Walsall vs Luton Town FC (29th Dec 2018)

WALSALL 2 LUTON TOWN 2

LuaLua's last-gasp leveller extends the Hatters' unbeaten run to 14 matches

Kazenga LuaLua came up with a 94th-minute equaliser as the Town bounced back from two goals down to take a point from their trip to the Banks's Stadium this afternoon.

The former Brighton man, on as a substitute, stabbed home amid a goalmouth scramble deep into five minutes of stoppage time to send 1,957 travelling Town fans wild as the unbeaten run was extended to 12 league matches.

Including FA Cup, that sequence is 14 games, with James Collins having moved into double figures for the season with a 72nd-minute goal, after a first-half penalty from Morgan Ferrier and a second-half strike from Andy Cook had seemingly put the Saddlers in control.

But with Danny Hylton introduced as a substitute for the injured Harry Cornick before half-time, then LuaLua and captain Alan Sheehan - who last combined as game changers to produce a win at Oxford a couple of months ago - in the closing stages, the depth of the Town squad was there for all to see.

Manager Nathan Jones made one change to his starting line-up, with Alan McCormack, who appeared as a second-half substitute in the 2-0 Boxing Day win at Scunthorpe, coming into the side in place of Jorge Grant. The Irishman would play a crucial part too, lasting the full 90-plus minutes and producing two assists in the comeback.

Jones started with James Shea in goal, Jack Stacey, Matty Pearson, Sonny Bradley and James Justin at the back, with McCormack, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Andrew Shinnie and Elliot Lee in midfield, behind Collins and Cornick up front.

The second-placed Hatters were chasing an eighth successive victory in the league - ten including FA Cup - against a Walsall side who sat 14th at kick-off.

The Hatters enjoyed the majority of the early possession without making too many inroads into the Saddlers' defence, until the 18th minute when Shinnie and Cornick combined with Lee to set the top scorer up for an 18-yard blast that Liam Roberts did well to tip over the bar.

Walsall responded with Cook sending a tame header straight at Shea, before the Town came within a lick of paint of taking the lead, as Mpanzu curled a beauty around Roberts, but it hit the top of the post and bounced away to safety.

The hosts made the breakthrough in the 26th minute when Stacey brought George Dobson down as the Walsall captain headed towards the left byline, and Ferrier did the rest from 12 yards.

The Hatters forwards had taken a bit of a battering early on, especially Lee who had been injured when striking at goal. Cornick was next to pick up a knock, to his thigh, and Jones took the precaution of substituting the forward to bring on Hylton in the 35th minute.

There was no way through ther home defence in the remaining ten minutes of the half, so Jones' side were in the unusual position of going in at the break without a lead for the first time in ten matches.

They came out of the traps quickly in the second period, winning a couple of early corners and dominating possession once again, without creating any clear-cut chances.

McCormack became the first Town player to go into referee Ollie Yates' notepad on the hour for a foul on Gordon, who had just been booked for a foul on Mpanzu, then Hylton joined them within seconds for a foul on Nicky Devlin as he challenged for a high ball.

Jones made his second sub of the afternoon on 63 minutes, bringing on Kazenga LuaLua for Lee, but Walsall doubled their advantage in the 68th minute when Shea could only palm a Luke Leahy cross towards Cook, who volleyed it straight back past the Town keeper from beyond the far post.

Four minutes later the Hatters were back in business. McCormack picked the ball up in his own half and made his way forward, trading passes with Hylton and driving towards the edge of the box. The Irishman let fly and the ball landed at Collins' feet, with the striker spinning and firing past Roberts from 15 yards.

Jones immediately introduced Sheehan for Shinnie, with Justin moving into midfield, and two minutes later the ball was in the back of the net again as Hylton turned Mpanzu's 20-yard volley into the far corner, but a linesman's flag was raised for the striker standing in an offside position - though replays showed he was well onside.

The Town had set up camp in the Walsall half by this stage, and LuaLua was the next to have a go, drifting in from the left flank to unleash a right-footed shot that flew wide of Roberts' left-hand post.

The next opportunity fell to Justin 20 yards out, after Sheehan's left-wing cross had been headed half-clear, but the 20-year-old's shot was dragged well wide.

Town have that belief that they are never beaten, however, and four minutes into injury-time the equaliser finally came. With Bradley playing as an auxiliary striker, balls were thrown into the box and after a Sheehan free-kick was headed behind for a corner, they made the breakthrough.

Sheehan went over to take the left-wing corner, and after Hylton and McCormack had challenged in the air, the ball dropped amid a six-yard box scramble and LuaLua hooked it in from close range.

The players disappeared into the travelling Hatters over on the far side, and wild celebrations ensued. Now it's back to Kenilworth Road for a full house on New Year's Day against Barnsley, the last side to beat the Town back in mid-October.

Have a happy new year, Hatters!

TOWN: Shea, Stacey, Pearson, Bradley (c), Justin, McCormack, Shinnie (Sheehan 72), Mpanzu, Lee (LuaLua 63), Collins, Cornick (Hylton 35). Subs: Berry, Grant, Jones, Isted.

Yellows: McCormack

Goals: Collins 72, LuaLua 90+4

WALSALL: Roberts, Edwards, Leahy, Dobson (c), Guthrie, Devlin, Cook, Kinsella, Ferrier, Fitzwater, Gordon (Wilson 80). Subs: Dunn (GK), Morris, Ismail, Johnson, Ronan, Bates.

Goals: Ferrier (pen) 26

Yellows: Gordon, Guthrie

REFEREE: Ollie Yates

ATT: 5,739 (1,957 Hatters)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZ9CCwBr81s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1za224nGM8

LuaLua strikes to earn Luton a last-gasp leveller at Saddlers

League One: Walsall 2 Luton Town 2

A dramatic stoppage time equaliser from Kazenga LuaLua ensured Luton Town kept their long unbeaten record going after fighting back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Walsall this afternoon.

It had looked like the Hatters were going to taste defeat for the first time since October 13 when they went 2-0 down on 67 minutes.

However, James Collins then pulled one back with 18 to go, and despite Danny Hylton having what looked like a perfectly good leveller wrongly disallowed for offside, they showed huge character in the last minutes of stoppage time.

Alan Sheehan swung a corner over, Matty Pearson's header was palmed upwards by keeper Liam Roberts, with the rebound cleverly flicked over the line by LuaLua, who wheeled away to celebrate with the almost 2,000 travelling supporters.

The result kept Luton in second place, as although leaders Portsmouth romped to a 5-2 win at Fleetwood, their gap to second remained at four points, with Sunderland held 1-1 at home by Shrewsbury.

Earlier, Luton boss Nathan Jones made one change, Alan McCormack in for Jorge Grant, while with Marek Stech injured, Harry Isted took his place on the bench.

The Hatters had the first real chance on 18 minutes, Elliot Lee playing the ball into Harry Cornick and when it ran free, Lee unleashed an effort from the edge of the area which Roberts tipped over.

James Justin's corner was met by Sonny Bradley, Roberts claiming confidently, as the hosts then broke, a deep cross reaching Andy Cook, easily collected by James Shea.

Midfielder Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu looked to have given Luton the lead when teed up by Collins, only to see his delicious curling effort cannon off the post after beating Roberts all ends up.

Despite looking like they were about to step up and take control, Town then conceded a penalty on 26 minutes when Jack Stacey needlessly tripped George Dobson after he had gone on the outside.

Shea tried to read Morgan Ferrier's spotkick, but it was low and to his right, the visiting keeper reacting too late to do anything other than pick the ball out of the net.

After going down with what looked like a thigh problem, Cornick was then replaced by Hylton, although the Town attacker appeared to motion to the bench that he felt he could carry on.

The game started to get more stretched and heated in the second period, as Luton tried to remain patient in their attempts to find a leveller, although saw both McCormack and Hylton enter the referee's notebook for ill-judged challenges.

Jones brought on LuaLua for Lee just after the hour mark, but Luton were then 2-0 down on 67 minutes, the game appearing done and dusted.

Ferrier slipped when trying to send over a cross, Hatters switching off momentarily, allowing Luke Leahy to deliver and when Shea didn't get enough on his punch, Cook was there to volley into the net.

Josh Gordon's 20-yarder was straight at Shea, before the Hatters were back in it with 18 minutes to go.

McCormack set off on a powerful run forward, his shot deflecting into the path of Collins in the area, who swivelled and slammed an effort through the legs of Roberts to make it 2-1.

Hylton thought he had drawn Luton level moments later getting a head to Mpanzu's fierce volley to divert it past Roberts, but the linesman's flag went up as the goal was chalked off, although footage shows the striker was in an onside position.

Liam Kinsella hammered over from 20 yards, the game becoming a thrilling end-to-end encounter, with Jones throwing Bradley upfront, as he volleyed sub Alan Sheehan's cross wide too, LuaLua blazing into the stands as well.

Town kept on pressing though, fashioning a great chance when a clearance dropped to Justin on the edge of the box, who had time to steady himself, only to drag off target.

However, Luton's never-say-side attitude eventually paid off, thanks to LuaLua, stretching their unbeaten League One run to 12 games ahead of their New Year's Day encounter at home to fellow promotion hopefuls Barnsley.

Saddlers: Liam Roberts, Joe Edwards, Luke Leahy, George Dobson (C), Jon Guthrie, Nicky Devlin, Andy Cook, Liam Kinsella, Morgan Ferrier, Jack Fitzwater, Josh Gordon (Kane Wilson 80).

Subs not used: Chris Dunn, Kieron Morris, Zeli Ismail, Connor Johnson, Connor Ronan, Alfie Bates.

Hatters: James Shea, Jack Stacey, James Justin, Matty Pearson, Sonny Bradley (C), Alan McCormack, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Andrew Shinnie (Alan Sheehan 73), Elliot Lee (Kazenga LuaLua 63), James Collins, Harry Cornick (Danny Hylton 35).

Subs not used: Harry Isted, Luke Berry, Jorge Grant, Lloyd Jones.

Booked: Gordon 55, McCormack 60, Hylton 61, LuaLua 90, Collins 90.

Referee: Ollie Yates.

Attendance: 5,739 (1,957 Luton).

Jones felt disallowed goal robbed Luton of a chance to win it

Hatters boss Nathan Jones felt his side were robbed of the chance of victory at Walsall this afternoon after having a goal wrongly ruled out for offside.

With 16 minutes to go and Luton trailing 2-1, striker Danny Hylton turned in Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu’s thumping volley, only for a linesman’s flag to cut short his celebrations.

However, TV footage has since proved Hylton to be onside, as Town saw yet another goal incorrectly chalked off, with Jones saying: “Danny Hylton has scored a perfectly good goal, that is onside, and once again, a decision has gone against us.

“That’s now five or six for the season where we’ve had goals wrongfully chalked off for offside.

“It does keep happening to us.

“It’s just a decision really, it’s too eager and he’s given it.

“I can’t say too much because it’ll get me in trouble, but that’s costing us, and we had it last year.

“That possibly cost us the league, in terms of decisions and I know everyone says that, but that’s what happens.

“Today we’ve scored a perfectly good goal, we’ve done it in the past, scored against Barnsley, our last defeat.

“We had two bad decisions against us and it cost us, luckily today it didn’t cost us, but if we’d scored on 74 minutes, then who knows what could have happened?

“We could score again, they could score again, I would rather have a time machine and go back to 74 minutes and have a perfectly good goal, two-all and say ‘16 minutes, right who’s going to win it?’

“I would have preferred that, but once again a bad decision and it’s cost us.

“We probably should have won it as I don’t know what to say as my team has been probably robbed there.

“But to come from 2-0 down to score two especially in the fashion and the lateness we did, a great point and keeps our unbeaten run going.”

Jones was quick to praise his players for the 'unbelievable' character on display in coming back to earn a point.

He added: “I’m delighted with a point in the end because of how the game went. “I thought first half we were under no pressure in terms of controlling the game, we needed to be a little bit more clinical and then out of nothing, they got a goal.

“We gifted them it, a bit of sloppy defending, we don’t need to tackle them in the box going away from goal, it’s one of those things, over exuberance really.

“We find ourselves 1-0 down, but I couldn’t hammer them too much because apart from just the final third bit, I thought we were relatively comfortable.

“We picked up the tempo second half, we came out a little bit and then we conceded another sloppy goal.

“We haven’t closed the ball down and under no pressure, the keeper’s parried it straight to (Andy) Cook and then we’re 2-0 down, the game’s almost dead.

“We’re then having to come from behind, but we showed unbelievable character.”