Luton Town FC vs Stoke City (29th Feb 2020)

LUTON TOWN 1-1 STOKE CITY

Collins scores 11th of the season from the spot to earn Town a point

The Hatters scored a 90th minute equaliser to rescue a point against Stoke City at Kenilworth Road this afternoon.

James Collins’ penalty cancelled out Sam Vokes’ early strike and set up a grandstand finish, but neither side could find an elusive winner.

Town were limited to just a handful of chances throughout the match but seized their moment in the latter stages and now sit five points from safety.

Graeme Jones made one change to the starting line-up from the midweek victory against Brentford, with Izzy Brown replacing Luke Berry, who was absent through a slight niggle to his thigh.

Despite dominating possession in the early stages, Town fell behind in the 9th minute as Vokes turned in from close range. Joe Allen found space inside the box, cut the ball back to Tommy Smith, who’s delivery was met by the Welsh international first time.

Stoke were searching for a quick second as Ince found himself through on goal five minutes later, but Simon Sluga was able to deny him with an outstretched leg.

The Hatters continued to see plenty of the ball and almost orchestrated the perfect move. Glen Rea switched the ball out wide to Martin Cranie, who took a touch before crossing for Collins, whose acrobatic effort fell kindly towards Harry Cornick, but his header was tame and saved with ease by Jack Butland.

Barring an early chance for Ince in the second half, chances were few and far between for both sides until the 70th minute when the Hatters had the ball in the back of the net, though celebrations were quickly ended.

Substitute George Moncur had a shot from the edge of the box which Butland parried into the path of Cornick, who fired his effort into the roof of the net before the linesman put his flag up.

The game seemed to be petering out until the last minute of normal time, when Luke Bolton burst down the right-hand-side and picked out fellow substitute Callum McManaman, who was brought down in the box and referee Andy Woolmer pointed to the spot.

Collins took responsibility and sent Butland the wrong way. Five additional minutes were played at the end of the game but the Hatters couldn’t find the winner they were searching for.

Town travel to Wigan Athletic next Saturday in search of a third away win this season, whilst Stoke face Hull City.

TOWN: Sluga, Cranie, Pearson, Carter-Vickers, Potts (McManaman 73), Tunnicliffe, Rea (Moncur 58), Mpanzu, Brown (Bolton 66), Cornick, Collins (C)

Substitutes: Stech, Hylton, Shinnie, Bree

Goals: Collins (90)

Yellows: Potts

STOKE: Butland, Smith, Batth, Chester, Martins-Indi, Ince (Collins 85), Allen (C), Cousins, Clucas, Powell (Thompson 75), Vokes (Gregory 73).

Substitutes: Davies, Lindsay, Oakley-Boothe, Campbell

Goals: Vokes (9)

Yellows: Clucas

Referee: Andy Woolmer

Attendance: 10,070 (1,040 away fans)

GRAEME JONES ON THE DRAW WITH STOKE CITY

Hatters boss Graeme Jones felt his side were ‘treading in quicksand’ for large parts of today’s 1-1 draw with Stoke City, but praised the character of his side as they got a late equaliser.

Having gone 1-0 up through Sam Vokes’ tap-in early on, Stoke defended resolutely throughout the encounter, restricting the Hatters to half-chances before James Collins scored from the penalty spot in the last minute to grab a point, after Callum McManaman had been upended.

Jones said: “Yes it did [look like it was going to be one of those days], but we never gave in, not with these lads and Stoke are a very experienced Championship side. You look at their group of players and their ages and their 11 men on the pitch, who have got a lot of knowhow, with international experience – I can go through their team if you need me to. So they should be able to control certain moments.

“We were treading in quicksand for large parts of the game, I think Tuesday night really took its toll physically, I didn’t see the spark we had physically – but in those situations, the key for us is to get something out of it.

“I was speaking to the boys before Christmas about us needing to accumulate points and that’s what we have done today. We have managed to nick a point that might be enough at the end of the season.”

Collins showed a cool head to fire in from the spot, sending Jack Butland the wrong way, finding the bottom right corner.

The gaffer continued: “Especially after missing his last penalty here against Sheffield Wednesday. 90th minute, you’ve got to have experienced big moments to keep your cool in those minutes, in those situations. The courage of the lad, I don’t think anybody at this football club doubts it – he was ice cool.”

With the Town struggling to break down their opponents, Luke Bolton was introduced and his ball into the box led to the Hatters winning the penalty.

“With the greatest respect to Martin Cranie, he is a fantastic player, but one-v-ones are not really his strength and I have seen a lot of players funnelled out wide and then it went to Martin and we had to come back.

“I made the substitution because I wanted Luke’s one-v-one quality, because it was just bottlenecking. In the end, he was the one who got the one-v-one, the half-a-yard, he crosses the ball in the box and we get a penalty from it.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KEpABcDvMM – Graeme Jones interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYzGh58YSEE – match highlights

Collins on the spot to rescue a point for Luton against Stoke

Championship: Luton Town 1 Stoke City 1

Striker James Collins netted a stoppage time penalty as the Hatters picked up what could be a crucial point in their battle to stay up this term, drawing 1-1 against fellow relegation rivals Stoke City.

It had looked like the hosts were going to suffer a morale-sapping defeat going into the final minute before Callum McManaman went over inside the area from a challenge by James Chester and Collins held his nerve to salvage a draw.

Hatters boss Graeme Jones had made one change to his side from the 2-1 win over Brentford on Tuesday night, as the fit-again Izzy Brown replaced the injured Luke Berry.

After three wins in four and the superb midweek victory, hopes were high going into the contest, with renewed optimism sweeping around Kenilworth Road about Town's chances of staying in the Championship.

However, opponents Stoke showed all of their vast reserves of experience, taking the sting out of the contest from the first whistle, as despite having an extra day's recovery the Hatters just looked flat from the kick-off, devoid of any real energy.

They paid the price on nine minutes when a poor clearance was seized upon by Sam Vokes.

His thumping volley blasted against Cameron Carter-Vickers, the rebound falling to Joe Allen and with Dan Potts out of position, the midfielder found Tommy Smith whose low cross-shot was turned in by Vokes.

Keeper Simon Sluga ensured Town stayed afloat, as the hosts lost Tom Ince, and his first time drive was brilliantly diverted over by the Croatian's outstretched leg.

With the home crowd baying for the kind of all-action display they had witnessed against Brentford, they were then forced to witness anything but, as Town produced a far more cautious approach than the occasion warranted.

They did have a moment of threat on 20 minutes, Glen Rea finally spreading play wide to the advancing Martin Cranie.

His cross was met by an acrobatic Collins volley across goal and Harry Cornick reacted quickest only to put his header too close to Jack Butland.

Time and time again the hosts were caught in possession, turning down the opportunity to pass forward, often happy just to keep the ball inside their half, as City, with Joe Allen runing the midfield, defended their area with absolute ease.

Brown then took Dan Potts' pass in his path and could only curl wastefully over the bar, while Collins couldn't connect with a header from close range after a free kick bounced invitingly for him.

The early signs of the second period showed little had changed in terms of intensity from the hosts.

In fact they might have been 2-0 down when Brown's crossfield pass was cut out, Ince escaping the offside trap, only to slip when shooting as Sluga gathered easily.

With Town still not getting out of first or second gear, Jones brought on George Moncur to try and at least drag his side into enemy territory, the substitute's first action sending a shot off target.

Luton thought they were level on 70 minutes though as another Moncur attempt was parried by Butland with Cornick slotting home the rebound, but the attacker was flagged offside.

Potts had to limp off after injuring his hamstring in a rare burst forward, with Callum McManaman on for the final 18 minutes, following Luke Bolton on to the pitch.

Nick Powell blazed an opportunity wide from the edge of the box as City appeared to have expertly managed the game in the closing stages, keeping their opponents hemmed in.

However, with Town swapping to three at the back and pushing Bolton wide, he eventually got to the byline and pulled the ball back for McManaman to go over for the spotkick, Collins gleefully tucking home.

Five minutes were added, but the Hatters couldn't ever really threaten a last-gasp winner, as they now trail Stoke, and safety, by five points with 10 games to go.

Hatters: Simon Sluga, Martin Cranie, Dan Potts (Callum McMabaman 73), Matty Pearson, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Glen Rea (George Moncur 58), Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Ryan Tunnicliffe, Izzy Brown (Luke Bolton 65), Harry Cornick, James Collins (C).

Subs not used: Marek Stech, Andrew Shinnie, James Bree, Danny Hylton.

Potters: Jack Butland, Joe Allen ©, Danny Batth, Tom Ince (Nathan Collins 83), Sam Vokes (Lee Gregory 72), James Chester, Tommy Smith, Bruno Martins Indi, Sam Clucas, Jordan Cousins. Nick Powell (Jordan Thompson 75).

Subs not used: Liam Lindsay, Adam Davies, Tashan Oakley-Boothe, Tyrese Campbell.

Booked: Potts 63, Clucas 89.

Referee: Andy Woolmer.

Attendance: 10,070 (1,040 City).

Jones: It looked like we were treading in quicksand at times

Town manager thrilled to rescue a point late on against Stoke

Hatters boss Graeme Jones felt his side looked as though they were 'treading in quicksand' at times during their 1-1 draw with Stoke City this afternoon.

Up against one of their relegation rivals, and playing their third game in seven days, Town could never come close to repeating the kind of display that saw Brentford dispatched 2-1 on Tuesday night, falling behind to Sam Vokes’ ninth minute opener.

Despite looking lethargic and jaded for large periods, they managed to rescue a point through James Collins’ stoppage time penalty, as Jones said: “I never give in, ever, not with these lads, and they’re (Stoke) a very, very experienced Championship side.

“You have a look at their group of players and their ages.

"There's 11 men on the pitch for them who've got a lot of know-how, a lot of international experience.

"I can go through their team, so they should be able to control certain moments.

“We were treading in quicksand for large parts of the game, Tuesday night really took its toll on us physically.

“I didn't see the spark we had then, but in those situations the key for us is to get something out of it.

"I've been speaking to the boys before Christmas about we need to accumulate points and that’s what we've done today.

"We've managed to nick a point and that might be enough at the end of the season."

Jones only made one change for the game, bringing in Chelsea loanee Izzy Brown for Luke Berry, but admitted he would have altered more if the personnel was available.

He continued: “I didn't have the situation where I could rotate as much as I wanted.

“Izzy Brown was half fit, Izzy trained two minor sessions.

"Luke Berry felt his thigh in the last bit of training yesterday, I didn’t have Sonny (Bradley) available, didn't have Kaz (Kazenga LuaLua) available.

"So unlike the previous three three game week it was very, very difficult to freshen it up and going forward you need that.”

However, Jones did defend his side when asked if they had lacked urgency during the encounter, adding: "Urgency is the wrong word, as these boys have got urgency, they know the severity of everything, every action.

“Sometimes as a footballer you just can't pick your legs up and today was one of those days where I think that rotation was needed.

“I asked the lads to go again, we've managed to get something out of the game, so I’m delighted.”