Report | Norwich City 0-1 Luton Town
Carlton Morris netted on his return to first club Norwich City to give the Hatters another huge win in the Sky Bet Championship.
Morris' seventh goal of the season just after the hour ensured a win that lifted Town up to fourth in the table, above their hosts, as they made it seven games unbeaten with a perfect away performance at Carrow Road.
Manager Nathan Jones made three changes from the side that beat QPR at Kenilworth Road on Saturday, with Alfie Doughty making his debut in an attacking role after an injury-delayed start to his Town career since joining from Stoke in the summer.
With the Hatters playing a 3-4-3 formation, Fred Onyedinma came into the starting line-up on the right side of midfield, with James Bree moving inside to centre-half alongside Tom Lockyer and skipper Dan Potts.
Harry Cornick came into the attack for his third start of the season, with former Norwich striker Carlton Morris through the middle, whilst his fellow ex-Canaries Henri Lansbury and Cameron Jerome were amongst the substitutes.
Roared on by a tremendous Tuesday night following of more than 1,200, it was Town - unbeaten in six and on a run of just one defeat in ten matches - who had the game's first chance on eight minutes.
Cornick and Doughty, filling the third attacking role, combined down the left with the latter working the ball across the pitch into Onyedinma's path, but the right wing-back's cross-shot whistled past the far post, just eluding Morris in the six-yard box.
The former Norwich striker provided the second opening 14 minutes in, receiving an Amari'i Vell throw in the Norwich box and rolling Grant Hanley before clipping an inviting cross that flew an inch ahead of Cornick's boot in front of goal.
The third-placed hosts, coming into the game after suffering back-to-back defeats at the hands of Preston and Watford, had to wait until midway through the half for their first shot at goal, and even then it was a 25-yard shot that was well off target from Gabriel Sara as the Hatters defended with great discipline.
Their second attempt, in the 26th minute, was much more accurate with Josh Sargent smashing a left-footed volley at goal from outside the area, but the striker's USA international team-mate Ethan Horvath was equal to it.
It was Sargent's strike partner Teemu Pukki who had the next chance, but not until two minutes before half-time, as he broke away from the Town defence, but with James Bree racing back to pressurise him, the Finnish forward fired high over the bar from 15 yards out.
Doughty set Cornick sprinting clear with 45 minutes on the clock, and after checking back onto his left foot as he enterred the box with just goalkeeper Angus Gunn between the forward and his first goal of the season, his attempted pass to Campbell was smuggled away by the Canaries' defence.
Norwich boss Dean Smith brought Todd Cantwell on in place of Sargent, who had been down for treatment in the first half, and it was his side who had the first sight of goal in the second period, Danel Sinani firing over the bar in the 46th minute, before Aaron Ramsey did the same ten minutes later.
Morris and Bell saw shots blocked at the other end as the Hatters continued to ask questions on the break, and it was Morris who broke the deadlock just after the hour, mesmerising the retreating Grant Hanley with a couple of step-overs as he progressed into the box before curling a beauty into the bottom corner for goal number seven of the season.
There was no celebration from the Town top scorer in recognition of the role Norwich played in his development.
Jones made two changes straight away, bringing on skipper Sonny Bradley for Onyedinma, and Jerome for Cornick, with the ex-City striker receiving a warm reception on his first return to Carrow Road since leaving for Derby in 2018.
Norwich went close to levelling with a Sara shot that Horvath pushed behind, and it was from the resulting corner that the hosts were reduced to ten men when Kenny McLean hit Lockyer in the face as they waited for the delivery.
Jones made two more changes on 77 minutes, replacing the goalscorer with Adebayo and the excellent Doughty with Luke Freeman.
Norwich had plenty of possession without really creating a chance, Pukki firing a 20-yarder that Bradley got his head on, the ball shooting straight up in the air and into Horvath's grateful arms, before the Finn then curled wide with a better opening with ten minutes left.
Freeman had a great chance to double the advantage when Campbell picked his fellow midfielder out with a cross from the right, but the former Bristol City and QPR man's volley hammered into the ground and wide, before Campbell shot straight at Gunn moments later.
Former Town youngster Max Aarons cut in from the right with five minutes left, but this time it was Lockyer sticking his head in the way to deflect it over the bar.
Eight minutes of stoppage time were announced, and the Hatters saw them through with relative ease to leapfrog their opponents and move up to fourth in the table ahead of another huge game on Sunday.
Goal: Morris 62'
Att:
Reaction | Nathan Jones on brilliant Norwich win!
Manager Nathan Jones was delighted with a brilliant away win against Norwich City, a place he considers ‘the toughest in the Championship’.
The victory came courtesy of a second half winner from Carlton Morris and was well deserved for another impressive performance on the road, which has now extended Town’s unbeaten run to seven matches in the division.
Speaking after the game to the press, Jones said: “This is the toughest place to come in the Championship with the greatest of respect for everyone else. They’re fluent, have good players, good individuals, good structure and they can hurt you.
“I thought we were excellent tonight, defended the cage fantastically well, pressed at the right time, looked a threat on the counter and scored from a counter.
“If you finish above Norwich you’re going up this year so that is what we have to try and emulate. We have gone above them today and after 15 games to be above Norwich shows we’re in a good position and a good place. I’m really delighted with the win.
“We know we can get better in possession, make better choices and have a little bit more composure but for effort, desire and defensive responsibility, grind and press, I can’t ask for more.”
Highlighting one particular individual post-match, the gaffer admitted: “Tom Lockyer was outstanding because Teemu Pukki is as good a striker at Championship level as there has ever been at Championship level. To come away from Kenilworth Road and keep a clean sheet, it is utopia for us.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjGSxRUEm08 – Nathan Jones interview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJTMfTXMJ-E – Full time scenes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDTxf1NaqL0 – match highlights
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_dPDNgrG_k – Nathan Jones press conference
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgR85GqyNbg – Carlton Morris interview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvnE3UIdcWA – Morris goal every angle
Morris returns to score the winner for Luton at former club Norwich City
Championship: Norwich City 0 Luton Town 1
Striker Carlton Morris returned to haunt his old club with the winner as Luton picked up an absolutely superb 1-0 victory at promotion favourites Norwich City this evening.
The forward, who spent eight years at Carrow Road after coming through the academy, only made one substitute appearance in that time for his hometown club, but he was to show them just what they missed out on, bagging the only goal of the game and his seventh of the season in the second half to decide the contest.
With this match the second in a third game week, boss Nathan Jones made three changes, knowing that the last fixture was a certain trip to Hertfordshire.
Summer signing Alfie Doughty came in for his first start, while Fred Onyedinma and Harry Cornick were back too, Sonny Bradley, Henri Lansbury and Elijah Adebayo dropping to the bench.
It meant Doughty moved to an advanced left-sided role, as he and Cornick flanked Morris, with Onyedinma dropping to right wingback, Bell left, the back three of James Bree, Tom Lockyer and captain Dan Potts.
Despite Town having precious little possession in the early stages, they had the best opening on eight minutes, the dangerous Doughty breaking away and finding Onyedinma, whose low cross-shot flashed across, Morris not gambling.
Cornick was next to go close, just unable to stretch to meet Morris's cross, as although the hosts had the lions share of the ball, their only moment resembling a chance came midway through the half when Gabriel Sara ditched the intricate approach and blasted over from 25 yards.
Town keeper Ethan Horvath was tested on 26 minutes, Josh Sargent letting fly with a snapshot that the stopper managed to palm away to safety, before he was able to watch Liam Gibbs' hopeful long-ranger sail into the stands shortly afterwards.
With the home fans getting frustrated as yet another move broke down on the edge of the box and the hosts showing a continued unwillingness to pull the trigger, Town almost gifted Norwich the opener just before the break.
Bree and Lockyer got in each others way allowing Teemu Pukki to charge into the box, but with the striker so often lethal from that position, this time he got his angles wrong,
The Hatters then had a real opportunity when Doughty sent Cornick through, the attacker getting away, but with the angles against him, opted to cut back and try to locate a team-mate, Norwich getting man back to clear.
After the break, City really should have been celebrating a goal, as a clearing header dropped to Danel Sinani just 12 yards out, but he could only skew off target.
They went close again on 56 minutes, Aaron Ramsey taking it upon himself to have a crack from the edge of the box, not missing the target by much.
With Luton about to swap both of their strikers, they then won the ball back high up on 62 minutes with Morris bursting into the box.
After a number of stepovers to bamboozle his marker, he picked out the bottom corner to give Town the lead with a measured finish, opting to not celebrate against his former side.
Jones did opt for a double sub, Bradley and another ex-Norwich forward in Cameron Jerome coming on, but on 66 minutes, the hosts were hit by another blow, Kenny McLean shown a straight red by referee Oliver Langford for slapping Lockyer in the side of the face as the pair grappled for a corner.
With the City fans, already unamused by their side's approach, jeering manager Dean Smith from the interval onwards, sub Todd Cantwell tried to engineer an equaliser, but his fancy tricks and flick were falling on deaf ears, as Pukki's shot cannoning off Bradley's head, taking all the power out for Horvath to gobble up.
Duo Luke Freeman and Elijah Adebayo came, the former might have doubled Luton's lead, picked out by Allan Campbell's cross from the right, he tried a speculative volley, which almost went back to his team-mate.
Campbell then had a pop himself, his low daisycutter handled by the diving Gunn, while Lockyer once more showed his worth from shots as he threw himself in the way of Max Aaron's blast which looked like it made make the net ripple.
Town then had to deal with eight minutes of stoppage time, but to a man, the visitors kept their hosts, who had previously scored in every single home game, to nothing worthy of a clear-cut opportunity, seeing the game out professionally to make it seven unbeaten, in what was a repeat of Luton’s FA Cup win back in 2013, also the perfect preparation for Sunday's trip to Watford.
Canaries: Angus Dunn, Max Aarons, Grant Hanley (C), Ben Gibson, Daniel Sinani (Marcelino Nunez 70), Gabriel Sara (Isaac Hayden 89), Aaron Ramsey (Onel Hernandez 70), Teemu Pukki, Kenny McLean, Josh Sargent (Todd Canthwell 46), Liam Gibbs (Dimitris Giannoulis 70).
Subs not used: Tim Krul,, Jonathan Tomkinson.
Hatters: Ethan Horvath, James Bree, Tom Lockyer, Dan Potts (C), Amari'i Bell, Alfie Doughty (Luke Freeman 77), Allan Campbell, Jordan Clark, Fred Onyedinma (Sonny Bradley 64), Carlton Morris (Elijah Adebayo 77), Harry Cornick (Cameron Jerome 77).
Subs not used: Harry Isted, Luke Berry, Henri Lansbury.
Referee: Oliver Langford.
Booked: Potts, Cantwell, Bradley.
Sent off: McLean 66.
Hatters boss hails his Luton players for winning at the 'toughest place in the Championship' with Canaries victory
Jones reacts to 1-0 win at Norwich
Luton boss Nathan Jones didn’t hold back on his praise for his side after a terrific 1-0 victory at former Premier League side Norwich City this evening.
Ex-Canaries forward Carlton Morris got the only goal just after the hour mark, with the hosts reduced to 10 men shortly afterwards, Kenny McLean dismissed for slapping Tom Lockyer in the face at a corner.
The result saw Town make it seven unbeaten in the Championship, with four wins, as they climbed up to fourth in the table and are now just three points off top spot, as Jones said: “This is the toughest place in the Championship to come with the great respect to everyone else.
“They’re fluent, they’ve got good players, good individuals, good structure, they can hurt you, but I thought we were excellent, defended the cage fantastically well, pressed at the right time, looked a threat on the counter and scored from a counter.
“I think we had a little bit more composure first half, we might have gone in, as we limited them to very very little, shots outside the box, couple of half chances and really, really delighted.
“You know you're going to have ride your luck if you come here, but I didn't think we did.
"I thought Tom Lockyer was outstanding as (Teemu) Pukki is as good as striker at Championship level as there ever been at Championship level.
"So I’m really, really pleased and to come away to Carrow Road, keep a clean sheet, win the game, it’s utopia for us.”