At the end it came down to two mistakes. There were a couple of moments in the game we huffed and puffed. The players gave everything. Once Sheffield United were very low and defending that lead they were difficult to break down.

"This is the best league in the world and the toughest league in the world. Today we have had a bad day but we have had some good days. The players will pick themselves up ready to attack the week."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLo-uV63RhI – Rob Edwards post match interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CA66PZHQpfs – match highlights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdURiZ93ghA – extended match highlights

Luton's impressive run is ended in subdued fashion with disappointing defeat to Sheffield United

Premier League: Luton Town 1 Sheffield United 3

Luton's wonderful run of form ended in a hugely disappointing manner as they turned in an unusually subdued performance against bottom side Sheffield United this afternoon, falling to a first defeat of the calendar year.

Kenilworth Road had been bathed in confidence ahead of the contest, manager Rob Edwards and Elijah Adebayo both up for monthly Premier League awards, with Town on a run of three wins from six, scoring four in both of their last two games and up against a Blades who hadn't won in their last seven, and not on the road all season.

With Chris Wilder’s side having been thumped 5-0 by Aston Villa last weekend, the expectation from the majority inside the stadium was Luton would pull further clear of Everton after the Toffees' 2-0 defeat to Manchester City in the early kick-off. As we all know though, football is never as easy as that, as Luton, with Reece Burke in for Teden Mengi, should have been behind with just 28 seconds on the clock, Gustavo Hamer flicking the ball cleverly on for John McAtee who was completely unmarked in the area.

He bent his side inches wide of the post, when he really should have picked out the bottom corner, but that was to give the Hatters a warning they ultimately failed to heed. The visitors, without striking duo Ben Brereton Diaz and Oli McBurnie, were then dealt another injury blow on five minutes, former Luton loanee Rhys Norrington-Davies colliding with the advertising hoarding and immediately signalling to the bench that his afternoon had come to a premature end.

Town threatened on eight minutes, Alfie Doughty's free kick met by Gabe Osho who could only put his downward header off target, but that was as good as it got as despite conceding 59 goals so far this term, the Blades looked solid in the opening 20 minutes. The Hatters were unable to really create a clear-cut opportunity, Burke's hopeful volley taking a nick on its way behind, as United were able to successfully repel another Doughty corner, which again, was to become a frustrating theme.

The visitors somehow weren't in front on 29 minutes though when Jack Robinson's long throw saw the ball drop just eight yards out after some head tennis, Cameron Archer completely unmarked, but scuffed wide in what was a shocking miss. However the £18m summer signing didn't need to wait too long to turn from villain to hero as with the visitors breaking, Gabe Osho slipped, allowing the former Aston Villa forward to race into the box and with Amari'i Bell covering his man instead of closing him down, it gave the forward acres of time to find the bottom corner.

It went from bad to worse for Luton, as six minutes later, a corner met by Vini Souza looked to have deflected straight into the gloves of Thomas Kaminski. Play went on, before a minute later, it was stopped, referee Chris Kavanagh sent to the screen by VAR to look at the ball hitting the outstretched arm of Burke and belatedly a spot-kick was given.

James McAtee assumed the responsibility and easily sent Kaminski the wrong way from 12 yards to give the visitors a 2-0 advantage that they held going into the second half. Needing a big start if they wanted to find a way back into proceedings, Luton had just that with seven minutes gone. Again, it was in extremely fortunate circumstances, Doughty swinging a corner over that saw shouts for a spotkick, although at first glance they looked more in hope rather than expectation.

Play went on once more before Kavanagh stopped the play and went to the screen once more, spotting Adebayo’s header brush against the raised hand of Souza, who wasn’t even looking at the ball. Signalling to the spot for the second time in the game, this time it was met with a huge roar from the Luton faithful, Morris stepping up and waiting for the whistle this time, as he hadn’t at St James’ Park last weekend, confidently sent Foderingham the wrong way, pulling it back to 2-1.

Town won some corners as they looked to use the momentum with the fans believing again, but Osho could only manage to put one over the top. Buoyed by a sixth goal of the campaign, Morris tried his luck from 25 yards on 63 minutes, Foderingham able to palm behind.

The air went out of Luton's balloon though on 72 minutes, as Barkley was caught on the ball in an advanced position, and the visitors broke away, Osho looking like he had done superbly to get back and avert the danger. He too had his pocket picked though, the ball worked wide to Souza, who was involved in everything, slamming beyond Kaminski.

Town looked to reduce the deficit once more on 76 minutes, Doughty's corner headed down for Adebayo but he was unable to beat the sprawling Foderingham. With Luton running out of ideas in the closing stages, sub Andros Townsend’s curler was easy for the keeper, Tahith Cong was inches wide from outside the box the only real moment to raise heartbeats.

Although nine minutes were added, the belief had gone out of the home supporters by now, as despite witnessing their team having 75 percent possession and 20 shots, Town's run came to an end with a disappointing whimper.

Hatters: Thomas Kaminski, Chiedozie Ogbene, Reece Burke (Andros Townsend 68), Gabe Osho, Amari'i Bell, Alfie Doughty (Luke Berry 87), Ross Barkley, Sambi Lokonga, Jordan Clark (Tahith Chong 53) Elijah Adebayo, Carlton Morris (Cauley Woodrow 87). Subs not used: Tim Krul, Issa Kabore, Teden Mengi, Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu, Jacob Brown.

Blades: Wes Foderingham, Gustavo Hamer (Tom Davies 59), Cameron Archer (Rhian Brewster 81), Anel Ahmedhodzic, Jack Robinson, Jayden Bogle, Vini Souza, Ben Osborn, James McAtee (Oliver Norwood 81), Mason Holgate, Rhys Norrington-Davies (Max Lowe 5). Subs not used: Jordan Amissah, Auston Trusty, Yasser Larouci, William Osula, Andre Brooks.

Referee: Christopher Kavanagh.

Booked: Holgate 10, Hamer 26, Morris 41.

Attendance: 11,138 (1,350 Blades).

'Tough day' for Luton boss who has no idea what the handball rule is anymore

Two penalties given at Kenilworth Road this afternoon

Luton boss Rob Edwards was left bemused with just what the handball rule is anymore after seeing two penalties awarded during his side’s hugely disappointing 3-1 home defeat to Sheffield United this afternoon.

With the visitors 1-0 ahead, they were then given a spotkick on 36 minutes when Vini Souza’s close range header from a corner struck the outstretched arm of Town defender Reece Burke. Although there weren’t any appeals and the game carried on, referee Chris Kavanagh then halted the play as he was sent to the pitch-side monitor, giving the Blades the chance from 12 yards on second viewing.

It was tucked away by James McAtee, while early after the break, Kavanagh was once again going to the screen after Elijah Adebayo’s header brushed against the slightly raised arm of Souza, who wasn’t even facing the play. Despite that fact, another penalty was awarded, Carlton Morris notching a sixth of the season, but it couldn’t lead to a grandstand comeback, Souza hammering home the visitors’ third to seal the points with 18 minutes to go.

Speaking about the incidents, Edwards said: “Neither one were penalties in my opinion. I don't know what a penalty is with handball anymore. Neither player is looking at the ball, both players have got to jump and have their hands up. I don't think either one was a pen, I don’t think ours was a pen and don't think theirs was a pen.

“It’s a little bit strange, but once they had their first one, we appealed for ours because we thought we might be able to get it and we did. They check everything so it's not the ref’s fault. They get told to go and look at them and once they go and look at them, you’ve got a chance of getting them, so it’s not his fault.

“It’s a tough day for us. We made a couple of errors in the end that were really, really costly. It doesn’t matter how much of the ball you have it’s what you do with it that counts in the end and we were punished.”

Town attacker Chiedozie Ogbene was also left mystified, but knew as soon as the official was sent to the side of the pitch, what was about to happen, adding: “It’s not great as when the ref goes to the monitor you start to have doubts really. I didn’t see both occasions, I’ve seen the screen, Burkey’s penalty, I don’t know what the rules are.

"I thought they were quite close as he didn’t have much time to react, but the rules are the rules. When they go to the monitor you start to have doubts and vice versa when they go to the monitor for you, you start to believe that you’re going to get a penalty, but it is what it is.”