Stevenage vs Luton Town FC (10th Feb 2018)

REPORT: STEVENAGE 1 LUTON TOWN 1

Boro hit back late to cancel out Collins' 14th goal of the season

The Hatters had to settle for a point from the trip to Stevenage this afternoon, despite taking the lead with a James Collins penalty with just five minutes to go.

Collins picked himself up after being brought down by former Town skipper Ronnie Henry to net his 14th goal of the season from 12 yards, in front of almost 1,900 travelling fans behind the goal.

But the hosts hit back with an 88th-minute header from substitute Danny Newton earning them a deserved draw on an afternoon when neither goalkeeper was called into a save of any real note.

It had been a real battle of attrition on a difficult Lamex Stadium pitch, and although disappointed at conceding the advantage so late in the day, results elsewhere meant Nathan Jones’ side’s advantage over fourth place increased to ten points – although Accrington moved up to second with a win at Coventry, cutting the lead at the summit to six points.

Jones named an unchanged side from last Saturday’s win over Exeter, with goalkeeper Marek Stech behind a back four of Jack Stacey, Glen Rea, captain Alan Sheehan and Dan Potts.

In midfield were Ipswich Town loanee Flynn Downes, Olly Lee and Luke Berry, with a front three of Harry Cornick – who scored the winner against the Grecians – Jake Jervis and Collins.

The only change from last week was on the bench, where Malta international Luke Gambin made his return from injury in place of top scorer Danny Hylton, who is still battling a hamstring problem.

The Town started brightly, winning a free-kick and corner inside the opening two minutes, both taken by Sheehan and the latter met by Collins, although the striker’s header was deflected wide for another set-piece.

Stevenage responded with a burst down the right by Luke Amos, his cross well cleared by the Town defence before Jonathan Smith hit an 11th-minute snap-shot – latching onto a Mark McKee free-kick that had been awarded for a foul by Collins on the former Luton midfielder – but it flew well wide.

Cornick’s pace was causing Stevenage concerns down the right, and only goalkeeper Tom King racing out of his area prevented the Town forward getting a clear run on goal in the 20th minute.

Then, on the other flank, Potts showed some great footwork in the box to burst to the byline after taking a pass from Jervis, but Boro centre-half Jack King read his cut-back to Collins and made a terrific sliding challenge to prevent the ex-Crawley man getting a shot off eight yards from goal.

Stevenage’s recent signing from Swindon, John Goddard, had the game’s next attempt, but Stech was right behind his 20-yard curler, before Sheehan whipped in a 30th-minute free-kick that Rea met at the far post, heading back across for Jervis, who couldn’t keep his volley down.

The game was playing out as a midfield battle, but when the Town got the ball down they looked like carving Stevenage open down the left, Potts playing a one-two with Olly Lee to burst into the area, but his cross went begging.

In the 38th minute Cornick hared down the right once more after Stacey set a move in progress from deep inside his own half. Cornick picked out Jervis with an inviting cross from the byline, but the deadline day signing from Plymouth saw his glancing header drift wide.

Cornick was starting to enjoy himself, and within seconds of the hosts replacing injured centre-half Jack King with another former Hatter, Fraser Franks, the ex-Bournemouth forward cracked a 25-yarder that didn’t quite dip enough to trouble Tom King, before Berry had a go from similar distance, this one straight at the Stevenage stopper, who dealt with the bounce off the greasy surface well.

Stevenage came out of the blocks quickly after half-time, Matt Godden crossing for Alex Revell to head just wide within 30 seconds of the restart, before the recent signing from Northampton stabbed Goddard’s centre wide in the 48th minute.

The Hatters were finding it difficult to gain any fluency going forward until Cornick created space for himself to get a shot in from the edge of the box on the hour, although it flew high into the Town fans behind the goal.

Goddard and Smith then had efforts from range that only troubled the diggers in the building site that currently sits where the North Terrace at the Lamex Stadium once stood, before Jones introduced Andrew Shinnie in place of Jervis with 62 minutes played.

Still it was Boro asking the second-half questions though, and Godden fired a low shot across the face of goal before Ronnie Henry sent a free-kick from inside his own half towards Revell, although the experienced striker’s looping header was easy for Stech to gather.

With quarter-of-an-hour to go, Stech had to be alert to drop on a header from Franks, meeting another free-kick thrown into the Town box from deep, before Jones introduced Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu in place of Downes.

The Hatters’ forwards had been feeding on scraps in the second half, but Sheehan’s set-piece deliveries always carry a threat, and a right-wing corner in the 81st minute almost brought joy for Potts at the far post as it winged its way through the six-yard box.

All of a sudden the Town were lifted, and the golden opportunity to win it came when Collins found himself clear in the 83rd minute and as he prepared to shoot just inside the box, Henry slid in from behind and brought him down.

After a long delay, in which the Boro right-back was shown the yellow card, Collins picked himself up and dispatched the spot-kick into the back of the net as Tom King dived the wrong way.

The equaliser came in the 88th minute when Newton met McKee’s corner with a powerful header that went in off the underside of the bar, and Boro had a deserved equaliser.

Another chance came Collins’ way two minutes into time added on, but Cornick’s cross from the right was just behind him and the striker’s volley flew high over the bar.

Referee Darren Handley penalised Stacey for a handball on the edge of the box a couple of minutes later, but thankfully for the Hatters, Goddard’s free-kick finished up in the building site and we could take home what could prove to be an important point in the long run.

TOWN: Stech, Stacey, Rea, Sheehan ©, Potts, Downes (Mpanzu 75), O Lee, Berry (D’Ath 79), Cornick, Jervis (Shinnie 62), Collins. Subs: Justin, Gambin, Jones, Shea (GK)

Goals: Collins 85 (pen)

Yellows: Collins

BORO: T King, Henry, Wilmot, J King (Franks 41), Vancooten, Amos (Kennedy 73), Smith, McKee, Goddard, Godden (Newton 82, Revell. Subs: Fryer, Wilkinson, Bowditch, Conlon

Goals: Newton 88

Yellows: Henry

REFEREE: Darren Handley

ATT: 4,365 (1,889 Hatters)

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auEzy_-g5d8

NATHAN JONES ON THE DRAW WITH STEVENAGE

Town boss Nathan Jones was disappointed with the way his side conceded late on as they had to settle for a point at the Lamex Stadium this afternoon.

James Collins gave the Hatters the lead with five minutes of normal time to go, as he converted from the penalty spot having been brought down by Ronnie Henry moments earlier. The hosts responded three minutes later though when Danny Newton headed in from a Boro corner.

Jones said: "It probably was a fair result, I thought we were the better side in the first half, I thought we had more of the chances and we got to grips with the conditions a lot better. The conditions were awful, we knew it was going to be difficult, the wind was swirling.

"So it was very difficult for there to be any quality in the football game. I thought in the first half we showed more of it, they probably showed more of it in the second half.

"Once you get the goal after 85 minutes, you're kind of disappointed that you don't see the game out. That's the disappointing thing, but it's probably a fair result. I think they'll probably feel disappointed that they conceded the penalty, but overall it's a fair result. It was a game that lacked any real quality.

"We said we were going to get one or two opportunities and we need to take one of those, we did that and then you have got to see the game out and we didn't.

"It was symptomatic really – we gave a free-kick away on the halfway line, we allow them to get two headers in the box, then we give away a cheap corner and then we don't pick up and we concede."

Hatters let victory slip from their grasp at Stevenage

League Two: Stevenage 1 Luton Town 1

A dramatic final five minutes saw Luton disappointingly let victory slip through their fingers against Stevenage at the Lamex this afternoon.

After a thoroughly uninspiring first 85 minutes on a terrible pitch, it had looked like the Hatters were going to steal victory away when James Collins netted from the penalty spot.

However, the visitors celebrations were cut short just two minutes later, as a corner was swung in and sub Danny Newton got up first to head in via the underside of the bar, rescuing a point.

The draw didn't harm Town's automatic promotion chances though as despite Accrington's excellent win at Coventry cutting their lead at the summit to six points, no other team in the top seven triumphed, meaning Nathan Jones' side increased their advantage to 10 points over fourth-placed Notts County.

Luton were were unchanged for the clash, although striker Danny Hylton's place on the bench was taken by the fit-again Luke Gambin.

On a surface that was cutting up in the warm up and only went on to get worse, the hosts went close when Mark McKee's low free kick was hooked over the bar by ex-Town midfielder Jonathan Smith.

Hatters didn't create a great deal in the opening stages, their best opportunity when Olly Lee sent Harry Cornick away and keeper Tom King raced out of his box to get a crucial touch and force him away from goal.

Visiting stopper Marek Stech made a comfortable stop midway through the half from Johnny Goddard's curler, before Luton had finally created a genuine opportunity on the half hour.

Alan Sheehan's deep free kick was met by Glen Rea's downward header, Jake Jervis hooking over the top from close range.

In the latter stages of the half, Cornick sped away on the right reaching the byline where he hung a cross up for Jervis, who couldn't direct his header on target.

Cornick then tried his luck himself from 30 yards, swerving an effort that didn't come down in time, while Luke Berry used Dan Potts' run as a decoy, firing a bouncing attempt that King comfortably claimed.

Although shading the contest in the opening period, Luton were then on the back foot for the second half as Boro made the more purposeful start, the tricky Matt Godden finding space to cross for Revell, whose angled header dropped past the far post.

The hosts went close once more, when Revell again was in the right place to meet Goddard's run and delivery, directing his volley wide.

Clear-cut chances were sparse for the Hatters though, Cornick rifling over, as Boro continued to press, Goddard's ambitious effort flying wide as did Smith's.

With play getting more and more scrappy, Jones attempted to give his side more quality in possession, bringing on Andrew Shinnie for Jervis, but if anything, the Hatters' attacking efforts became more non-existent.

Boro looked the most likely to win it, having the better of possession and territory, although Cornick remained Luton's most likely outlet, winning a corner after going on the outside of Terence Vancooten.

Sheehan's delivery was missed by everyone, apart from Potts coming in at the far post, who could only prod wide.

However, with five minutes to go, Collins managed to win the ball and beat two markers as the space opened up in front of him.

He made it inside the area, clearly brought down by ex-Luton skipper Ronnie Henry as he went to shoot, with referee Darren Handley pointing to the spot.

Collins made no mistake, sending King the wrong way to net his first penalty in a Luton shirt, removing his in the process to earn a booking as the visitors celebrated wildly.

With the 1,900-strong Town fans believing victory was heading back to Bedfordshire, Hatters gave away an unnecessary corner with Lawson D'Ath heading behind and it was prove their undoing, Newton glancing in after only being on for the pitch for five minutes.

Both sides could have nicked it late on though, Collins slipping as he met Cornick's cross, volleying into the stands.

Boro then had a glorious opportunity in stoppage time, Stacey penalised for handball just outside the area, with Goddard curling wastefully over as the spoils were shared.

Boro: Tom King, Jonathan Smith, Jack King (Fraser Franks 42), Alex Revell, Johnny Goddard, Luke Amos (Ben Kennedy 73), Terence Vancooten, Matt Godden (Danny Newton 82), Ronnie Henry (C), Mark McKee, Ben Wilmot.

Subs not used: Joe Fryer, Luke Wilkinson, Tom Conlon, Dean Bowditch.

Hatters: Marek Stech, Jack Stacey, Dan Potts, Glen Rea, Alan Sheehan (C), Glen Rea, Flynn Downes (Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu 75), Olly Lee, Luke Berry (Lawson D'Ath 79), Harry Cornick, James Collins, Jake Jervis (Andrew Shinnie 61).

Subs not used: James Shea, James Justin, Lloyd Jones, Luke Gambin.

Referee: Darren Handley.

Booked: Henry 84, Collins 86, Wilmot 89. Potts 90.

Attendance: 4,365 (Luton 1,889).

Hatters MOM: Harry Cornick, Town's only real attacking outlet throughout.

Jones concedes draw was the fair result at Boro

Although left hugely frustrated by the manner it was achieved, Hatters boss Nathan Jones conceded that a was probably the right outcome from his side’s outing at Stevenage this afternoon.

The Luton chief thought his side were going walk away triumphant after James Collins scored from the penalty spot with five minutes to go .

However, Danny Newton then headed home from a corner moments later to make the final score 1-1, with Jones saying: “I thought we were the better side first half, we had more of the occasions and got to grips with the conditions a lot better, because the conditions were awful, the pitch is awful here with two teams playing on it, which isn’t ideal.

“We knew it was going to be difficult, the wind’s swirling, so it was very difficult for there to be any quality in the football game. “

We showed more of it first half, they probably showed more of it second half, and then once you get the goal on 85 minutes, you’re kind of disappointed that you don’t see the game out, as that’s the disappointing thing.

“It probably is a fair result, they’ll be disappointed to concede the penalty, but it’s probably a fair result in a game that lacked real quality.”

Hatters did move a further point clear of fourth placed Notts County to lead the Magpies by 10, with only second placed Accrington in the top seven winning, cutting the gap on Town to six points, as Jones added: “Yes we’ve extended the gap to fourth, but it could be so much more and we could be making things so much easier for ourselves.

“Because the only games we’ve dropped points lately, we conceded a set-play against Wycombe and then today.

“It’s so disappointing as we work so hard for these opportunities, but it could be a good point in the end.”