Southend United vs Luton Town FC (25th Apr 2015)

Town Play-Off hopes all but over after defeat

A mistake from goalkeeper Elliot Justham denied the Town from what could have been a vital point in their quest for the Play-Offs as they went down 1-0 at promotion-chasing Southend.

There seemed little danger on when Michael Timlin’s goalbound shot bounced at Justham’s feet but the ball squirmed through the keeper’s legs to gift the home side victory.

It was tough on the Hatters after such a valiant performance against in-form opponents, who had been reduced to 10 men midway through the second half, but the Town will need plenty of goals next week and hope Shrewsbury see off Plymouth to stand a chance of miraculously gatecrashing the Play-Offs on the final day.

It all started with the Town making one change to the side that beat Hartlepool last weekend with midfielder Nathan Doyle replacing Shaun Whalley, who dropped to the bench.

Against a Southend side unbeaten in their last seven – all without conceding – the Hatters had a great chance inside two minutes. The game was only 65 seconds old when Cameron McGeehan eked the ball into the path of Elliot Lee 12 yards out but the on-loan striker hammered a shot just wide of the post.

Southend, who came into the game having won their last six and with a great chance of winning automatic promotion, responded by pushing the Town back in their own half without seriously testing Justham.

McGeehan, who had made an early impression for the Town playing on the right flank but drifting into a central position, picked up an arm injury and was substituted for Whalley on 20 minutes.

However as the half wore on the Shrimpers upped the ante and the home side came close to opening the scoring on 27 minutes when Timlin’s raking pass from the right found Barry Corr but the Blues striker could only nod straight at Justham from 12 yards.

Three minutes later Justham needed to be alert to turn away a dangerous low effort from Jake Cassidy from inside the six yard box, with the Town stopper doing well to dive to his left to prevent the shot from creeping into the bottom corner.

But as the home side’s frustration in front of goal continued, the Town began to up the ante themselves in a bid to breach the miserly home defence. On 35 minutes Whalley did well to link-up with Mark Cullen down the right but after running into the box and cutting the ball back, Jake Howells was unable to reach the ball in time with the goal at his mercy.

Lee, who spent literally a day on loan at Southend earlier in the season before injuring himself in his first training session, was found in the box by Whalley’s clever reverse ball in a dangerous position before the Shrimpers cleared.

Defensively the Town were looking solid but a mis-placed pass from Jonathan Smith in first half stoppage time almost gifted David Worrall with a chance but the Blues midfielder could only shoot wide.

Southend began the second half in the ascendancy, winning a series of corners, and the Town goal lived a charmed life as firstly Cassidy and then Corr then spurned chances following dangerous crosses from the left flank.

The Hatters, in comparison, were struggling to create many chances themselves, relying on scraps on the break – the best the Town could come up was a left-wing raid from Howells that almost found Cullen.

But it was from the Southend left that the Town were struggling to cope with the home side’s threat, but wave after wave of home attacks were well defended by the Hatters.

The Town though were digging in against the Shrimpers’ frontline and then were given a chance on 65 minutes when the hosts were reduced to 10 men. Whalley sprinted clear of the Southend defence but was sent tumbling by Ben Coker and referee Williamson brandished the red card.

With a man advantage all of a sudden the pressure shift swung in the Town’s direction. Almost immediately after the red card the Hatters thought they should have had a penalty when a Howells cross was deflected behind for a corner with the Town appealing for handball.

And as the Hatters continued to push the hosts back, half-chances fell their way from with Cullen and substitute – and ex-Shrimper – Luke Guttridge not far away from beating Dan Bentley, the home goalkeeper.

Justham then kept out a Corr piledriver on 74 minutes before Whalley conjured up a fine chance with 10 minutes to go, racing onto Guttridge’s excellent pass to drive goalwards, cut inside and have a left-foot shot parried by Bentley.

But with the Hatters at this stage looking the more likely side to break the deadlock, disaster struck. There seemed little worry when Timlin lined up a shot from the edge of the box. But to the Town’s horror, Justham failed to gather and the loose ball and it squirmed horribly underneath the stopper and trickled over the line.

It was a bitter, bitter pill to swallow and tough on Justham but as time ticked down the Town tried desperately to find a precious point with Plymouth in front against Tranmere.

Alex Wall was brought on for Scott Griffiths, moments after the left-back had forced Bentley into action, but despite five additional minutes the home side held on to celebrate an important victory and consign the Town, surely, to League 2 football next term.

There is still hope – but it is faint. The Town will need to beat Stevenage at Kenilworth Road next Saturday and hope Shrewsbury beat Plymouth...only an eight-goal swing will see the Hatters in the top seven. Is it possible? Never say never…See you next week.

Town: Justham; Harriman, Griffiths (sub Wall 83), McNulty, Wilkinson; Smith, Doyle, McGeehan (sub Whalley 20), Howells; Lee (sub Guttridge 65), Cullen. Subs not used: Tyler, Lacey, Hall, Kinsella.

Attendance: 10,730, including a magnificent 2,247 backing the Hatters.

http://www.lutontown.co.uk/news/article/gallery-southend-1-0-town-2423521.aspx

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUKs3tRpWXk

League Two: Southend United 1 Luton Town 0

A clanger by Hatters keeper Elliot Justham saw Town’s play-off hopes ended with a 1-0 defeat at Southend United this afternoon.

With just nine minutes remaining, it looked like Luton would take their changes of a top seven berth into the final game against Stevenage next weekend as they were holding the promotion-chasing Shrimpers.

But Justham, who had signed a new two year deal in the week, then somehow fumbled Michael Timlin’s ambitious long range attempt through his legs and over the line, for a hammer blow Town couldn’t recover from.

Results elsewhere gives Luton little or no chance of making the top seven now, as Stevenage beat Carlisle 1-0, while Plymouth seeing off Tranmere 3-2, means the Hatters go into the final day needing an eight goal swing to leapfrog Argyle.

Prior to kick off, Luton had made one change to the side who defeated Hartlepool, with Nathan Doyle replacing Shaun Whalley.

It was John Still’s side who went closest early too, Cameron McGeehan bursting into the box and Elliot Lee took over to sidefoot wide when he should have at least hit the target.

McGeehan’s afternoon was then ended early after he took a heavy fall and suffered a nasty blow to his elbow, with Whalley taking his place.

Justham reacted well to turn Barry Corr’s backheel away from danger, while he then denied the leading scorer again, clinging on to his powerful header with Luton caught out overloading their left.

Whalley volleyed well wide from distance, but Justham was proving the busier of the two number ones, hanging on to Jake Cassidy’s long ranger.

Although Luton were being dominated in terms of territory, they did create an opportunity through some lovely football as Cullen dinked through for Whalley whose cross found Howells, whose shot deflected away.

Moments before half time, Jonathan Smith gave the ball away in the centre as David Worrall advanced but his shot didn’t worry Justham.

After the break, Ben Coker sent a curler into the stands, while Jake Cassidy slid in to reach the full back’s cross but couldn’t direct it on target.

Hatters, who had scarcely tested Bentley, almost had a sniff as Howells advanced on the flank, only for the imposing Adam Barrett to beat Cullen to the delivery.

Southend then should have taken the lead just before the hour mark as Timlin’s cross was missed by Cassidy, only to reach Corr on the volley, who sent it skywards from close range.

The hosts were getting nearer and nearer as Worrall’s searching deliveryfrom the left was met by centre half Barrett who couldn’t keep his header down, while sub Jack Payne was blocked by Luke Wilkinson.

However, with 23 minutes to go, referee Iain Williamson made a huge call as Whalley broke away only to be clipped by Coker, with the Southend man shown a straight red to the astonishment of the home fans.

Although he was just about the last man, Whalley still had a fair way to go to goal, but after some thought Williamson brandished a red.

With a numerical advantage, Luton quickly took the ascendancy, with Whalley in particular behind the best moments.

First Cullen was denied by a wonderful block from sub Luke Prosser and after some pinball in the area, Whalley’s curler was only inches wide, with the winger also denued by Bentley after again cutting on to his left foot.

The Shrimpers were still a threat though as Justham saved low down from Corr at full stretch, before the moment that ultimately decided the contest, Timlin taking aim and leaving Luton’s keeper red faced.

Hatters tried for an instant response, Griffiths’ volley athletically turned over by Bentley, with the full back replaced by Alex Wall in a final throw of the dice.

Try as they might though, there was no way for Luton through an unpenetrable Blues defence who have now gone over 12 hours without conceding at home, as they stood firm to move into the automatic promotion places themselves.

Blues: Dan Bentley, Ben Coker, David Worrall, Michael Timlin, Barry Corr, Will Atkinson (Luke Prosser 70), Cian Bolger, Ryan Leonard (C), Gary Deegan, Jake Cassidy (Jack Payne 62, Myles Weston 83), Adam Barrett.

Subs not used: Ted Smith, Kevan Hurst, Stephen McLaughlin, Joe Pigott.

Hatters: Elliot Justham, Michael Harriman, Scott Griffiths (Alex Wall 83), Steve McNulty (C), Luke Wilkinson, Nathan Doyle, Jonathan Smith, Cameron McGeehan (Shaun Whalley 20), Jake Howells, Mark Cullen, Elliot Lee (Luke Guttridge 65). Subs not used: Alex Lacey, Mark Tyler, Lewis Kinsella, Ryan Hall.

Referee: Iain Williamson.

Booked: Wilkinson 43, Doyle 48, Bolger 71, Deegan 72.

Sent off: Coker 67.

Attendance: 10,730 (2,247 Luton).

Hatters MOM: Shaun Whalley - teased and tested the Southend defence, particularly late on.

Hatters boss John Still attached no blame to goalkeeper Elliot Justham after his awful error handed Southend victory at Roots Hall yesterday.

The 24-year-old somehow let Michael Timlin’s long range shot slip through his grasp and roll agonisingly into the net with nine minute remaining as Luton lost 1-0.

The mistake ended any realistic chances Hatters had of making the play-offs this season, as Still said: “Everyone did everything they could to get the result we needed and unfortunately a young man whose come into the team and done remarkably well has made a mistake, well that’s all part and parcel of football.

“There’s no criticism for him, he’ll become a bigger and better goalkeeper for that.

“That defines your career sometimes. He’s made a mistake, he’ll make more, maybe not as crucial, and that’s what you go through to learn the job.

“All of us as a man in the dressing room feels for him, but it’s gone now. Games sometimes hinge on one moment of magic or one mistake and unfortunately it was a mistake.”

Captain Steve McNulty also backed Town’s young goalkeeper to take the blooper in his stride, while he also felt the defence could have done more to help him out.

He added: “It’s the profession we play in, he makes a rick and it goes in.

“It’s going to be highlighted, but it’s not just him, as a back four we should have been pushed up more and been tighter to the man shooting, the midfield should have been tighter.

“So before he even had the shot, it should have been stopped at source.

“He’s made a mistake, he can hold his hands up, but he’s come on leaps and bounds over the last 18 months.

“He kept us in the game at times and has done over the last few weeks, so he won’t need much picking up.

“He’ll know he’s made a mistake, we all make mistakes, we’ll all get round him, put our arm round him, but he’ll be fine.”