Luton Town FC vs Wigan Athletic (7th Dec 2019)

LUTON TOWN 2-1 WIGAN ATHLETIC

Moncur returns with last-gasp goal as Town come from behind to win

The Hatters completed a come-from-behind win in outstanding fashion as substitute George Moncur fired home late on to secure all three points at Kenilworth Road.

Callum McManaman - who also made his appearance coming off the bench - equalised for the hosts with three minutes of normal time, after Kieffer Moore had given the Latics the lead in the first half with a thumping header.

Moncur, who hadn't featured since the Carabao Cup defeat to Leicester in September, was to have the final say though as his close range finish in the dying seconds saw the Town snatch all three points when staring defeat in the face just minutes earlier.

Luke Berry came into the starting XI for his first Championship start in place of the injured Izzy Brown, with Graeme Jones opting to keep the same team from the defeat to Brentford – except for the Chelsea loanee.

The Hatters had two great opportunities in the opening eight minutes with Harry Cornick – making his 100th appearance for the club – at the heart of both moves. Firstly, playing in Andrew Shinnie who skied an effort from close range, before Ryan Tunnicliffe’s goal-bound effort was cleared off the line by Dujon Sterling, having been picked out by the forward.

After a period of control from the Town, Wigan mustered their first real chance of the game as Chey Dunkley’s header from Lewis Macleod’s cross flew just wide of the bottom left corner.

Matty Pearson went close to grabbing his first goal since nodding in the winner at Blackburn Rovers, as he got on the end of Luke Berry’s free-kick, but sent it over when he really should have hit the target from six yards out with 26 minutes gone.

Kieffer Moore was to put the visitors in the lead after 35 minutes though, as he rose highest to nod into the top left corner in expert fashion from Sterling’s cross against the run of play.

The striker had the opportunity to double the lead and his tally when he again got on the end of Sterling’s low cross, but this time bent his effort narrowly wide of the bottom right corner.

Town had a great opportunity to equalise just six minutes after the restart when Berry brought down goalkeeper Jamie Jones’ poor clearance 25 yards from goal, he shaped to shoot but instead played it to Collins, but the striker fired right at the visiting stopper, who palmed it behind for a corner.

Three minutes later and Tunnicliffe should have opened his goalscoring account for Luton as Cornick picked the midfielder out on the edge of the box, he bent it towards goal, but again it was straight at Jones who was able to make the save.

Substitute Callum McManaman nearly made the perfect impact just two minutes after he came on as he burst through the Wigan midfield, cut it onto his left and bent an effort from 20 yards just wide of the bottom left corner – but the 28-year-old would certainly leave his mark on the game with three minutes to go.

Having completely miss-hit his initial effort, McManaman made no mistake with his second, rolling the ball into the bottom right corner.

Moncur had been brought on with an hour gone and had seen two free-kicks fly straight into the wall, but grabbed the all important winner, as Tunnicliffe’s expert cross fell kindly for the ex-Barnsley man, and he fired into the bottom left corner which sent Kenilworth Road into absolute pandemonium.

The result lifts the Hatters up to 20th in the table, with 20 points, moving them four points clear of the bottom three.

Town are next in action on Tuesday evening, as they take on Stoke City at the Bet365 Stadium.

Town: Shea, Bree, Pearson, Bradley, Potts (Bolton 20), Tunnicliffe, Mpanzu, Shinnie (Moncur 60), Berry (McManaman 71), Cornick, Collins.

Unused subs: Sluga, LuaLua, Jones, Butterfield.

Yellow: Moncur

Goals: McManaman 87, Moncur 90+3

Wigan: Jones, Robinson, Macleod, Morsy, Pilkington (Massey), Lowe, Garner (Gelhardt 64), Sterling, Mulgrew (Kipre), Moore, Dunkley.

Unused subs: Evans, Windass, Massey, Roberts, Kipre, Gyollai, Gelhardt.

Yellow: Dunkley, Pilkington, Garner

Red: Dunkley

Goal: Moore 35

Referee: Andrew Madley.

GRAEME JONES ON THE 2-1 WIN OVER WIGAN ATHLETIC

Callum McManaman and George Moncur find the back of the net in a 2-1 win over Wigan

Hatters boss Graeme Jones praised the characters of George Moncur, Callum McManaman and Luke Berry after the gutsy 2-1 win against Wigan Athletic this afternoon.

Making his first start in the second tier, Berry impressed in the middle of the park for 71 minutes before being replaced by McManaman, whilst Moncur marked a first appearance since the 3-0 defeat against Hull City with a last-minute winner.

Jones said: “We changed it a little bit tactically, which helped the situation with George and Callum. I said pre-match I didn’t care who we were playing today – and I have got a big affinity with Wigan Athletic, buy you’ve got your own professional pride to fight for.

"Whoever was in the way, we had to find a way today and it came late and it came from two substitutes, but we found a way.

“He’s had setbacks Callum in the past three years, we’ve been working with him a long, long time and he’s getting confidence in his muscles again, confidence in his body. It’s been frustrating for him because he’s been a Premier League player, won an FA Cup and he’s sitting on the bench.

“I told him and Kaz I was disappointed with their contribution when they came on against Leeds, today it’s the opposite. But if you work hard for long enough behind the scenes, it gets you rewards and that’s what happened today.

“Them two boys [George and Luke], they haven’t sulked, they have been good characters. Their standards have been outstanding, so I have found out a lot about them in the past three months. You think who can you take to war with you, and I haven’t had an issue with either boy, they have done things in a level headed way, asked what they had to do to get back in the side.

“We have got a big squad and a couple of injuries meant a couple of opportunities, but you have to be ready to take it. You blame the manager and you don’t train hard, don’t lead a clean lifestyle, then the game wont reward you, you have to sacrifice and that’s what the boys did.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38vsViJ5xcE& - Graeme Jones interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGcTELL_NpE – Match highlights

Moncur seals stunning Luton comeback win in stoppage time

Championship: Luton Town 2 Wigan Athletic 1

Wow. Just wow.

You think you've seen it all in this game and then afternoon's like today happen.

With three minutes to go, it looked like the Hatters were going to be sliding into the relegation zone, 2-1 down to fellow relegation rivals Wigan Athletic in front of an increasingly frustrated Kenilworth Road faithful.

Crucially, Town's players held their nerve though as fast forward a further five or so minutes and the home supporters were cheering off their heroes, as substitutes Callum McManaman and George Moncur both found the net to secure Town an absolutely vital and stunningly dramatic three points.

First, McManaman found the net against his former side in the 87th minute, firing home at the second attempt to pump wind into Luton's sails.

With the hosts then roared on by the now believing set of home fans, the roof was well and truly blown off shortly afterwards.

Moncur, in for his first appearance since late September, kept his cool to convert from close range, leading to scenes of utter jubilation in Kenilworth Road, not seen for some time.

Think Portsmouth at home last season, and then crank it up another few decibels or two.

Prior to all that madness, Luton chief Graeme Jones made just the one change after Saturday's horror show at Brentford, Luke Berry in for his first Championship start of the season, with Moncur on the bench, although the back four that had shipped seven remained in place.

Town should have led within five minutes, as Harry Cornick did well to tee up the overlapping Andrew Shinnie, who just couldn't keep his effort down, skying disappointingly over.

The Hatters should an impressive response to their thumping at Griffin Park in the early stages, as they looked to lay those demons to rest, Cornick escaping on the right, as he did time and time again, to find Ryan Tunnicliffe completely unmarked in the area.

His first goal for the club looked a certainty, with the slightly scuffed finish beating Jamie Jones, only to be cleared off the line by a superb intervention from the flying Dujon Sterling.

Dan Potts then dug out an excellent cross from the left which Cornick headed off target, but that was to prove the full back's last meaningful contribution of the afternoon, going down holding his groin with 20 minutes gone.

Luke Bolton came on, with James Bree swapping flanks, the on-loan Ipswich defender immediately oujumped by Chey Dunkley, whose header flashed inches past the post.

Play switched up the other end, with Town wasting another glorious chance as Berry's tantalising free kick was volleyed over by Matty Pearson.

Anthony Pilkiington tried his luck from 25 yards for Wigan, his effort looking destined for the corner, only to fall just wide.

The visitors then took the lead on 35 minutes with a brilliantly constructed goal from their right hand side, Sterling's cross hung up to the back post where Kieffer Moore rose superbly to bullet a header past Shea.

Moore almost had a second moments later, as Sterling once again found space on the right to deliver a dangerous cross, that he prodded narrowly wide.

After the break, Cornick couldn't quite turn Berry's low cross over the line, before Luton had a great opportunity on 50 minutes when Jones' clearance was straight to Berry whose vision found Collins, whose effort was parried by the recovering keeper.

Town should have had the lead when Cornick, somehow not deemed to have fouled his man on the wing, pulled an inviting cross for the advancing Tunnicliffe, whose shot lacked conviction, Jones fisting to safety.

The visitors remained a threat though, Gavin Massey's snapshot not missing by much, before Collins just couldn't get on the end of Pearson's long ball over the top.

Jones brought on Moncur to huge cheers from the home support, the midfielder getting his first league action since late September, while McManaman was introduced against his former side, a whisker away from levelling, beating two men before narrowly shooting past the post.

Then the fun started though, McManaman finally beating Jones from close range, after a big swing and a miss first, he kept his cool to find the net.

Town's players and fans now believed, and it was too much for Wigan defender Dunkley, shown red for his second booking when hauling back Cornick.

Moncur couldn't repeat his Pompey heroics from deadball situations, but it was open play that he managed to this time, as when the ball ran loose in the area, he was in the right place to send the old stadium into raptures and push Luton four points clear of the drop zone.

Hatters: James Shea, James Bree, Dan Potts (Luke Bolton 21), Matty Pearson, Sonny Bradley ©, Ryan Tunnicliffe, Andrew Shinnie (George Moncur 60) ,Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Luke Berry (Callum McManaman 70), James Collins, Harry Cornick.

Subs not used: Simon Sluga, Lloyd Jones, Jacob Butterfield, Kazenga LuaLua.

Latics: Jamie Jones, Antonee Robinson, Lewis Macleod, Samy Morsy ©, Anthony Pilkington (Gavin Massey 55), Jamal Lowe, Joe Garner (Joe Gelhardt 64), Dujon Sterling, Charlie Mulgrew (Cedric Kipre 90), Kieffer Moore, Chey Dunkley.

Subs not used: Lee Evans, Josh Windass, Gary Roberts, Cedric Kipre, Daniel Gyollal.

Booked: Dunkley 48, Pilkington 54, Garner 61, Moncur 90.

Sent off: Dunkley 90.

Referee: Andrew Madley.

Attendance: 10,011 (667 Wigan).

Jones hails Town's mentality as they hit back from Brentford debacle to defeat Latics

Luton Town boss Graeme Jones heaped praise on his side's mentality as they bounced back from the 7-0 carnage suffered at Griffin Park last week with a 2-1 victory over fellow relegation strugglers Wigan Athletic this afternoon.

Going into the game, Jones made just the one change from that Brentford horror show, an enforced one due to Izzy Brown's serious hamstring injury, leading to Luke Berry's first league start of the campaign.

Brendan Galloway's season-ending knee injury meant that George Moncur took his place on the bench, the substitute scoring a stoppage time winner after Callum McManaman had drawn Town level.

Speaking about his decision to go with virtually the same side, Jones said: "I've been through this with Wigan, we got beat 9-1 at Tottenham, there's a human response that if you manage the situation wisely, you'll get.

"So the 10 players who were there last week, I wanted to put them out and see what type of human beings they were as well as footballers, and you've seen what type of characters we've got today.

"We changed it a little bit tactically which helped the situation with George and Callum, and I said pre-match, I didn’t care who we were playing today.

"I’ve got a big affinity with Wigan Athletic, but you’ve got your own professional pride to fight for and whoever was in the way, we needed to find a way, and it came late and it came from two subs, but we found a way.

“The mentality has never been in question, I just think we got caught with our pants down last week.

"Arousal levels were maybe low, coming to Brentford, especially having to push so hard and concentrate so much against Leeds and Charlton.

“I feel like we fell off a cliff mentally after the game, but you can’t afford to as this league is punishing and that was the definition of it.

"I don’t ever want to go back to that situation, but what mattered today was the result and I think we got a performance with that, not just the result.

"There's lots of aspects I’m pleased with, if we’re talking about adaptation.

"I speak a lot about adaptation physically, our adaptation mentally today, as I had 10 players out of the 11 who started last week, Izzy Brown had a genuine injury, who presented themselves ready to play, no excuses, no, 'I’ve got a hamstring, got a tight groin,' ready to play.

“Now when you do that and it's tough and you have to dig in and you have to learn and you get better, so there’s been a lot of satisfying aspects today."