Luton Town FC vs Sunderland (29th Oct 2022)

Report | Luton Town 1-1 Sunderland

The Hatters had to settle for a point in Nathan Jones' 300th game in charge as Sunderland netted a late equaliser in a 1-1 draw at a sold-out Kenilworth Road.

Town had led through Carlton Morris' eighth goal of the season in first-half injury-time, but the Black Cats grabbed a point with substitute Elliot Embleton's 77th minute leveller.

The gaffer made two changes for his milestone game in charge, Dan Potts captaining the side upon his return from illness and Henri Lansbury also back in the starting line-up after suffering from the same bug at Watford, joining Jordan Clark and Allan Campbell in midfield.

Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu returned to the matchday squad and was amongst the seven substitutes, with Harry Cornick and Cameron Jerome both attacking options from the bench.

The Hatters were quick out of the blocks, Doughty's pressing winning the ball for Clark to feed Morris into the left side of the area, but the top scorer's low cross was just behind the debutant's stride into the six-yard box with just two minutes on the clock.

Town's early pressure was incessant, Morris then teeing Lansbury up for a 25-yarder that fizzed just the wrong side of the post, before Morris was denied an eighth goal of the season, first by a good save at hie near post by Anthony Patterson, then by a brave defensive block as he looked to smash Lockyer's back header from the resulting corner goalwards.

That was all in the opening six minutes, with the play almost exclusively in the Sunderland half for the opening ten minutes until the visitors began to hit on the break, Jack Clarke waltzing around three men before Horvath blocked with a strong hand at his near post before Dennis Cirkin headed the corner wide.

The Hatters were soon piling on the pressure at the other end though, Bree firing over from outside the box before Doughty thumped a 19th-minute header against the inside of the post from Bell's left-wing cross, Patterson doing well to deny Adebayo with a double save on the follow-up.

Clark went close to connecting with a right-wing Bree cross moments later, before Doughty - moments after being clattered into the advertising boards during an aerial challenge with Cirkin - became the first player to be shown a yellow card by referee James Linington, more for blocking the Sunderland left-back taking a quick free-kick than the foul that conceded it.

Visiting captain Corry Evans soon joined him for dissent towards Linington, then the Hatters were forced into a change on the half-hour when Lansbury went down innocuously after making a pass in the middle of Sunderland's half.

Luke Freeman came on in his place, and after Adebayo had been shown yellow for a foul on Amad Diallo, the visitors came as close as possible to a breakthrough when Danny Batth headed Alex Pritchard's outswinging free-kick against a post.

Freeman was soon picking Morris out in the box with a pinpoint cross, but Campbell couldn't quite make his knock-down in the six-yard box, before play switched to the other end and Horvath got down low to his left to push a dipping Diallo free-kick around the post.

With two minutes to go to half-time, the American had to make a carbon copy save from the same player, this time as he cut in from the right onto his left foot, before the Manchester United loanee had another go on 45 minutes, only to drag his shot wide.

The deserved breakthrough finally came two minutes into added time as Doughty beat Cirkin to the byline, pinged another terrific cross into the near post where Morris had stolen a yard on his man to steer the ball inside the post.

Patterson had to back-pedal to keep out a deep, inswinging cross from Doughty on 54 minutes as the Hatters went in search of a second goal, before Sunderland manager Tony Mowbray tried to spark a response by making a triple substitution on the hour.

Cirkin was eventually booked for pulling Adebayo down in full flow, then Patterson had to race out of his area to head clear as the Hatters striker looked to have broken clear on 64 minutes after Lockyer had won a fifty-fifty with Diallo, who wasn't happy with the challenge.

The Sunderland forward fired into the side-netting in the 69th-minute, before Jones made a triple switch of his own - Cornick on for Morris, Mpanzu on for Doughty and Bradley into the heart of the back three, replacing Campbell.

Mpanzu produced a spectacular interception on the stretch as Sunderland looked to get in direct from a Patterson kick, then Bell made a crucial block in the six-yard box, backing up Mpanzu's lunge, as Clarke slammed the ball goalward on 74 minutes.

The equaliser came in the 78th minute as Elliot Embleton steered Clarke's cut-back from the left byline past Horvath into the bottom corner, and the visitors' might have taken all three points in the closing stages, but thankfully Mpanzu got back to intercept Clarke's cross-shot, and Patrick Roberts' attempted curler didn't bend back enough to trouble the inside of the post.

Freeman had two volleys blocked with 90 minutes almost up, but the Hatters couldn't find a winner and had to settle for a point to remain ninth ahead of Reading's visit on Tuesday night.

Goals:

Luton Town - Morris 45+2

Sunderland - Embleton 78'

Att: 10,060 (1,036 away)

Reaction | Nathan Jones on point against Sunderland

Manager Nathan Jones praised his players for ‘giving him everything’ as the Hatters earned a point against Sunderland in his 300th match in charge of the club.

The gaffer was looking for a reaction following last week’s defeat and got that in the first half as Carlton Morris scored his eighth goal of the season to put Town in front.

Sunderland fought back in the second period, however, as substitute Elliot Embleton equalised as the points were shared in an entertaining fixture at Kenilworth Road.

“It was a hard-fought game, every game in the Championship is tough and this is Sunderland Football Club. They have 40,000 fans every week, they’re a big club and a really tricky side to play against because of the individuals they have and they play that way. We had to make sure we bounced back and didn’t go back-to-back defeats after last week.

“Today we were disappointed we weren’t further ahead at half-time. We had to weather a bit in the second half and then we finished really strongly and were probably the more likely to score the goal.

“I’m really proud of the players for everything they gave me. Yes, we would have probably had a bit more quality and a bit more guile but all in all they were excellent. They gave me everything.”

Henri Lansbury was forced off in the opening half-hour and on his injury, Jones said: “Henri hasn’t had a proper pre-season, so he is susceptible when we play him, we have to look after him in certain games so it’s a tough one to take.

“That is what we demand from them all the time, to look after themselves. Henri is a miss when he’s not there, he gives us that control, he gives us that element of quality in there, so we’re disappointed with that.”

On Carlton Morris, who has now surpassed his best goal tally in the Sky Bet Championship, the gaffer said: "He has been excellent for us. That is eight goals so he has already surpassed his best Championship season and we're 17 games in so it's wonderful from him. I'm really happy for him, he's a great kid, he works hard, he's humble, he demands from people and I like that."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BA6HhYoDg5s – match highlights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TUgMz7eBkY – Nathan Jones interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DY2fIDYx2Pk – Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu interview

Morris on target but Hatters let lead slip once more as they are held by Sunderland

Championship: Luton Town 1 Sunderland 1

Luton boss Nathan Jones' 300th game in charge of the club was to end in frustration as the Hatters were held to yet another draw on home soil this season by visitors Sunderland.

The Welshman had looked like he would be celebrating his milestone in style thanks to Carlton Morris's close range strike on the stroke of half time, volleying home Alfie Doughty's cross, but then for the fifth time in nine games, Town found themselves pegged back after the break, Elliot Embleton on target with 13 minutes remaining, as they let two points slip from their grasp once more.

Ahead of his triple century, Jones made two changes from the woeful 4-0 reverse at Watford last week, with two of the players who missed out with sickness, Henri Lansbury and Dan Potts back in for Sonny Bradley and Luke Freeman.

Eager to put the previous weekend behind them, Town were at their opponents from the start, hunting out mistakes, of which there were a few.

Doughty, playing right wingback, slid in to force an error in midfield, as Jordan Clark released Morris, whose ball was destined to be put in by Doughty at the near post, only for Dennis Cirkin to somehow slide in and prevent him from doing so.

Lansbury had a go at picking out the bottom corner, firing into the hoardings from 20 yards, while another mistake from the visitors when playing out from the back saw Morris's low drive repelled by keeper Anthony Patterson.

Despite being shorn of their main attacking threats, the visitors had their chances, former Spurs and Leeds midfielder Jack Clarke going on a mazy run that was ended by a strong left hand from Ethan Horvath.

With 18 gone, James Bree sliced a hopeful volley over the top, before Luton somehow didn't make the most of their bright start, Doughty leaping impressively to meet Amari'i Bell's cross, his header hitting the inside of the post, Adebayo foiled twice in his follow up.

Lansbury then unleashed a magnificent cross from the right, Clark not getting enough on his header as another chance went begging.

The woodwork came to Luton's savour on 25 minutes, when an error from Potts was seized upon by Leon Dajaku, the wideman cutting inside to beat Horvath, but not the post as it bounced fortuitously to safety.

Just before the half hour, Luton were hit by injury once more as Lansbury, who was starting to dictate things, was left clutching his thigh after playing the ball wide and couldn't continue, Freeman on in his place.

The visitors went close once more on 32 minutes, a deep free-kick swung in and Danny Batth rose highest, only to see his header strike the post, Adebayo in the right place to clear the danger.

Horvath had to keep his wits about him to save well low down from Amad Diallo's 20-yard free kick, with Dajaku's hopeful attempt when the corner was cleared out to him, flying wide.

Diallo versus Horvath was to become a regular theme, the USA international palming another effort behind, as the Manchester United loanee tried his luck a third time just before the break, dragging waywardly.

However, just when it looked like Luton would changes ends goalless, they broke the deadlock when Doughty did excellently to stand up Cirkin and get to the byline, his dangerous ball in converted by Morris who got across his man to volley in an eighth of the season.

After the interval, Doughty, who was increasingly involved in the contest, saw his cross from the touchline almost go straight in, Patterson backpedalling to fist behind.

As has happened so often, Luton then started to invite pressure on to them, allowing the visitors to begin to dominate possession and territory, Diallo rifling into the side-netting, Jones responding by bringing on Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Harry Cornick and Sonny Bradley in a bid to try and regain their stronghold.

The changes looked to be working defensively, Mpanzu with a superb overhead clearance as Diallo looked to break and once his cross-shot was parried by Horvath, Bell brilliantly and bravely threw himself in the way of Clarke's drilled attempt with a superb block to keep his side ahead.

However, with 13 minutes left, the visitors did restore parity, a good move on the left seeing dangerman Clarke's low cross stabbed home by sub Elliot Embleton to deservedly draw his side level.

With Town still not able to fully up their intensity, barring the odd Cornick break, Sunderland went closest to a winner, Patrick Roberts off the bench and curling inches wide with Horvath at full stretch.

Freeman then had a snapshot from outside the box which deflected over, as Town were held to the 82nd draw of Jones’ tenure as Luton boss, rather than walking off the pitch with his 141st victory.

Hatters: Ethan Horvath, James Bree, Tom Lockyer, Dan Potts, Amari'i Bell, Alfie Doughty (Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu 71), Henri Lansbury (Luke Freeman 30), Allan Campbell (Sonny Bradley 71), Jordan Clark, Carlton Morris (Harry Cornick 71), Elijah Adebayo (Cameron Jerome 85).

Subs not used: Harry Isted, Luke Berry.

Black Cats: Anthony Patterson, Dennis Cirkin, Corry Evans (C, Ellis Simms 70), Danny Batth, Leon Dajaku (Patrick Roberts 60), Luke O'Nien, Amad Diallo, Jack Clarke, Alex Pritchard (Elliot Embleton 60), Dan Neil (Eduoard Michut 60), Bailey Wright.

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Subs not used: Alex Bass, Jay Matete, Trai Hume.

Referee: James Linington.

Booked: Doughty 23, Evans 24, Adebayo 33, Cirkin 62, Clarke 90.

Attendance: 10,060 (1,036 Sunderland).

Jones left slightly frustrated Luton couldn't mark his 300th game in charge with victory

Hatters chief reacts to 1-1 draw with Sunderland

Luton boss Nathan Jones was left slightly frustrated that the Hatters weren’t able to mark his 300th game in charge with the 141st victory of his tenure, held to a 1-1 draw by Sunderland at Kenilworth Road this afternoon.

It looked like they would do so, top scorer Carlton Morris on target with his eighth of the season in first half stoppage time, reacting quickest to volley home Alfie Doughty’s cross from the right hand side.

However, with Sunderland looking the stronger after the break, they eventually restored parity with 13 minutes of the fixture remaining, to ensure Jones was left with an 82nd draw, and thankfully not a 79th defeat to mull over, Patrick Roberts' late curler flying wide.

Jones said: “That (victory) would have been perfect, but it was a hard fought game and every point in the Championship is tough.

“This is Sunderland Football Club, 40,000 every week, so they're a big club, really tricky side to play against because of the individuals they've got and they play that way.

“It was nice to make sure we had to bounce back (from Watford) and not go back-to-back defeats after last week, as I thought we started really, really well.

“We’re disappointed we weren’t further ahead at half time.

"We had to weather a bit in the second half and then we finished really, really strongly, and probably looked the more likely to score the goal, so that’s the only thing.

“Tough game, big club in everything, but I’m really proud of the players for everything they gave me.

“Yes we could have had a bit more quality, a bit more guile, a bit more some things, but all in all they gave me everything.”