Sheffield United vs Luton Town FC (22nd Jan 2022)

Report | Sheffield United 2-0 Luton Town

The Hatters' five-match unbeaten run came to an end at Bramall Lane as two quickfire Sheffield United strikes early in the second half gave the Blades all three points.

Town were already trailing to two goals inside three minutes from Rhian Brewster and Jack Robinson, when central defender Reece Burke was sent off for pulling Brewster back when he was in on goal with half-an-hour still to play.

Manager Nathan Jones had made two changes to the side that won 2-0 at Reading in midweek, with Admiral Muskwe starting up-front alongside Cameron Jerome following Zimbabwe's exit from the Africa Cup of Nations, in place of Elijah Adebayo who was amongst the substitutes.

Henri Lansbury came into midfield ahead of Jordan Clark as the gaffer freshened up his side with the Hatters searching for their third win of the week.

The hosts had the game's first attempt on goal, right wing-back Jayden Bogle's 20-yard angled drive comfortable enough for James Shea to deal with, before ex-Hatters loanee Rhys Norrington-Davies' speculative volley deflected off Reece Burke for a corner.

It was the Blades who continued to dominate possession in the opening stages, Rhian Brewster shooting straight at Shea on 16 minutes before the ex-Liverpool youngster fizzed a 25-yarder just past the post a couple of minutes later.

The Hatters strung together their first move of note on the half-hour, when Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu played a one-two with Allan Campbell on the edge of the Blades' area, then fed Peter Kioso to slide in a cross from the right, but home keeper Wes Foderingham got down low at his near post to keep out Jerome's effort.

Town had the ball in the United net six minutes before half-time, but Sonny Bradley's header from Henri Lansbury's free-kick - after Amari'i Bell had been tripped surging down the left - was ruled out by an offside flag.

The Blades ended the half as they started it, trying to find a way through a Hatters backline that was being organised brilliantly by the captain with Burke and Kal Naismith either side of him, Shea fielding another weak effort from Brewster with two minutes to go until the break.

Three minutes after the restart that changed, when Bogle's wayward cross-shot landed at Brewster's feet in the middle of the Hatters' box, and the 21-year-old managed to lash a right-footed shot past Shea from ten yards out.

Three minutes later it was two, when Robinson was left with the freedom of the Town box to meet Oli Norwood's inswinging free-kick from the left with a firm header past Shea.

Jones wasted no time in introducing Adebayo from the bench, bringing the top scorer on for Jerome in the 53rd minute - although it was Shea who was next to be tested, again by Brewster, whose volley was saved well by the foot of his near post.

By the hour mark the manager had thrown Jordan Clark into the mix in place of Bell, but the afternoon went from bad to worse in the 62nd minute when Burke was shown a straight red card by referee Stephen Martin for dragging Brewster down when he looked to be clear on goal.

Before play restarted, Jones brought Gabe Osho on for Muskwe, but it was Norrington-Davies who was next to have a go, his 64th-minute shot from the edge of the box flying high over the bar, before Norwood did likewise from 30 yards out.

Norrington-Davies was determined to try to get on the scoresheet, but after a far post header was too high, a left-footed half-volley was deflected behind by Osho for a corner and a shot with his weaker right foot was skewed well wide, with Blades skipper Billy Sharp sending an 83rd-minute shot into the side-netting in between.

Town never looked like reducing the deficit, in honesty, with four games in a fortnight appearing to catch up with them after the Covid-enforced winter break and another of those rearranged games against Bristol City to come back at Kenilworth Road on Tuesday night.

Goals:

Sheffield United - Brewster 48, Robinson 51

Att: 27,780

Nathan Jones' Sheffield United reaction

Manager Nathan Jones was disappointed with his sides performance but was pleased with the three-game week overall after taking six points from a possible nine.

The Hatters were condemned to a first defeat in five matches with two quick second half goals and Jones shared his frustration with that post-match.

“To concede two straight after half-time is really disappointing considering first-half I didn’t think there was much in the game. I thought we were growing into it, they started quite well but then we managed to get to grips with everything. With a bit more bravery I think we could have caused them more problems.

“We scored a marginal offside goal, no complaints or anything really and then we thought we could get into it second half.

"We knew we would have real game-changers to bring on but we were passive in the first five minutes and concede from a set-play which killed the game and that was really poor because we had done the basics really well.”

On a more positive note, the gaffer said: “The overriding message is I would have taken six points realistically with Bournemouth at home, Reading away and Sheffield United away.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmA6fNrxpQo – Nathan Jones interview

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6P46-rWr7Q – Sonny Bradley

Ten-man Luton pay the price for a poor second half as unbeaten run is ended by Blades

Championship: Sheffield United 2 Luton 0

A desperately poor second half performance saw Luton' s five game unbeaten run ended in timid fashion as they fell to a first defeat since late November at Sheffield United this afternoon.

Following an opening 45 minutes in which the Hatters' gameplan looked to have worked perfectly, frustrating their hosts with a compact back-line, denying them any clear-cut opportunities, it all went to pot after the break, conceding twice in the opening six minutes, a mountain they never looked like climbing.

Town then had to play the last half an hour with 10 men as well, Reece Burke sent off for a professional foul on Rhian Brewster, as the Blades leapfrogged their opponents in the table, Hatters dropping to 13th place.

Boss Nathan Jones opted to leave leading scorer and talisman Elijah Adebayo on the bench for the club's first trip to Bramall Lane since November 2005, clearly with an eye on the congested fixture schedule ahead of his team.

Jordan Clark also made way as Admiral Muskwe came straight in from his time with Zimbabwe at the Africa Cup of Nations, with Henri Lansbury included.

Former Luton loanee Rhys Norrington-Davies started for the Blades who had a side packed with Premier League experience in Billy Sharp, Connor Hourihane, Oli Norwood and Chris Basham.

A quiet started suited the Hatters, with their opponents having not played on home soil since November 28, as they didn't come haring out of the traps, Jayden Bogle's angled drive collected by a diving James Shea their only effort of note.

Jack Robinson's mammoth long throws were a cause for concern, Town doing well to repel one early aerial assault, but there was a real lack of excitement in the opening 20 minutes, until Brewster turned sharply and unleashed a low snapshot from 20 yards that bounced nastily and flicked the side-netting on its way behind.

The visitors fashioned their best opportunity on the half hour, Cameron Jerome starting the move, and Mpanzu showing good desire to keep it alive, with Peter Kioso's first time cross met by Jerome, Wes Foderingham saving at his near post.

Luton thought they had the lead on 40 minutes, Lansbury's inviting free kick nodded in by Sonny Bradley, but the flag was quickly raised to cut short any extensive celebrations.

After a decent first half showing, there was a huge spanner in the works just three minutes into the second period when a ball in was half cleared by Burke.

It landed invitingly for Bogle on the right hand side, whose cross-shot was controlled first time by Brewster, the forward swivelling to fire through the legs of Shea from close range.

Rather than give themselves a moment to settle, Luton were hit with the killer blow just three minutes later, a deep free kick from the left met by a completely unmarked Robinson who planted his header into the net.

Jones reacted by bringing on Adebayo for Jerome, as Brewster had another crack, his angled volley simple for the Town keeper this time, while the former Liverpool man should have had a third, skewing wide when left all alone at the back post.

A bad second period then got even worse on the hour mark as Adebayo lost the ball high up the pitch and Oli Norwood looked up to send a ball over the top.

It left Burke isolated with Brewster as the last man, and when he pulled the striker to the ground, referee Stephen Martin had little option but to brandish Luton's first red card of the season.

Gabe Osho came on for Muskwe, as Luton went into damage limitation mode, but not before Norrington-Davies rifled over from a decent position, as did a slightly further out Norwood.

Norrington-Davies went close again with a header into the stands, before Clark ambitiously attempted to get Luton back into the game with a 30-yard snapshot on the run, but the retreating Foderingham gathered easily.

Ndiaye looked to increase the lead, dancing round Naismith in the box but Shea held on to his sidefooter, while Norrington-Davies fluffed yet another opportunity, this time on his weaker right foot, slicing way off target.

A comeback was never on the cards, such was the ease in which the hosts played out the final stages, but Town can still hold their heads up despite the defeat, with a great chance to get back on the winning trail against Bristol City at Kenilworth Road on Tuesday night.

Blades: Wes Foderingham, Chris Basham, Rhian Brewster (Sander Berge 70), Billy Sharp (C, Oli McBurnie 86), John Egan, Oli Norwood, Jack Robinson, Jayden Bogle, Conor Hourihane, Iliman Ndiaye (David McGoldrick 83), Rhys Norrington-Davies.

Subs not used: George Baldock, John Fleck, Oli McBurnie, Jake Eastwood, Kyron Gordon.

Hatters: James Shea, Peter Kioso, Reece Burke, Sonny Bradley (C), Kal Naismith, Amari'i Bell (Jordan Clark 60), Allan Campbell, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Henri Lansbury, Cameron Jerome (Elijah Adebayo 54), Admiral Muskwe (Gabe Osho 63).

Subs not used: Simon Sluga, Luke Berry, Carlos Mendes Gomes, Fred Onyedinma.

Sent off: Burke 61.

Referee: Stephen Martin.

Attendance: 27,780

Hatters boss eager to point out the positives after defeat at Bramall Lane

Town chief reflects on United loss

Luton boss Nathan Jones was quick to point out the positives from the week following this afternoon's 2-0 defeat at Sheffield United.

The Hatters went into the game on the back of successive wins over Bournemouth and Reading, as they managed to get through to half time unscathed at Bramall Lane, frustrating the majority of the near 28,000 crowd in the process.

However, two goals within six minutes from Rhian Brewster and Jack Robinson saw the Blades take a 2-0 lead they never looked like giving away, as Luton also had to play the last half an hour with 10 men, Reece Burke sent off for a professional foul.

Jones said: “They came out of the traps, we didn’t handle that, or we didn’t come out of the traps which we wanted to do.

“Then in 10 minutes the game’s beyond you really and then with the sending off it’s very difficult to peg them back.

“But the message from me to the players is it's been a real good week, a real positive week.

“If someone had said at midday last Saturday, that we would play the league leaders, Sheffield United away, Reading away, we’d take six points, I’d have taken that, absolutely.

“That’s not to say I'm negative as after you do win the first two, then you want to take something from the third.

"But today we had a few who were really jaded because of Reading’s insistence and wanting to play Wednesday night, because it suited them as they had two home games.

“We had to adhere to that and that probably made it a real stretch for us today.

"They’ve had a free week, probably looked a little bit fresher second half, but no excuses, they’ve won the game and overall it's been a decent week so we can't be too down.”

Luton’s gameplan in the first half looked to have worked perfectly, as they quietened the home support, and were inches away from taking the lead in the closing stages, Sonny Bradley's header from Henri Lansbury's free kick adjudged offside.

Jones added: “It’s marginal, I could complain, but it’s nothing really.

“It’s fifty-fifty, so I could have an argument, but that’s not the changing point today.

“We didn't start the second half very well and normally that's us, but this is a good place, fantastic football club and with the squad they’ve got, they were always going to cause the odd problem.

“The first goal’s a poor one, second one is really poor as a set-play so just do the basics which we have done really well lately.

“That’s the one as at 1-0 you always have an opportunity of just nicking something, but today we looked a little bit flat.

“We looked less energetic that we have and that’s understandable as to go to 94, five, six minutes against Bournemouth and win the game, then to go to Reading on Wednesday and put in the shift we did, then to have to travel here with no training, it's a big ask, the third game in a week.

“That’s a big ask and these are arguably the best squad in the Championship, so to do it against them, is tough.”