Stevenage vs Luton Town FC (10th Aug 2021)

Stevenage 2-2 Luton Town (Boro win 3-0 on penalties)

The Hatters exited the Carabao Cup at Stevenage tonight, losing 3-0 on penalties after an entertaining 2-2 draw in which Cameron Jerome and Admiral Muskwe netted their first goals for the club to twice peg the League Two hosts back.

Manager Nathan Jones made ten changes from Saturday's Championship win over Peterborough, handing 19-year-old academy product Sam Beckwith his senior debut for the club at left-back.

Jerome was also making his competitive debut for the Hatters, whilst there were first starts in a Luton shirt for Henri Lansbury, Carlos Mendes Gomes and Muskwe.

Tom Lockyer was back from an injury lay-off to partner Gabe Osho in the centre of defence, whilst there were also inclusions for youngsters Avan Jones and Ed McJannet amongst the substitutes.

The hosts took a second-minute lead when Elliott List raced onto a ball over the top from Elliot Osborne, rounded James Shea and squeezed the ball home past Tom Lockyer on the line.

Town were level within three minutes when, after Carlos Mendes Gomes had been fouled on the left by Terence Vancooten, Henri Lansbury arced a free-kick towards the far post and Jerome got the faintest of touches to guide a header past Boro keeper Joseph Anang for his first goal in a Luton shirt.

It was a lively start, and Stevenage's tails were up. They were back in front in the 26th minute when Ben Coker's 20-yard free-kick was deflected past Shea by the unfortunate Sam Beckwith.

It was another full debut goal that brought the Hatters level for a second time five minutes before half-time, Lansbury and Elliot Lee combining to set Peter Kioso free to deliver the right-wing cross that Muskwe turned in at the near post.

Gabe Osho became the first Hatter into referee Gavin Ward's book for kicking the ball away, then Glen Rea quickly joined him for a foul on Jake Taylor, seconds after throwing himself in the way of a 25-yard piledriver from the Boro midfielder.

The second half proved to be something of a stalemate, Shea dealing comfortably with a couple of headers from Carter and List, before Jones withdrew the two goalscorers with just under 20 minutes to go and replaced them with Dion Pereira and Harry Cornick.

Seconds after Shea had claimed a header from Osborne at one end, Town broke down the left and Pereira slid a cross in for Cornick, only for the Town striker to be denied by a sliding challenge from his former captain Scott Cuthbert.

Pereira looked like being the man to unlock the Boro backline again with ten minutes to go, shaking off the challenge of Taylor and wriggling free of two other midfielders before slipping Cornick into the box, the forward dragging his shot across Anang and wide of the far post.

The Hatters were knocking on the door and Osho looped a header towards goal from Lansbury's 86th-minute corner, but Anang gathered comfortably, then Cornick went down under a challenge from Vancooten, ref Ward waving away any shouts for a penalty - mainly from the travelling Town fans behind the goal, it has to be said.

Kioso was next to have a go, sending a left-footed shot straight at Anang from outside the box, then the right-back and Campbell fashioned an opening for Cornick to fire across the six-yard box, Vancooten somehow managing to steer his clearance wide of the post and not into his own net.

It would end with a penalty shoot-out, with Cornick and Mendes Gomes seeing their penalties saved by Anang and Pereira clearing the bar with his effort, before Jake Reeves slammed in Stevenage's winner after Chris Lines and Luther James-Wildin had netted the two openers.

Goals: Boro - List 2, Coker 26

Town - Jerome 5, Muskwe 40

Penalties:

Boro: Lines + James-Wildin + Reeves +

Town: Cornick x Mendes Gomes x Pereira x

Nathan Jones reacts to Stevenage defeat

Gaffer has 'no complaints' after suffering cup exit

Manager Nathan Jones insisted he has ‘no complaints’ after his side were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by League Two neighbours Stevenage.

After the score was level at 2-2 in normal time, the hosts dispatched all three of their penalties, whilst the Hatters didn’t convert any as they exited the competition in Round One.

Jones, who made 10 changes from the win against Peterborough, said: “We needed to make changes. We had a very disrupted pre-season but we would have made those changes anyway. We still have six or seven out so we needed people to get minutes and we did.

“I thought it was a good game of football, an entertaining game of football. We had to make the changes with the games we have coming up – West Brom away, away to Barnsley, we can’t be flogging everyone, so we needed to use the squad tonight. We had enough to win the game so no complaints.”

Cameron Jerome and Admiral Muskwe both scored on their first starts for the club and Nathan added: “I thought they were both really good, both a real threat. We didn’t do the basis well early on which meant we gave two poor goals away really but I was happy with our performance overall.

"We changed to get a little bit of a foot-hold in the game because Stevenage were keeping the ball very well without creating anything. We wanted to be a bit more front-footed so we matched them up.

“We were decent in the second half, created enough chances to win the game but credit Stevenage, I thought they were excellent. They have a really good structure, you can tell that with how they play and they will be a handful for teams.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N17SpnhoHYg – Nathan Jones post match

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AV7mmHxHqbw – match highlights

Hatters endure spot-kick shocker as they crash out of Carabao Cup at Stevenage

The Hatters crashed out of the Carabao Cup after a penalty shootout defeat to Stevenage.

With the scores level at 2-2 after a 90 minutes where the Hatters fought back from behind twice, Harry Cornick and Carlos Mendes Gomes were denied from the spot before Dion Pereira fired over, with the Hatters' opponents scoring all three of their spot-kicks.

Manager Nathan Jones made 10 changes from Saturday’s opening day win against Peterborough with centre-back Gabe Osho the only player retaining his place, whilst Welsh international Tom Lockyer made his first start for the Hatters since suffering an ankle ligament injury in April.

With the Hatters the firm pre-match favourites, it was their League Two opponents who took an early lead through the lively Elliott List.

The Stevenage forward rounded goalkeeper James Shea after Luton’s stopper rushed out to clear a ball over the top, finishing into the empty net.

Luton hit back straight away in a frantic opening few minutes, with experienced striker Cameron Jerome bagging his first for the club after meeting Henri Lansbury’s in swinging free kick.

Goal scorer List continued to cause problems for the Hatters back four, with Glen Rea coming close at the other end after rising high at the back post to meet a Lansbury corner.

Midway through the opening period the Boro regained the lead through a Ben Coker deflected free-kick from twenty yards, as the Hatters struggled to gain any fluency or penetration when in possession.

Luton’s starting line-up featured four new signings making their first competitive starts for the club, including former Leicester man Admiral Muskwe who drew the Hatters level five minutes before half-time. Elliott Lee found the overlapping run of Peter Kioso down the right flank, who fired in a low cross that Muskwe fired home first-time at the near post.

The Haters changed shape after the half-time break, moving Muskwe up front alongside fellow goalscorer Jerome as they began to move the ball with more purpose. Muskwe in particular was causing problems for former Hatters centre-back Scott Cuthbert as he turned on the edge of the box but lost his footing before getting a shot away.

Dion Perreira and Harry Cornick came off the bench as the Hatters looked to break down their stubborn opponents whilst remaining wary of the threat posed by their opponents.

Youngster Sam Beckwith came to the fore in the second period, breaking up numerous Boro attacks as fellow youngster Pereira added a spring to Luton’s attack, controlling a Lansbury ball over the top and crossing first time towards Cornick, with Cuthbert blocking bravely at the near post.

Luton came closest to securing a winner ten minutes from time. Pereira was once again the catalyst, releasing Cornick inside the box whose effort across goal crept wide of the far post.

Despite applying significant pressure on their hosts in the closing stages, the Hatters were unable to find a winner and the tie went to penalties.

Luton took first, with Stevenage goalkeeper Joseph Ayang denying Cornick and Mendes Gomes with near identical saves to his right before Pereira blazed over as the Boro pulled off a perfect penalty shootout, sending their Championship opponents crashing out of the Carabao Cup in the first round.