Luton Town FC vs Stoke City (4th Feb 2023)

Report | Luton Town 1-0 Stoke City

Luton Town made it six wins from seven matches in the Sky Bet Championship with a 1-0 victory over Stoke City this afternoon.

Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu's first goal of the season, a trademark shot from outside the box, proved the difference between the sides as Town reinforced their position in the play-off places, remaining fourth with Middlesbrough beating Blackpool.

Manager Rob Edwards made one change to the side that beat Cardiff 1-0 in midweek to move into the top six, with Allan Campbell coming in to midfield and replacing Cauley Woodrow, who was amongst the substitutes.

Cody Drameh started for the second match in succession, whilst fellow January arrivals Marvelous Nakamba and Joe Taylor are on the bench.

James Shea is in the matchday squad for the first time since Cardiff in April year, with Jack Walton missing out after picking up an injury in training.

The Hatters made a dream start when Mpanzu picked up a lay-off from Elijah Adebayo in the middle of the Stoke half before driving forward and unleashing a 25-yarder with his right-foot that beat Matija Sarkic into the bottom corner.

It might have been two on 11 minutes when Alfie Doughty delivered a deep corner from the right that Tom Lockyer hit first time on the volley, but City midfielder Lewis Baker slid in to clear the danger in his own six-yard box with Sarkic at full stretch.

The visitors survived a shout for a penalty when Jordan Clark appeared to be pulled back by Josh Tymon as he made his way into the box by the right byline, but in the 22nd minute they sounded their first warning shot, Baker curling just wide of Horvath's post after Dujon Sterling had tricked his way past Doughty to cross from the right.

Town top scorer Carlton Morris fired inches over on 27 minutes after picking himself up from a heavy challenge 25 yards out, before Drameh had to stand tall to head a dangerous looking free-kick whipped in by Baker.

The Hatters continued to pose more of a threat, and with ten minutes to go the break Amari'i Bell let fly with a 35-yard pildriver that Sarkic did well to hold under his crossbar, although the visitors' keeper dropped a high free-kick from Clark under pressure from Adebayo, but the Town striker couldn't get his shot on the turn past the Montenegro international.

Drameh became the first player into referee Dean Whitestone's book for a late challenge on Tymon, who after a lengthy period of treatment was carried off on a stretcher to applause from all sides of Kenilworth Road, being replaced by Ki-Jana Hoever.

The opening period of the second half was end-to-end, without either side really creatng a clear-cut chance, although Adebayo's pressing in the box almost forced Sarkic into a mistake when charging down the goalkeeper, the ball missing the goal and flying behind for a goal kick.

Stoke had the ball in the net on the hour when a Tom Lockyer clearance flew high in the air, and although Ben Wilmot's header flew in, ref Whitestone had already blown for a foul by Josh Laurent on Horvath as the Town keeper looked to come to claim the ball.

Edwards made his first changes straight afterwards, with Nakamba and Onyedinma - so impressive down the right when he came on for his return from injury against Cardiff in midweek - on in place of Campbell and Drameh.

With 20 minutes to go, it was Woodrow's turn to enter the fray for Morris, who had worked tirelessly up front with Adebayo, but Stoke were starting to look dangerous, Bersant Celina clipping a ball over the top for substitute Tyrese Campbell to volley over.

Clark was soon picking the Stoke midfield's pocket and setting Adebayo running into the box, but former England international Phil Jagielka got back to smother the ball behind before the Town man could get his shot off.

Woodrow found space on the right to cross low for Clark to steer a shot on goal, but straight at Sarkic with just over ten minutes remaining. Then, in the 81st minute, the former Fulham and Barnsley man met Doughty's left-wing free-kick with a glancing header that travelled past the far post.

The victory made it back-to-back home wins for the first time this season, as Luton remain fourth in the Sky Bet Championship.

Attention now turns to the Emirates FA Cup, where Edwards' side have the opportunity to make it into the Fifth Round where a tie against Southampton awaits.

Goals: Mpanzu (6)

Att: 10,031 (1,021 away)

Reaction | Rob Edwards on victory against Stoke City!

Manager Rob Edwards praised his team for their efforts during a ‘fantastic week’ as they secured back-to-back home wins against Stoke City this afternoon.

Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu scored his first goal of the season inside the first ten minutes from range and the Hatters remained resolute to see out a sixth victory out of the last seven matches.

Assessing today’s performance, Edwards said: “It’s down to the players, I was trying to make that point when I was out there pointing to the players. It’s brilliant, we have a great rapport, real connection with the supporters and the lads, the ones that are going out over that white line and doing it are working incredibly hard for each other and I thought today we deserved it.

"I thought we started really well," the managed continued. "We were aggressive and on the front foot, the goal showed that. Alfie won the header, we won the second ball and Pelly latched onto it and scored a really good goal.

"That set us up well but we couldn’t quite get the second goal. I didn’t feel too troubled even at one-nil today, always got to be careful and respectful because we know they have some good players who can have some good moments.

"There was a couple of hairy moments when the ball came in the box from set pieces but I didn’t feel under too much threat and I thought we managed the game pretty well.

"It has been a difficult week, a busy week and it doesn’t stop there. We have to go again on Tuesday."

Maintaining fourth position with another a sixth win in seven league matches, Edwards was asked whether, with Town the only club in the current top six never to have played Premier League football, coming up against clubs with bigger budgets and bigger grounds, the spirit of the underdog is living on at Luton?

"I’m not buying that underdog stuff anymore," was the manager's reply. "I don’t like it and our players don’t like it because we have really good players here, that are capable of playing at a very, very good level and they’re showing that now.

"So I want to knock that away at the moment. I get it, and I know from the outside and everything else at the moment, but there are big plans at the club to keep progressing and moving forward, but I have got to stress it, I believe in these players, these lads are top players and they’re showing it."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUPupE06L48 – Rob Edwards interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHDP1ljaXyQ – full time scenes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6cl4Z2HNpo – match highlights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWLq_G8Ij0w – Cody Drameh interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zj4xR3kuS4s – Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu goal – from every angle

Mpanzu's early goal sees Luton finally end Stoke hoodoo at Kenilworth Road

Championship: Luton Town 1 Stoke City 0

Town midfielder Pelly-Ruddock scored his first goal since August 2021 as Luton secured back to back home league wins for the first time in almost 12 months by beating Stoke City this afternoon.

To make matters even better, it was the first time Luton had defeated the Potters on home soil since 2000, as they ended a seven-game sequence without victory.

Making just one change from the 1-0 win over Cardiff on Tuesday night, with Allan Campbell replacing Cauley Woodrow, Town's two deadline day signings, Marvelous Nakamba and Joe Taylor were on the bench, alongside the fit-again James Shea.

The hosts got off to the best start possible, as with six minutes gone, Elijah Adebayo went down in the hope of winning a foul, only for Mpanzu to pick the ball up, and with referee Dean Whitstone playing on, broke clear.

When he reached 22 yards from goal, the long-serving midfielder decided to have a go and picked out the bottom corner with unerring accuracy, to score his first since the 3-2 defeat at West Bromwich Albion last season.

Centre half Tom Lockyer went close when reaching Alfie Doughty's inswinging corner, before Jordan Clark looked to have won a penalty after somehow wriggling out of a tight space on the byline and going over inside the box, only for Whitestone to this time give nothing.

After offering little in the opening 20 minutes, Stoke opted to have a crack from range, Lewis Baker's curling attempt narrowly missing the target. Whitestone allowed play to carry on to good effect once more just before the half hour mark, Carlton Morris getting free to slam his rising shot over the top.

Efforts from outside the box were the order of the day, Bell all alone some 35 yards from goal and unleashed a thunderbolt that Marija Sarkic had to collect high to his left.

Josh Laurent then tried to replicate the Town defender's feat, but failed, miserably so, as the visitors were hit by a serious looking injury to Josh Tymon just before the break, the defender eventually stretchered off.

After the interval, Luton couldn't regain the control they had on proceedings as Stoke sensed a leveller.

They thought they had it on the hour mark when a rash clearance into the Bedfordshire sky was nodded home by Ben Wilmot, but a foul was spotted on Ethan Horvath and the goal chalked off.

Boss Rob Edwards responded by bringing on Nakamba for his debut, Fred Onyedinma joining him in another cameo, as still Stoke's main efforts still came from a fair way away, Baker taking a potshot which took a nick, Horvath watching it all the way into his gloves.

With 15 to go, and Bersant Celina beginning to pull the strings in midfield, the former Man City youngster dinked over a clever pass to the recently introduced Tyrese Campbell, who could only volley into the Stoke fans.

Luton had easily their best chance of the half on 80 minutes, when Reece Burke found Woodrow on the right and he picked out Clark who could only shoot straight at Sarkic from a good position.

Woodrow then couldn't get enough on Alfie Doughty's free kick as it flashed inches wide of the post, before Mpanzu sensed another, his thunderbolt not too far away from the top corner.

Bar one miscommunication between Burke and Horvath, Luton were able to see out stoppage time with relatively few scares, as they sealed a third home win from four under Edwards, further cementing themselves in the play-off places.

Hatters: Ethan Horvath, Cody Drameh (Fred Onyedinma 62),Reece Burke, Tom Lockyer (C), Amari'i Bell, Alfie Doughty,Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Jordan Clark, Allan Campbell (Marvelous Nakamba62) Elijah Adebayo, Carlton Morris (Cauley Woodrow 70).

Subs not used: James Shea, Gabe Osho, Cauley Woodrow, Luke Berry, Marvelous Nakamba, Joe Taylor.

Potters: Matija Sarkic, Morgan Fox, Phil Jagielka, Lewis Baker (C Will Smallbone 70), Jacob Brown, Dwight Gayle (Tyrese Campbell 70), Josh Tymon (Ki-Jana Hoever 46), Ben Wilmot, DujonSterling, Bersant Celina (Jordan Thompson 82), Josh Laurent.

Subs not used: Jack Bonham, Lewis Macari, Emre Tezgel.

Bookings: Tymon 38, Drameh 43, Thompson 90, Smallbone 90, Woodrow 90.

Referee: Dean Whitetone.

Attendance: 10,031 (1,021 Potters).

Edwards insists Luton feels like 'our team' now as Hatters see off Potters to stay fourth

Town remain in play-off places as Stoke City are defeated

Luton boss Rob Edwards declared the Hatters is ’our team’ now after Town’s management team continued their magnificent start to life at Kenilworth by making it six wins from seven Championship clashes by beating Stoke City 1-0 yesterday.

Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu’s first goal of the season saw the hosts make it back-to back home victories for the first time this term and remain fourth in the table, now five points above seventh placed Millwall.

When Edwards took over back in November after Nathan Jones had opted to join Premier League Southampton, the club were 10th in the table, one point behind the top six and six off Watford in third.

When Edwards took over back in November after Nathan Jones had opted to join Premier League Southampton, the club were 10th in the table, one point behind the top six and six off Watford in third.

"We’ve got some fantastic players and they’re the ones that go over the line and run and win the games, currently winning games.

"I’m so lucky with a brilliant group of staff as well, so we’ve been able to come in and hopefully make it seamless and keep going the things that the lads are good at.

“I feel like it’s our team now, I do, I recognise all the hard work that’s gone on before, but I feel that.

"I think the lads are with us, onside, we’ve got a really good connection with the fans as well so at the moment the whole club is really together and in a good place.”

No more underdog tag for Luton as bold Edwards talks up Hatters' play-off ambition

Town chief sets sights firmly on the top six

Luton boss Rob Edwards doesn’t want to hear any more talk of his side being deemed as plucky underdogs in the race for the Championship play-offs this season.

The Hatters’ sixth win from seven Championship outings since the former Forest Green boss took over saw Town sitting fourth in the table, as they are involved in a battle for the top six for the second year running with a whole host of clubs who have plied their trade in the Premier League recently.

Although some might view Luton as outsiders due their budget being dwarfed by the majority of the teams they are competing with, Edwards doesn’t want it to enter into the discussion from this point onwards, as he said: “I’m not buying that underdog stuff anymore.

“I don’t like it, our players don’t like it, as we’ve got really good players here that are capable of playing at a very, very good level and they’re showing that now.

“So I want to sort of knock that away at the moment.

"I get it, I know from the outside, but there’s big plans at the moment for the club to keep progressing and moving forward.

“But I’ve got to stress here, I believe in these players, these lads are top players and they’re showing it.”

With 29 games completed, Luton find themselves with a five point cushion over Millwall in seventh now, and Edwards urged fans to get excited about finishing above the dotted line once more.

He added: “We know how difficult the challenge is going to be, but we want to be in the mix come those last five games or so.

“We’ve given ourselves a great opportunity there, we all feel it, the supporters feel it as well and I want people to talk about that.

"I don’t care, I'm not shy about saying it. Why not?

"Let’s aim for it and have a good go and if we don't then we back each other and try to have a go next year.

“But we’re in a great position at the moment.

"Let's enjoy the ride, stay humble as we know what gets us a win, working hard, fighting, staying together, doing the basics well and then we know we’ve got a bit of quality at any time, any moment in a game, where we can win it.

“So let’s realise why we're in the position we're in at the moment, not get carried away but enjoy it as well.”