Sheffield United vs Luton Town FC (26th Dec 2023)

Report | Town fight back to earn back-to-back victories

Sheffield United 2 McBurnie 61, Ahmedhodzic 69

Town 3 Doughty 17, Robinson (og) 77, Slimane (og) 81

Football is mad sometimes. You wonder sometimes why you love it. Why you travel two-and-a-half hours in the car the day after Christmas to watch 11 men fight over a football for 90 minutes.

You especially begin if it’s all worth it when you see your team comfortably and deservedly ahead at the break only to find themselves behind midway through the second half.

All of a sudden, football’s the worst game in the world. The manager’s not made the right calls. The players are not picking the right passes. Indecision creeps in. Frustration. Downright annoyance, too.

But football, as you know by now, no matter your age, is beautifully chaotic football. The unpredictably sometimes just baffling. It’s why we keep coming back again and again and again.

Here, at Bramall Lane the Town and their fans, went through the whole rollercoaster of emotions on a day in which has been good to them down the years. Three wins in their last five on Boxing Day.

Ahead at half-time. Behind on 69 minutes. Ahead again eight minutes to go. The Hatters’ Premier League journey so far has seen some wonderful moments so far. Even in defeat on occasion. These precious three points – made in even more important following an earlier win for Nottingham Forest – might not have had the allure of Everton, Palace or Newcastle but the resolve and character shown by this team to fightback among the bedlam to earn a second win on the road is sure to strengthen belief.

You couldn’t have wished for a better first half. From the first whistle the Town had the Blades back-pedalling and their reward came in the 17th minute when Alfie Doughty tucked home from close range for his first Premier League goal, cheekily beating home keeper Wes Foderingham at his near post.

A goal to the good the Hatters were defending stoutly at the other end, keeping United at arms’ length – much to the frustration of the 30,000 Yorkshire voices.

Yet as half-time approached there was a niggling feeling that one wouldn’t be enough. The Blades ended the opening 45 with a flurry of chances that threatened to sour the Hatters good work. Thomas Kaminski saved Gustavo Hamer’s free-kick. Andre Brooks rifled inches wide. Auston Trusty then flicked a header onto the crossbar.

Half-time, ahead. And good value for it.

With Chris Wilder back at the helm, the hosts will give anyone a game on home turf. The memories of a 8-0 drubbing against Newcastle a distant memory.

The Blades, looking to build on their draw at Aston Villa before Christmas, began to turn the screw. And as they saw their side upping the ante, the home support responded in kind, roaring their team forward. Sambi Lokonga did brilliantly to block a goal-bound shot from Max Lowe six minutes after the restart.

Higher and higher the hosts came.

You know when something bad is going to happen and you can’t prevent it? That’s how it felt for us watching when United levelled. The impressive twinkle-toes of James McAtee got the Hatters on the backfoot and even though he was floored by three Town men hunting the tackle on the edge of the box, the ball trickled into the path of Oliver McBurnie and he finished past Kaminski.

Okay. 1-1.

All of a sudden Sheffield voices soared. The Town, who had looked so comfortable in the first half, were now looking in the need of a breather. United did not let that happen and it got worse for the Hatters eight minutes after the equaliser when the Blades led. Somehow the Town survived a goalmouth scramble – the ball hacked from the goalline by a combination of Teden Mengi and Lokonga. Sadly the loose ball fell to home captain Anel Ahmedhodzic and he sent an assured finish into the net to spark scenes of celebration. A mess of a goal.

Football, eh?

Three minutes after the second goal, Rob Edwards introduced Carlton Morris and Chiedozie Ogbene. It would be a change that would alter moods and emotions for the rest of the day for followers of both teams.

Five minutes later – on 77 minutes – the Town levelled. Morris’ devilish inswinging right-wing cross tempted home defender Jack Robinson into getting his head to the ball and it skimmed off the top of the centre half and into the bottom corner.

Game on again.

Now, the Hatters like it up here. Something in the air or the water or something. Before this game the Town had won 11 of their last 14 away league games Yorkshire sides.

Yet not since November 1987 had a Hatters team won in the top-flight in this neck of the woods. All of that was about to change as a mind-altering second half threw up its latest surprise.

Morris, the matchwinner here last season in a crucial win on our way to third place, was the creator once more. His turn in the box made a vital yard of space for him to shape to cross, the delivery taking a deflection of Anis Slimane and looping up and up and up and up – before gloriously, somehow, incredibly, dropping into the corner of the net to send the away end into raptures.

Character, desire. This team have it all.

Ahead again, the third goal – the manner of it – completely and absolutely knocked the stuffing out of the Sheffield United and despite eight minutes of added time the Town were able to hold to secure their first back-to-back wins in the top-flight since December 1992.

Luton Town know how to win important games 3-2. It might not be Arsenal in the Littlewoods Cup, Blackburn in the Championship or Scunthorpe in the JPT. But three points in the Premier League having been behind? Yes, please, thank you very much.

Next up? Chelsea at home on Saturday.

Happy Christmas and love to you all.

Town: Kaminski; Doughty (sub, Giles (sub Ogbene 72), Osho, Mengi, Bell; Lokonga, Barkley; Townsend (sub Mpanzu 84), Adebayo (sub Morris 72), Brown.

Subs: Shea, Berry, Woodrow, Chong, Krul.

Attendance: 31,041.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0UcoEB72RA – Rob Edwards post match interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsgErf3qaAI – match highlights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9OvE3vv2wM – extended match highlights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0qL8TIx1JE – behind the scenes

Luton win Boxing Day cracker at Bramall Lane to two late Sheffield United Christmas presents

Premier League: Sheffield United 2 Luton Town 3

An absolutely bonkers second half at Bramall Lane saw the Hatters give their travelling supporters a wonderful late Christmas present by beating relegation rivals Sheffield United to make it back-to-back wins for the first time in the Premier League this season.

Following a fairly pedestrian opening 45 minutes in which the Hatters led through Alfie Doughty's first top flight goal, there were little signs of just what the over 30,000 supporters were going to witness after the break, as the Blades offered precious in terms of a serious threat. However, those in attendance then saw four goals in just 20 minutes, all scored by home players, but thankfully while two of them landed in the Town net, two also nestled into the Blades net, as the hosts hit back to lead 2-1, only for Luton to end up winning 3-2.

Before kick-off Hatters boss Rob Edwards made just the one change, Issa Kabore failing to recover from the injury that forced him off against Newcastle on Saturday, with Ryan Giles coming in for his first start since early September. That saw Doughty move over to the right wingback role, as Luton settled into the contest, forcing two corners that were well cleared by their hosts.

Town had to do some defending though when the Blades broke, Amari'i Bell blocking one attempt away and Oli McBurnie putting a header over the top. Luton's impressive start then paid off on 17 minutes when Albert Sambi Lokonga, who had already played one splendid raking pass to Doughty, this time found his team-mate with a far simpler ball.

Rather than cut back on to his left foot, he opted to skip past his man on the outside, before using his favoured peg to hit a tame shot that was straight at Wes Foderingham, who inexplicably let it through his legs and into the net. It took a good few seconds for the away fans to realise what had happened, eventually cottoning on to the fact that Town's players were celebrating a goal and not just winning another corner.

Buoyed by the opener, Luton threatened again on 22 minutes, as Elijah Adebayo did brilliantly to win a header and send Townsend away, the winger's cross met by his team-mate who lacked enough power to beat Foderingham. Town stopper Thomas Kaminski was called into action on the half hour, flying to his left to beat away Gustavo Hamer's free kick, given harshly against Gabe Osho, before Andre Brooks had a crack from outside the box, screwing wide.

Town were their own worst enemies on 32 minutes, Giles giving the ball away to James McAtee who advanced on the right, cut in and tried to pick out the bottom corner, not missing by much. Doughty was a constant menace though, left in acres of space on the right and eventually picked out on 38 minutes, choosing to cut on to his left this time, sending in a shot that looked destined to curl in but for a late deflection.

The wingback took the corner himself, another dangerous delivery picking out Barkley who headed narrowly over the top. United asserted themselves in the closing stages though, as with Jack Robinson's long throws they were always a threat, the ball falling to Brooks whose blast hit Adebayo and went behind, Auston Trusty heading the resulting set-piece against the point of post and bar.

Needing a strong second half showing, Town didn't make the most confident of beginnings, Teden Mengi slicing George Baldock's teasing cross inches over his own bar. Lokonga then highlighted his growing importance with a magnificent block on half time sub Max Lowe when he was picked out by Cameron Archer, throwing himself in the way of the shot.

Giles sent a good opening wastefully over the top, while Brown got away on the left as well, his cross-shot straight at the grateful Foderingham. You got the sense the game was a knife-edge now, and so it proved, Luton's play-off final foe Gustavo Hamer slicing wastefully over from range after space opened up for him.

With the home fans clearly disgruntled by their own keeper Foderingham, who had a tendency to hold on to the ball, despite United being behind, his clearance was cut out by Barkley who sent Townsend away, his curler gathered by the under-fire stopper. The Luton attacker had another crack on the hour mark after picking up a misplaced pass by Vini Souza, as he sent a dipping attempt narrowly over the top, which was to prove Town's last effort on target of their own.

With James McAtee the creative spark for the hosts, he had a huge hand in the equaliser on 61 minutes, speeding into the box where he was bundled over by a posse of Town defenders. Referee Sam Alison waved play on and as Luton stopped, the on-loan ex-Manchester City player trickster was able to prod the ball through to Oli McBurnie, who beat Kaminski to make it 1-1.

Luton then went from what had looked like a position of real authority at the break to the verge of a deflating defeat just seven minutes later, a loose ball falling at the feet of McBurnie and his cross caused havoc at the back post.

Lokonga slid in brilliantly to prevent it being turned in, only to see the loose ball rebound out Anel Ahmedhodzic who had the freedom of Sheffield to sidefoot the ball over the line and put his side in front.

Edwards responded by bringing on Carlton Morris and Chiedozie Ogbene for Adebayo and Giles, a move that was to prove key, as the Hatters hit back on 77 minutes, Ogbene winning a corner that never was and the set-piece was recycled out to Morris. His deep cross saw Robinson grappling with Osho, the ball flicking off the United man's head to nestle into the bottom corner and bring Luton level.

Town then somehow led 3-2 just four minutes later, Morris once more the architect, putting a home defender on the floor looking up to deliver a fierce cross that hit Anis Slimane before looping into the corner, sending the away fans packed behind the goal into bedlam. United rang the changes to try and get back into the game again, an acrobatic overhead attempt from one of them, Will Osula, seeing Kaminski shovel over the top.

With eight minutes of stoppage time added, Slimani tried to make amends for his own goal when found in acres of space, only to get too much on his attempt as it landed in the stands. In the final moments, the Blades threw Foderingham up, but two towering headers by Mads Andersen ensured Town held on valiantly to triumph 3-2.

Blades: Wes Foderingham, George Baldock, Auston Trusty, Gustavo Hamer (Anis Slimane 72), Oli McBurnie, Cameron Archer (Will Osula 86), Anel Ahmedhodzic (C), Jack Robinson (Rhian Brewster 86), Vini Souza (Oliver Norwood 86), James McAtee, Andre Brooks (Max Lowe 46).

Subs not used: Adam Davies, Ben Osborn, Rhys Norrington-Davies, Femi Seriki.

Hatters: Thomas Kaminski, Alfiie Doughty (Mads Andersen 78), Teden Mengi, Gabe Osho, Amari'i Bell (C), Ryan Giles (Chiedozie Ogbene 72) , Albert Sambi Lokonga, Ross Barkley, Andros Townsend (Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu 84), Jacob Brown, Elijah Adebayo (Carlton Morris 72).

Subs not used: Tim Krul, James Shea, Tahith Chong, Cauley Woodrow, Luke Berry.

Referee: Sam Allison.

Booked: Ahmedhodzic, Baldock, Robinson, Hamer, Norwood.

Attendance: 31,041.

Edwards talks up Luton's 'belief' after Town hit back to beat Blades

Hatters chief reacts to 3-2 victory

Hatters boss Rob Edwards felt the belief shown by his side to hit back from losing 2-1 to win 3-2 at Sheffield United this afternoon deserved huge praise.

The visitors looked to be comfortable at the break, leading 1-0 thanks to Alfie Doughty’s first Premier League goal, only to then find themselves trailing with 20 minutes to go, Ol McBurnie and Anel Ahmedhodzic on target. However, own goals from Jack Robinson and Anis Slimane saw Town take the points back to Bedfordshire, and move to within a point of safety.

Having record successive victories for the first time this term, Edwards said: “You can never guarantee you can back up a win so we have to go after the performance and I asked the players to go and be brave again, go and win their battles, win their duels, do the basics, to run, run hard, press, be aggressive. We have as structure and a way of playing and then hopefully the football can come out, so I’m pleased with the way we came out today.

"I thought we quietened the crowd, we were excellent in the first half, with the ball, and really dominant at times, control, deservedly went 1-0 up. They were always going to retain a threat which they did, they can go into McBurnie, anything beyond, (Jack) Robinson’s throws, set-pieces, there was a real threat, but I really liked us in the first half.

"They made a change at half time, going to a back five and covering the width more so it was hard for us to get those switches out to Alfie, out to Gileo (Ryan Giles), and then they began to get momentum. Two-one up, for them, the crowd are going wild, then it’s tough, then it’s tough. For the players to show the character, the belief, I think the belief, to not only go and get an equaliser, to go and win it, however we did it, the players deserve a lot of credit.”