Luton Town FC vs Sunderland (16th May 2023)

Play-Off Semi-Final 2nd Leg Report | Luton Town 2-0 Sunderland

The Hatters booked their place at Wembley for the Sky Bet Championship play-off final on Saturday week by overturning a one-goal deficit against Sunderland at a cauldron-like Kenilworth Road.

Central defenders Gabe Osho and Tom Lockyer got the first-half goals as Rob Edwards' side came through 3-2 on aggregate in front of a passionate, proud crowd under the Kenny lights.

Rob Edwards made just one change to the whole squad, as forward Joe Taylor came onto the bench in place of Luke Freeman.

On loan goalkeeper Ethan Horvath and forward Carlton Morris were both making their 50th appearance for the club, and it was against the backdop of a wall of noise that both teams came out before kick-off.

Town were on the front foot from the off, and although Alex Pritchard fired a free-kick from distance over the bar, the Hatters had the lead by the tenth minute.

The Main Stand roar when Amari'i Bell took a throw on the left almost pushed the ball towards the Sunderland byline, and when Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu's persistence earned a corner, Clark swung it in and Osho stabbed home from close range after Tom Lockyer won the initial header.

Kenilworth Road erupted, but Sunderland responded and within three minutes Horvath produced a brilliant save to keep out a set piece that came off Elijah Adebayo's head at the near post, with the visitors' appeal for a penalty for handball against Amari'i Bell turned down as the ball ricocheted onto the upright.

The Hatters almost doubled their lead on 22 minutes when Patterson couldn't hold Alfie Doughty's left-wing cross, but Trai Hume got back to hack it off the line, only for the ball to hit Pierre Ekwah and head back towards the goal, with Luke O'Nien completing the clearance

Town were pushing relentlessly and after O'Nien had been booked for a foul on Adebayo, Clark whipped the free-kick in for Morris to head at goal, with Patterson making a good diving save before Lockyer almost netted, only for his glancing header from Adebayo's cross to drift just wide of the far post.

Drameh and Clark combined on the right to set Adebayo racing to the byline, but Morris couldn't steer his effort on target as he got across his man at the near post.

The second goal eventually came two minutes before the break when the Black Cats could only clear another corner as far as Drameh on the edge of the box. For the umpteenth time in the half, the on-loan Leeds right-back picked up the loose ball and fed it back to Doughty, who arced a beautiful cross into the box for Lockyer to head emphatically past Patterson.

Clark was presented with a glorious chance to add a third just 21 seconds into the second half, as O'Nien completely missed his kick, then Patterson attempted to pass it to Lynden Gooch on the left, but instead played it straight to the feet of the Town midfielder, who was well off target with his shot with the goal gaping.

Sunderland survived again, twice, as two Doughty corners from the right - won by some brilliant pressing by Drameh on Gooch - caused concern in the six-yard box as first Ekwah had to divert Clark's flick over his own bar, then Adebayo nodded over from close range in the centre of the goal.

The 10-goal striker then took too long to get his shot away when Morris set him free into the box on the hour, before getting his head on a Clark corner, only for Roberts to head off the line by the post.

The visitors probed, looking for an opening, and after a period of possession where the Hatters couldn't get out of their own half, Roberts cut in from the right and bent a left-footed shot over the bar with 13 minutes remaining.

Adebayo blazed over with just under ten to go after Doughty cut the ball back from another short corner routine, then Edwards made his first change, Allan Campbell on in place of the tireless Clark.

Black Cats' substitute Edouard Michut fired high and handsome as injury-time approached, then Drameh missed an open goal as he raced clear with Patterson stranded after foing up for a corner.

The Hatters had dug in and blocked, chased down every loose pass, left everything out there and deservedly secured their passage to the Arch with a phenomenal display.

Roll on Saturday May 27th!

TOWN: Horvath, Drameh, Osho, Lockyer, Bell, Doughty, Nakamba, Mpanzu, Clark (Campbell 83'), Morris, Adebayo.

Subs: Shea, Potts, Berry, Burke, Onyedinma, Taylor.

Goals: Osho 10', Lockyer 43'

BLACK CATS: Patterson, Roberts, Gooch (77'), O’Nien, Diallo, Clarke, Pritchard (Alese 57'), Neil (Ba 77'), Gelhardt (Michut 64'), Hume, Ekwah.

Subs: Bass, Lihadji, Anderson.

Att: 10,013 (1,036 away)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tqbf904TZE8 – Rob Edwards interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=er3PO75ifaQ – match highlights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTAO3b1dtHw – Gabe Osho interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1byALdz_0ec – extended highlights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPpQLkaIy38 – behind the scenes

Luton Town reach Wembley after a famous play-off victory over Sunderland

Championship play-off second leg: Luton Town 2 Sunderland 0 (Luton win 3-2 on aggregate)

Luton Town are heading to Wembley in the Championship play-off final later this month after a stunning performance to beat Sunderland 2-0 on the night and 3-2 on aggregate at an absolutely electric Kenilworth Road this evening.

From start to finish it was an incredible atmosphere, witnessed by just over 10,000 at the famous stadium, and those who were there will never, ever forget the events that unfolded in front of them.

To a man, Town were utterly tremendous, pressing their opponents to within an inch of their lives and delivering the kind of display they would want to roll up and bring out every time they set foot on the field should they reach the promised land of the Premier League.

Picking an unchanged side, boss Rob Edwards saw Luton, trailing 2-1 from the first leg, begin exactly as they would have wanted, mixing controlled aggression with a desire to get about their opponents and make it a far tougher ride than they had in the second half at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.

A rocket fuelled opening 15 minutes saw Luton have the perfect start, ahead from their first corner on 10 minutes, mirroring exactly what had happened just three days ago.

Swung into the box again, this time it dropped in a mass of bodies and Gabe Osho was there to turn the ball over the line from close range to almost lift the roof off an already super-charged Kenilworth Road.

Town were then indebted to a truly wonderful save from Ethan Horvath for keeping it level moments later as the Black Cats showed they too were a threat from set-pieces.

It looked like Pierre Ekwah had got there to turn a header goalwards, Horvath with a magnificent stop at his near post to divert it away, which became even more impressive when replays showed it was actually a misdirected header from Elijah Adebayo.

The rebound was fired against Amari'i Bell's hand, but unintentionally as despite the entire visiting side screaming for a penalty, referee Simon Hooper waved them away.

With Town doing everything they hadn't in that second period at Wearside, Morris isolating his man and winning almost every ball forward, Adebayo cleverly using his body to put his opponents on the back foot in the tight confines of Bedfordshire, it was an entirely different encounter to what had gone on the vast expanses of the north east.

Town's blood and thunder approach, laced with quality and roared on by an animated crowd who somehow bettered their efforts from the Watford game, definitely rattled the visitors, who were reduced to knocking some aimless balls forward at times, something that just hadn't happened at the weekend

Midway through the half, Town were inches away from a second as Doughty hung up an inviting cross and when keeper Anthony Patterson couldn't gather, Morris’s attempt cleared off the line, as it hit Ekwah and had to be repelled once more just in the nick of time.

With set-pieces becoming a key component of Luton's arsenal, such was their aerial dominance, they went close on the half hour, Doughty's delivery met by Morris, with Patterson parrying away.

The ball then made its way to Adebayo, his cross glanced narrowly wide by Lockyer, landing just past the far post.

Town demonstrated that they didn't just have to only go direct though, as with 37 gone, they worked it well on the right, Adebayo escaping to find Morris who could only clip wide.

However, their success from corners was apparent again on 43 minutes, Doughty's delivery cleared to the edge of the box, where Cody Drameh played it back out to him.

The wingback whipped in a wonderful cross and Lockyer was there to time his run perfectly and nod past Patterson for a cracking second goal.

Manchester United loanee Amad Diallo, who had been roundly booed all night, plus the warm-up after his antics in the league game and on Saturday, scuffed heart-warmingly wide.

Knowing all they had to do was replicate their opening 45 minutes when the second period came around, Luton had the chance to do just that when a calamity of a clearance from Patterson fell in the lap of Clark just 60 seconds in.

All he needed to do was find the empty net, but got it totally wrong, slicing horribly wide of the target.

Town were clearly intent on getting a third, which was the best tactic, Adebayo not connecting with an ambitious volley, before the Black Cats had a meek attempt to draw level, Jack Clarke's hopeful long ranger easy for Horvath.

Corners continued to be a huge source of joy for the hosts, Adebayo's header over the top, before on the hour mark, he was released by Morris's through ball but for some reason, didn't fully commit, the Black Cats back to smuggle behind for another dead ball situation and not the spotkick the entire crowd begged for.

Osho met another left wing delivery with the man stationed on the post doing his job, as Patrick Roberts decided to go it alone, and eventually pulled the trigger, but couldn't produce the finish his skill warranted.

As time started to tick away, Sunderland began to finally enjoy some possession, with Luton beginning to tire after the efforts each and every one of them had put in, one press from Drameh getting the home fans off their feet as he whipped them into a frenzy.

Roberts curled well over with 15 minutes left, as Edwards turned to the fresh legs of Allan Campbell for the final stages, Town's players understandably starting to cramp up, Doughty dragging a half chance wide.

Roberts blazed over from range once more, but with the visitors winning a corner in four minutes of stoppage time, and sending keeper Patterson up, Osho cleared it and Drameh set off.

Looking up to roll the ball into the unguarded net and seal the victory, only to find his radar ever so slightly off, leading to a fraught final few seconds.

The Hatters managed to see them out and finally get the party started, as Town are now on the verge of greatness, one game away from a return to the top flight for the first time since 1992.

Hatters: Ethan Horvath, Cody Drameh, Gabe Osho, Tom Lockyer (C), Amari'i Bell, Alfie Doughty, Marvelous Nakamba, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Jordan Clark (Allan Campbell 83), Elijah Adebayo, Carlton Morris.

Subs not used: James Shea, Dan Potts, Luke Berry, Reece Burke, Fred Onyedinma, Joe Taylor.

Black Cats: Nathan Patterson, Pierre Ekwah, Joe Gelhardt (Edouard Michut 64), Luke O'Nien, Patrick Roberts, Trai Hume, Lynden Gooch (C Abdoullah Ba 78), Alex Pritchard (Aji Alese 57), Daniel Neil (Niall Huggins 78), Jack Clarke, Amad Diallo.

Subs not used: Alex Bass, Isaac Lihadji, Joe Anderson.

Referee: Simon Hooper.

Booked: Clark 17, O'Nien 30.

Attendance: 10,013 (1,036)

Edwards hails his 'exceptional' Hatters as they beat Black Cats

Town see off Sunderland at Kenilworth Road

Hatters boss Rob Edwards hailed his players as ‘exceptional’ as they reached the Championship play-off final at Wembley with a magnificent 2-0 win over Sunderland at a frenzied Kenilworth Road.

Despite trailing 2-1 from the first leg, the hosts went about their business to perfection, dominating their opponents from the first whistle, and levelling the tie after just 10 minutes when Gabe Osho scored from a corner.

They then took a lead two minutes before the break, Tom Lockyer heading home Alfie Doughty’s pinpoint cross, before keeping their opponents out during the second period to seal a place against either Middlesbrough or Coventry City later this month.

With Town having never won the play-offs in six previous attempts, and only ever beating Wrexham in a semi-final tie, speaking afterwards, Edwards said: “Tonight, I thought we were exceptional, it was everything we want to be.

"We’ve got to try and stick to our plan, stick to what we’re good at and we did that tonight.

“I’m so proud of the players and so pleased for the supporters and everyone connected with the club.

“It’s been a long, long time, if ever, that we’ve won an EFL play-off game.

“To do it, to do it here, to come from behind in front of our supporters is really special.”