West Bromwich Albion vs Luton Town FC (1st Feb 2020)

WEST BROM 2 LUTON TOWN 0

A goal in each half sees the Baggies back up to top spot

The Hatters suffered a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Sky Bet Championship leaders West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns this afternoon.

Town went behind early in the first half as Donervon Daniels diverted Callum Robinson’s cross into the back of his own net.

The hosts doubled their lead in the 70th minute when Semi Ajayi headed the ball in, ending a run of seven games without a win to move them back above Leeds United.

Hatters boss Graeme Jones made one change to the starting line-up following victory against Derby County in midweek, with Daniels making his first league start in place of the injured Sonny Bradley.

West Brom took the lead in the 14th minute as Robinson’s dangerous cross was turned in by Daniels, whose outstretched leg diverted the ball past Simon Sluga into the back of the net.

Kazenga LuaLua was dangerous as ever for the Hatters going forward, and he went close to equalising but his shot from the edge of the box went narrowly over the bar.

Town had the ball in the back of the net 20 minutes after the opener as Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu’s shot was flicked on by Harry Cornick towards Collins, who stabbed the ball home from close range, but he was judged to be in an offside position.

Matty Pearson made a vital block on the stroke of half-time to deny Albion a second goal. Matty Phillips delivered a cross into the box which Filip Krovinovic flicked into the path of Austin, but as he was about to make connection, Pearson was there to clear the danger.

The Hatters had the best chance of the second half as LuaLua got forward down the left-hand-side and picked out Mpanzu in the middle, but a touch too many from the midfielder allowed the hosts to block his shot behind for a corner.

There were big appeals for a Hatters penalty in the 64th minute as Mpanzu turned Bartley well but was seemingly pushed to the ground as he tried to continue towards goal, though referee Stephen Martin was unmoved.

At the other end, Sluga produced a top save to deny Phillips initially, but two minutes later the winger delivered an accurate cross into the box that was powerfully headed home by Ajayi.

Town continued fighting valiantly and could have got a goal back when the former Baggies Izzy Brown and Callum McManaman combined shortly after West Brom’s second, but the latter’s effort was blocked.

Despite continuing to push, the Hatters left the Hawthorns with no points, leaving them seven points from safety with 16 games remaining.

WEST BROM: Johnstone, O’Shea, Bartley, Ajayi, Townsend, Livermore, Sawyers, Phillips (Furlong 77), Krovinovic (Harper 85), Robinson, Austin (Robson-Kanu 62). Subs not used: Bond, Edwards, Hegazi, Tulloch

Goals: Daniels og (14), Ajayi (70)

TOWN: Sluga, Bree, Pearson, Daniels (Carter-Vickers 73), Potts, Tunnicliffe (Brown 61), Rea, Mpanzu, Cornick, LuaLua (McManaman 73), Collins. Subs not used: Shea, Berry, Shinnie, Moncur.

Yellows: Potts

Attendance: 25,141 (1,534 Hatters)

Referee: Stephen Martin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kpLrlq7KVY – Graeme Jones interview

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-VO8g7vSis – match highlights

GRAEME JONES ON THE 2-0 DEFEAT TO WEST BROM

Hatters boss Graeme Jones felt his side should have done better with their chances in the 2-0 defeat to West Brom – as well as having a penalty awarded for a foul on Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu.

Town went behind when Donervon Daniels deflected a cross past Simon Sluga, before Semi Ajayi nodded in from a Matt Phillips cross.

Jones said: “I think in football you get two things from the game, you either get reward which is points or you get development. I think we’ve added to our development away from home today from Nottingham Forest.

"If you remember we’ve gone to third place [Forest] and today second place who have now gone top, I don’t think we were fazed but it doesn’t help when you gift them a first goal at any level.

“And then it’s a second phase from a corner that Kaz does brilliantly to stay with Matty Phillips, I know how explosive Matty can be and just lets him get that ball in the box. We lose Ajayi and that is the difference in the game.

“We’ve limited them (mistakes) that’s the pleasing aspect, it’s becoming less and less. Obviously we are missing our captain today who has grown in the last two or three weeks and then you’ve got the other end of the pitch where Pelly-Ruddock just needs to side-foot the ball in first time and I’m sure it would have been 1-1.

“From where I was it felt like a penalty because Pelly stays on his feet, he loves a one-v-one duel, I’ve never seen him dive in my life and I felt like it was a penalty.

"Then Callum had a great chance, maybe it happened too quickly after he came on but you really have to take those chances at a club like this, just to turn the crowd, just to make it a bit nervy in the ground.”

Luton's struggles on the road continue with defeat at Baggies

Championship: West Bromwich Albion 2 Luton Town 0

Luton's hunt for a first away point since September 28 continued as they lost 2-0 at promotion-chasing West Bromwich Albion this afternoon.

As with most games in their now 11-match league run, 12 in all competitions, Town had their moments in this contest, threatening a goal on more than one occasion, only to as per usual, pay the price for individual errors at crucial times, remaining bottom of the table.

The visitors made one change, Sonny Bradley missing out due to the injury picked up against Derby County in midweek, as Donervon Daniels was handed a first start in his preferred centre back role, against the club where he started his career.

He partnered Matty Pearson, passed fit to start his 76th consecutive game for the club, recovering from the hip injury that forced him off in midweek, with striker James Collins taking the captain's armband.

Transfer window acquisition Cameron Carter-Vickers was on the bench after joining from Spurs, while the hosts' new arrival Callum Robinson started upfront, Hull attacker Kamil Grosicki and Cardiff City defender Lee Peltier signed too late for inclusion.

It was the impressive Robinson who had the first opening on five minutes, his deflected shot simple enough for Simon Sluga.

The on-loan Sheffield United attacker then had a big hard in the opening goal on 15 minutes, as James Bree gave the ball away on the right and from the break, his low cross was turned past Sluga by Daniels, capping a miserable return to his old side.

Luton tried to respond, Kazenga LuaLua firing over the bar from the edge of the box, while they thought they were level on 33 minutes, when a corner was cleared as far as Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu.

His scuffed shot was flicked into the six-yard box by Harry Cornick, where Collins tapped home, only for the linesman's flag to cut short the visitors' celebrations.

Robinson was the hosts' main threat, escaping on the left as Luton switched off from a corner, cutting inside to shoot goalwards, Sluga hanging on well, also denying Matt Phillips, who tried his luck from 40 yards.

Baggies almost had what you felt would be a killer second on the stroke of half time, but Charlie Austin's close range stab cannoned into Pearson and flew wide of the target.

After the break, Sluga was required early on, producing a strong parry from Robinson's 20-yard drive.

Luton however might have equalised 10 minutes in, as LuaLua's quick feet saw him pick out Mpanzu eight yards out, but the midfielder crucially took two touches and allowed the block to come in, his effort deflecting behind.

Izzy Brown was introduced on the hour against his former side for Ryan Tunnicliffe, while Town had penalty appeals when Mpanzu went over following pressure from Semi Ajayi, nothing given by official Stephen Martin.

Sluga prevented Town from going further behind on 67 minutes, as after Daniels couldn't see the ball out, he reacted excellently to tip Matt Phillips' sweet strike over the bar.

There was little he could do though three minutes later, as Phillips swung over a cross from the right and there was Ajayi to outjump Dan Potts and power his header past Sluga.

Town chief Graeme Jones brought on Carter-Vickers for his Luton debut, Daniels making way, with Callum McManaman replacing LuaLua to face his former side, the winger close to pulling one back immediately, denied by a last-gasp block.

Robinson could have made the advantage even greater, taking the ball down on his left foot, only to slice over the top, with Sluga then at full stretch to just prevent Mpanzu's overhit backpass creeping in.

Try as they might though, the visitors just couldn't find even a consolation, now seven points from safety after Charlton's home win over fellow relegation rivals Barnsley.

Baggies: Sam Johnstone, Kyle Bartley, Semi Ajayi, Filip Krovinovic (Rekeem Harper 85), Jake Livermore ©, Matt Phillips (Darnell Furlong 78), Conor Townsend, Charlie Austin (Hal Robson-Kanu 60), Romaine Sawyers, Dara O'Shea, Callum Robinson.

Subs not used: Jonathan Bond, Kyle Edwards, Ahmed Hegazi, Rayhaan Tulloch.

Hatters: Simon Sluga, James Bree, Dan Potts, Matty Pearson, Donervon Daniels (Cameron Carter-Vickers 73), Glen Rea, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Ryan Tunnicliffe (Izzy Brown 61), Kazenga LuaLua (Callum McManaman 73), Harry Cornick, James Collins (C).

Subs not used: James Shea, Andrew Shinnie, George Moncur, Luke Berry.

Booked: Potts 23.

Referee: Stephen Martin.

Jones saw further development in Town's away efforts at the Hawthorns

Luton chief impressed by visitors' efforts during Baggies defeat

Hatters boss Graeme Jones felt he saw development in his side’s performances on the road despite falling to a 12th straight defeat in all competitions at West Bromwich Albion this afternoon.

After a decent start to proceedings, Luton conceded on 14 minutes, Donervon Daniels putting through his own net from Callum Robinson’s cross.

James Collins then had a goal disallowed for offside, before the Hatters started the second period promisingly, only to ship a second, Semi Ajayi powering home a header with 20 minutes remaining.

Speaking afterwards, Jones said: “I think in football you get two things from the game, you either get rewards, which is points from the game, or development.

“I think we’ve added to our development away from home, today, from Nottingham Forest.

“If you remember we’ve gone to the third place team in the league and now the second place who have now gone top, I don’t think we were fazed.

“It doesn’t help when you gift them a goal, at any level.

"Then there’s the second phase from a corner, that Kaz (LuaLua) does brilliantly to stay with Matty Phillips as I know how explosive Matty can be, and just lets him get that ball in the box, we lose Ajayi and that’s the difference in the game.

“We’ve limited them, that's the pleasing aspect, it's becoming less and less and we’re missing our captain (Sonny Bradley) today, whose grown I feel in the last two or three weeks.”

Just before the Baggies made it 2-0, Town had two great opportunities, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu’s close-range shot blocked and then the midfielder going down under a challenge from Ajayi, referee Stephen Martin waving away his penalty appeals.

Jones added: “Pelly just needs to sidefoot the ball in first time and I'm sure it would be 1-1.

“From where I was, I thought it was a penalty as Pelly stays on his feet, he loves a one v one duel, I’ve never seen him dive in my life.

“I felt like it was a penalty, then Callum (McManaman) had a great chance.

"Maybe it was too quickly after he came on, but you've got to take those chances at a club like this, just to turn the crowd, just to get them a bit nervy in the ground.

“Again that was one aspect defensively, a key area and on the offensive side, they were key areas in the game.”

Luton chief frustrated to gift Baggies their first goal in latest away defeat

Town boss annoyed by his side's defending at the Hawthorns

Hatters boss Graeme Jones was disappointed with the manner in which his side gave promotion-chasing West Bromwich Albion a headstart during their 2-0 defeat on Saturday.

With the game approaching 15 minutes on the clock, Town appeared to have settled into the contest at the Hawthorns, before James Bree's attempted dink forward was cut out.

The ball was nodded on for Callum Robinson to race away on the left, with the on-loan Sheffield United attacker's cross deflected into his own net by Donervon Daniels, against the club he started his career.

Jones said: "It’s a long ball from them, James Bree tries to help it over the wide man’s head, loses it, a cross in the box, it’s an own goal and you’re on the back foot.

"All we spoke about was the first half an hour of the game, managing it, so we gave them that.

"The result says 2-0, but we gave them that start, which psychologically it’s an uphill climb from that point on, as you don’t want to do that in any level in any game."

The Baggies second goal could have been avoided too, with full back Dan Potts out-jumped by centre half Semi Ajayi, who powered home his header from Matty Phillips' right wing delivery.

Jones added: “Second phase at any level is very difficult to deal with.

"Kaz (Kazenga LuaLua) has done everything to slow the cross down, so we should be able to be marking in the box, that’s my disappointment.

"He gets half a yard on one of our players, who it was his job to mark him from the first phase.

"Matty can cross a ball as good as anybody and next thing you know you’re 2-0 down and then it is an uphill climb."