Norwich City vs Luton Town FC (6th Mar 2021)

Match Report | Norwich City 3-0 Luton Town

Town fall to a first defeat in three matches against the league leaders...

The Hatters fought hard but were convincingly beaten by league leaders Norwich City as the hosts claimed their seventh consecutive win.

James Collins struck the post early on, before Teemu Pukki’s first-half double and Todd Cantwell’s late strike gave the Canaries a comfortable win at Carrow Road.

After absorbing a spell of early pressure from the league leaders, the Hatters counter-attacked brilliantly with Luke Berry and Tom Ince combining to switch the play, resulting in the latter firing across goal with Collins striking the post at full stretch.

Despite the Hatters looking solid in the early stages of the game, it was Norwich who took the lead with their first chance of the game. Todd Cantwell was released in behind down Luton’s right, pulling back to Teemu Pukki inside the area who fired into the top corner for his 19th goal of the season.

Luton continued to look bright against their high-flying opponents, with Berry’s deep header being comfortably saved by Tim Krul.

Half-an-hour in and Simon Sluga was called into action to prevent the Canaries from doubling their advantage. After the hosts broke through Luton’s high press, Pukki unleashed a left footed effort from the right-side of the box, with the Croatian international pulling off a brilliant reaction save low to his right.

With the Hatters battling hard to keep the deficit at just one goal, Norwich doubled their advantage minutes before half-time in somewhat fortuitous fashion. Emi Buendia’s effort from the edge of the box took a heavy deflection off Matty Pearson, spilling through to the back post for Pukki to tap home for his second of the game.

The Hatters went into the half-time break having put in a good performance against their table-topping opponents, however trailed by two goals with it all to do in the second period if they were to come away with any points.

Luton manager Nathan Jones made one change at half-time, introducing Jordan Clark at right wing-back in the place of Luke Berry whilst switching to a back three.

Despite the change, Norwich continued to put pressure on the Hatters in and around their box, resulting in Nathan Jones making a triple change an hour in - introducing Harry Cornick, Pelly Ruddock-Mpanzu and Elijah Adebayo in an attempt to stretch the game with runs in behind Norwich’s defence.

The changes had the desired effect for the Hatters, as they began to apply more pressure on Norwich’s back four, limiting the Canaries’ ability to create chances and build pressure.

15 minutes after the triple change Norwich extended their advantage against the run of play. This time it was Cantwell who got his name on the scoresheet, picking up the ball on the left and driving inside before firing a low shot that crept in at the near post after deflecting off Clark.

With Norwich enjoying a comfortable lead that would take a monumental late fight-back for the Hatters to overturn, the game fizzled out with neither side creating any chances of note late on.

Luton’s midweek clash with Rotherham has been postponed, so next up the Hatters face 4th placed Swansea City at Kenilworth Road in a week’s time.

Town: Sluga, Cranie, Pearson, Naismith, Potts, Tunnicliffe, Dewsbury-Hall (Bree 78), Berry (Clark 45), Ince (Mpanzu 61), Moncur (Cornick 61), Collins (Adebayo 61).

Subs not used: Shea, Hylton, Nombe, Morrell, Nombe.

Yellows: None

Norwich: Krul, Giannoulis, Gibson, Hanley, Aarons, Skipp, Mclean (Idah 86), Buendia (Dowell 82), Rupp (Sorensen 78), Cantwell (Hernandez 78), Pukki (Hugill 82).

Subs not used: Zimmermann, Vrancic, Tettey, Barden.

Goals: Pukki (12, 43), Cantwell (73)

Yellows: None

Referee: David Webb

Nathan Jones' reaction to defeat against Norwich City

The gaffer spoke post-match following defeat against Norwich...

Manager Nathan Jones was disappointed with this afternoon’s defeat against Norwich City but felt the Hatters have been good on the whole this week.

The Hatters fell to a 3-0 loss against the league leaders courtesy of a double from Teemu Pukki and Todd Cantwell but had their chances against the Canaries.

Despite defeat on the road, his side have claimed six points from a possible nine in the last week, something the gaffer was keen to reflect on.

“I’m a little bit disappointed but we have to take it in to context," Jones said. "We have come here, done all our prep work with Tuesday in mind. We wanted to freshen up today so that we weren’t just flogging the same group of players, who have done so well for us in the last games.

“Then that got called off, we didn’t reverse back, maybe we should have but we want to keep it fresh because we haven’t got three wins on the spin for a while so we wanted big energy today.

“They are a very good side, the best side of the league. I felt we had the best chance of the game in the first half, should have scored, should have been ahead. When you don’t do that, they can hurt you but we’re disappointed.

“Overall, two of the goals were deflected goals, it makes no difference to the result but I’m proud of how we kept going because it has been a good week. Six points this week out of nine, we would have taken that all day long so let’s not forget that.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rvr27bZyLI – Nathan Jones interview

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

Luton's unbeaten run is ended by clinical Canaries

Championship: Norwich City 3 Luton Town 0

Luton's three game unbeaten run was ended by a classy and clinical performance from runaway Championship leaders Norwich City this afternoon.

Although the scoreline will look like a comfortable 90 minutes for the hosts, had Town taken their early chances, it might, just might have been a different outcome, but there should be no doubting the Canaries will be playing Premier League football next term, as some of their football was a joy to watch as they made it seven straight victories.

Hatters boss Nathan Jones made five changes from the 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest on Tuesday night, with James Collins, Luke Berry, George Moncur, Martin Cranie and Tom Ince all coming in for Elijah Adebayo, Glen Rea, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Jordan Clark and Harry Cornick.

There was no place for Rea on the bench, although Joe Morrell was back among the substitutes along with Sam Nombe, whom Jones had declared needed to more in his pre-match press conference this week.

Although Norwich had the majority of possession early on, it was Luton who had the better chances, Moncur speeding down the left just as JJ O'Donnell had done at this venue some eight years ago in the FA Cup and crossing for Collins in a move that was reminiscent of the Hatters winner that day.

This time, Collins couldn't replicate Scott Rendell's effort though, turning it wide, although appealed vehemently for a corner, which wasn't given.

The forward then went even closer moments later, as Town won the ball high up again and Ince's cross-shot was met by Collins at full stretch, but from a few yards out his effort crashed back off the post when he had to score.

Luton were a whisker away on 10 minutes too, Matty Pearson producing some impudent trickery 20 yards from goal, beating his man with ease then going for the far corner, inches wide, Tim Krul clutching at thin air.

Despite Hatters' bright start, the Canaries went ahead with their first attack on 12 minutes, a quickfire move down the left saw Teemu Pukki afforded a tiny amount of space inside the area and he showed all his class to crash an unerring right footer into the top corner.

Emi Buendia tried to add to the hosts advantage, sending a free kick over from a good position, while then producing an air shot when found by Kenny McLean's dangerous delivery from the right.

Berry's header from a deep cross was easily handled by Krul, before Norwich then invited Town's press on to them, almost scored the most sizzling of counter-attack goals.

Cantwell sent Pukki clear, who dummied inside and from close range was denied by a superb save from Sluga, the keeper sticking out a strong right hand to deflect the shot away, Tunnicliffe hacking the loose ball behind.

Kal Naismith prevented a four on two situation from becoming anything too dangerous with a meaty clearance, before Pukki put a free header wide from Cantwell's left wing delivery.

With a few minutes to go until half time, the killer blow arrived though, as Norwich had a second, Buendia's shot deflecting into the path of Pukki who slid home his second of the afternoon despite the best efforts of Sluga.

Pukki went close to a first half hat-trick, and in some style, with an audacious scorpion-type flick tipped over the bar by the back-pedalling Sluga.

Trailing 2-0 at the break for the second weekend running, although in no way requiring the mass surgery as against Sheffield Wednesday last Saturday, Jones made one change for the second period, this time Clark on for Berry.

Cantwell threatened a third, hooking his volley wide as the Canaries made a bright start to proceedings, before Jones used his bench with an hour gone, Adebayo, Cornick and Mpanzu replacing Collins, Ince and Moncur.

The trio gave Luton more attacking thrust as they finally prevented City from having it all their own way, but were still unable to create that clear-cut opportunity which might have set up a grandstand finish.

Any hopes of an unlikely comeback then evaporated on 73 minutes as Buendia found the run of Cantwell and he advanced, cutting on to his right foot, slotting into the bottom corner via a slight deflection from the edge of the box.

Late on, Grant Hanley side-footed wide following a corner, with sub Kieran Dowell putting a header over and Jordan Hugill was wide, as Town now have a week off until next weekend's home clash with Swansea, following Tuesday night's clash against Rotherham being postponed due to the Millers players contracting coronavirus.

Canaries: Tim Krul, Max Aarons, Grant Hanley ©, Lukas Rupp (Jacob Sorenson 78), Todd Cantwell (Onel Hernandez 78), Emi Buendia (Kieran Dowell 82), Oliver Skipp, Teemu Pukki (Jordan Hugill 82), Kenny McLean (Adam Idah 86), Dimitiros Giannoulis, Ben Gibson.

Subs not used: Daniel Barden, Christoph Zimmermann, Mario Vrancic, Alex Terry.

Hatters: Simon Sluga, Martrin Cranie, Dan Potts, Matty Pearson (C), Kal Naismith, Jordan Tunnicliffe, Luke Berry (Jordan Clark 46), Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (James Bree 78), George Moncur (Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu 61), Tom Ince (Harry Cornick 61), James Collins (Elijah Adebayo 61).

Subs not used: James Shea, Danny Hylton, Sam Nombe, Joe Morrell.

Referee: David Webb.

Hatters boss admits he made changes for Norwich defeat with postponed Rotherham clash in mind

Game called off after Town had completed their preparation

Luton boss Nathan Jones admitted he made changes to his side for their trip to runaway league leaders Norwich City this afternoon with Tuesday night's postponed home clash against Rotherham United in mind.

After back-to-back wins against Sheffield Wednesday and Nottingham Forest, Jones opted to bring in James Collins, Luke Berry, George Moncur, Martin Cranie and Tom Ince for Elijah Adebayo, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Harry Cornick, Glen Rea and Jorda Clark, with one eye on the midweek contest against the Millers.

However, that fixture was then called off on Friday evening due to the Millers players contracting coronavirus, the decision coming after Town had completed their preparation work for the Canaries clash.

Speaking after a 3-0 defeat at Carrow Road, Jones said: “The ironic thing is we made changes today with the Rotherham game on Tuesday in mind as we’ve had three tough games that have really gone to the wire and we knew it would be a difficult game.

“So we made changes to freshen it up so that we wouldn't be going into the Rotherham game on Tuesday (tired), then ironically that was called off late yesterday so it's been a bit disjointed the preparation.

“We found out considerably later than when we did our prep work.

“We’d been preparing for two games, so it’s not a weakened team.

"What it is, because we’ve done a big shift on Tuesday, then travelled, then to do a big shift today, which we knew we'd have to be and then travel again, and then go into the Rotherham game, we knew that we had to change some things up.

“With all probability we probably thought which of the ones are we probably more likely to win?

"I'm giving you inside info here, and probably the Rotherham game, the odds are stacked more in our favour than the Norwich one.

“So we made changes for this one to freshen stuff up, with an eye on that, it wasn’t to be, but there's nothing we can do.

“It’s a great learning curve for guys, these are the levels we want to attain, we weren't at it today, but I’m proud of my players as we stuck at it.

“I don’t see anyone throwing in the towel, I don't see anyone giving up on anything, we kept going right until the end.

“It’s just these are a better side than us at this moment in time.”

When asked if he was now happy to have a rest this week to prepare for the Swansea game on Saturday, Jones added: “I didn't really want it as Rotherham is our game in hand.

"We’d rather try to get points on the board, so say we picked up a point or three against Rotherham, then we’d be on level games with everyone and three points more.

"If we win our game hand for example, there was a possibility to go to 10th in the table and that's a wonderful, wonderful position to be in and that gives us confidence looking at the table.

“But it’s not to be, it’s not going to be played until early May, so that's unfortunate as it means we have to wait for our game in hand now.”

Although going in with five changes, Luton had the better of the opening 10 minutes, with Collins sending one effort wide and then hitting the post from a matter of yards.

City forward Teemu Pukki showed how it's done, netting two goals in the first half, while Todd Cantwell added a second with 17 minutes to go, as Jones added: “We were beaten by a very, very good side, they’re an outstanding side, the best side in the league, and they've shown that today.

“We started very well, two early chances were the best chances of the game, we needed to take that and they were just clinical when they got opportunities.

"They're a very difficult side to play against, they have a real brave structure, we tried to come here and press them but it was difficult.

"They are a very good side, we were beaten today by the best side in the league.”