Middlesbrough vs Luton Town FC (5th Mar 2022)

Report | Middlesbrough 2-1 Luton Town

The Hatters' three-match winning run came to an end at the Riverside as fellow play-off chasers Middlesbrough moved back into the top six.

In a scrappy and at times heated encounter, Boro recorded a ninth successive home win in all competitions thanks to Paddy McNair's first-half penalty and sub Duncan Watmore's late effort, despite a late consolation from Harry Cornick in added time.

Manager Nathan Jones made three changes from the side that last played in the Championship, in the 1-0 win over Derby a week ago.

Alex Palmer made his Luton debut after arriving on an emergency loan deal yesterday with Harry Isted on the bench.

The two further changes were in attack, with Danny Hylton and Cameron Jerome brought into the starting eleven to support Elijah Adebayo.

Jordan Clark was back in the league matchday squad for the first time since the defeat against Sheffield United in January as the Hatters, who dropped to seventh after the Blades' 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest on Friday night, sought to reclaim their place in the play-off positions with a positive result this afternoon.

The hosts took a 17th-minute lead from the penalty spot, when Reece Burke was penalised for a trip on Arsenal loanee Folarin Balogun. McNair stepped up to send Palmer the wrong way from 12 yards.

Jerome became the first player from either side to be shown a yellow card two minutes later, for a late challenge on Anfernee Dijksteel, and it was the veteran striker who had the Hatters' first sight of goal just after the half-hour.

Allan Campbell went on a trademark driving run into the Boro box and slipped the ball to his left, where Jerome stabbed it goalward just ahead of the sliding challenge from Dijksteel, but couldn't direct it either side of keeper Joe Lumley, who saved well.

Henri Lansbury came on in the 38th minute, in place of Gabe Osho, who was injured by Boro midfielder Matt Crooks falling on him as the Town man slid in to make a challenge by the corner flag. Isaiah Jones shot over from the edge of the box as the Hatters battled to clear the corner.

Ten minutes after half-time the Hatters came close to levelling with a double chance, Adebayo finding himself free in the penalty area but denied by Lumley, before Jerome towered above everyone to meet Bree's corner at the far post, only for the Boro keeper to save again.

Hylton had just been shown yellow for a foul on Crooks, and Lansbury was next for a late challenge on Jones as the Boro wing-back looked to race away down their right.

Naismith was next to go off through injury, replaced by Clark, before Campbell joined his fellow Scot after being caught in an aerial challenge, with Cornick coming on in his place with 20 minutes to go.

Palmer had to make his first save from an overhead kick from outside the box from one-time Town loanee Aaron Connolly, then Lansbury fired high over the bar at the other end as Boro dealt with a long throw from Cornick.

Middlesbrough got a second in the 87th minute strike from Watmore, beating Palmer at his near post after cutting back from the byline, before Cornick struck in the 96th minute of added time, but it was too little too late for Jones' men.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjCQaWxFDe0 – Nathan Jones interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3CFCWRK4qw – match highlights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvwfllrgzP0 – Alex Palmer interview

Nathan Jones reacts to Middlesbrough defeat

Manager Nathan Jones was left frustrated after his injury-hit side fell to a 2-1 defeat against Middlesbrough this afternoon.

The home side scored a goal in either half before Harry Cornick added a consolation in added time as the Hatters’ three-game winning streak in the Sky Bet Championship came to an end at the Riverside Stadium.

Sharing his assessment after the game, Jones said: “We got overrun a little bit and we weren’t us first half. It was a bit puzzling because I made changes and kept them fresh for this game but they didn’t respond. Second half we came out of the traps and we were better, we had enough chances to get back into the game but we didn’t.

“We then defended poorly for the one half-chance they had in the second half and we conceded. It was a really frustrating afternoon, the only time we troubled was when Elijah did what he normally does and we score, but it’s just too late. I was frustrated with decisions, the flow of the game and how we played.”

Reacting to the three injuries sustained throughout the 90 minutes, the gaffer added: “When we make changes we make them for a reason. We’ve had problems in central midfield in terms of injuries so people have had to do big shifts.

“Gabe wouldn’t have played midweek or today if we had everyone available. Bezza isn’t ready for 90 minutes, Clark isn’t ready for 90 minutes and Snodgrass isn’t ready. We have Pelly out and Henri has only just come back so it’s a big ask.”

Hatters' winning run is ended by play-off rivals Middlesbrough

Championship: Middlesbrough 2 Luton 1

Luton's run of three successive Championship wins was ended with a tame defeat at fellow play-off chasers Middlesbrough this afternoon.

A game low on real genuine quality saw the hosts move ahead in the first half through Paddy McNair's penalty before sewing up the points late on when sub Duncan Watmore found the bottom corner.

Harry Cornick found the net deep into stoppage time, but Town were never at their best throughout the contest, although Nathan Jones' side weren't helped by three injuries which saw Gabe Osho, Kal Naismith and Allan Campbell all have to come off at various stages.

The Hatters chief had made seven changes to the side from the 3-2 FA Cup defeat against Chelsea on Wednesday night, as on-loan goalkeeper Alex Palmer came straight in following his emergency loan signing from West Bromwich Albion yesterday.

Striker Elijah Adebayo was also recalled, along with James Bree, Danny Hylton, Cameron Jerome, Naismith and Campbell, while Jordan Clark and Luke Berry were on the bench.

A scrappy opening suited Town to a tee, new keeper Palmer called on to claim one cross, with Hylton showing some neat touches and looking dangerous in flashes in his role behind a front two of Jerome and Adebayo.

Having got through that period, the Hatters then found themselves behind on 17 minutes when Boro's first real foray into their box saw Reece Burke trip Folarin Balogun for a spot-kick that McNair sent Palmer the wrong way from, rolling into the corner.

Jerome saw yellow moments later for a high boot on Anternee Dijksteel, while with half an hour gone, Town had their only real opening, Bree's free kick headed wide by Adebayo when the oncoming Jerome was better placed.

Town then had their best opportunity on 32 minutes, Campbell doing splendidly to weave his way around one and pick out Jerome, whose close range stab was unfortunately straight at Joe Lumley.

The visitors were forced into a change six minutes later when Osho was injured in conceding a corner by the falling Matt Crooks and couldn't continue, Henri Lansbury on in his place.

When the set-piece was eventually cleared, Isaiah Jones' attempt from the edge of the box was a poor one.

Town looked to up their game after the break, going close 10 minutes in when Jerome found an onside and unmarked Adebayo, Lumley out well to save, diverting his rebound behind too.

From the resulting corner, Bree's delivery was met by a towering header from Jerome, Lumley doing well with his feet on this occasion.

Luton were then forced into their second change midway through the half when Kal Naismith had to be replaced, Clark making his first outing since the 2-0 defeat at Sheffield United in January.

The Hatters' bad luck with injuries continued, Campbell also going off after a head injury and Cornick on, before Palmer was tested for the first time, collecting ex-Luton loanee Aaron Connolly's acrobatic overhead volley.

Connolly escaped the Town defence to send a dinked attempt wide, but there looked little way back for the visitors, and so it was to prove, sub Watmore first to react when his cross was blocked, rifling past Palmer at his near post.

Deep into stoppage time, Cornick reduced the deficit, diverting Adebayo's cross beyond Lumley for what was a career best 10th of the season, but Boro managed to avoid any further scares in the final 60 seconds to claim the points.

Boro: Joe Lumley, Anternee Dijksteel, Neil Taylor, Dael Fry, Marcus Tavernier, Jonny Howson (C), Paddy McNair, Matt Crooks, Aaron Connolly (Josh Coburn 83), Isaiah Jones (Sol Bamba 90), Folarin Balogun (Duncan Watmore 63).

Subs not used: Andraz Sporar, Lee Peltier, Marc Bola, Luke Daniels.

Hatters: Alex Palmer, James Bree, Amari'i Bell, Tom Lockyer, Reece Burke, Kal Naismith (C Jordan Clark 65), Gabe Osho (Henri Lansbury 38), Allan Campbell (Harry Cornick 73), Danny Hylton, Cameron Jerome, Elijah Adebayo.

Subs not used: Harry Isted, Robert Snodgrass, Peter Kioso, Luke Berry.

Booked: Jerome 20, Hylton 50, Lansbury 61, Lumley 90, Coburn 90.

Referee: Jeremy Simpson (was actually Dean Whitestone)

Town chief frustrated by manner of Boro defeat after deciding to rest players for Chelsea cup clash

Luton manager felt he might have got the selection wrong in midweek

Town boss Nathan Jones was left frustrated by the manner of his side’s performance during their 2-1 defeat at Middlesbrough this afternoon, considering the number of changes he had made for the midweek FA Cup clash with Chelsea.

The Hatters chief chose to rest a number of players for their fifth round tie against the Blues in midweek, which saw Luton go out 3-2, bringing back the likes of Elijah Adebayo, James Bree and Kal Naismith to start at the Riverside Stadium.

However, the visitors were never at their best, falling behind in the first period to Paddy McNair’s penalty on 17 minutes, while they got the second with three minutes to go, Duncan Watmore finding the bottom corner.

Although Harry Cornick pulled one back in stoppage time, it wasn’t enough, Luton’s three game winning run ended, as Jones said: “I’m really disappointed with the first half performance, because we should have come out of the traps.

“I might as well have gone as strong as I possibly could against Chelsea and then see what happened today, as we've lost both games.

"Maybe if we'd have gone as strong as we like against Chelsea, maybe we have had a different result and this one would take care of itself, so maybe that's my fault.

“We got overrun a bit first half, we weren’t us first half and that’s a bit puzzling because I made six changes and kept them fresh for this game, but they didn’t respond first half.

“Second half we did, we came out of the traps and were better, we had enough chances to have got back in the game, but we didn’t.

“Then we defend poorly for the one half opportunity they got and then we concede, so a really frustrating afternoon.

“The only time we did really go into front and Elijah does what Elijah normally does, we score, but it’s too late.

"But really frustrating, frustrating with the decisions, frustrated with the flow, frustrated with how we played.

“There was no flow in the game, a lot of balls kicked away, I understand why people do it, the more time the ball spends out of play the less chance the opposition have got of scoring.

"It's one of those things, I was more disappointed with our first half performance, as to have gone in at 0-0 would have been fine, but to conceded in the manner that we did, after the work and the prep we did was really disappointing.”

With it being Town’s third reverse in five away games, when asked if he felt the Hatters had an issue on the road against the bigger teams in division, with defeats at Sheffield United and Birmingham, Jones added: "I don't know as we beat Stoke and I’d say Stoke are better than Birmingham, Stoke's on a par with Sheffield United and Middlesbrough.

"We went to Swansea and won, every time you go away from home you go to a reasonably big club, so unless you're losing every week like that, but we've just come off the back of a 15-point month.

"This is the first one, a difficult place to come to, it's been a tight game, they don't give up chance like we had.

"We had opportunities today to make something from the game and then we haven't defended well enough, because they've had the information for the first goal and then the second goal should just be defended better, so really disappointed."