West Bromwich Albion vs Luton Town FC (8th Oct 2022)

Report | West Bromwich Albion 0-0 Luton Town

The Hatters' unbeaten run extended to five matches with a goalless draw at struggling West Bromwich Albion this afternoon.

The draw meant the Town's winning run on the road came to an end, after three successive victories at Swansea, Cardiff and Hull leading into the trip to the West Midlands.

But the point made it just one defeat in the last nine matches and maintained the ninth place Town occupied at kick-off, three points off the play-offs, with a third clean sheet in four matches.

Manager Nathan Jones made one change from the midweek draw with Huddersfield, captain Sonny Bradley returning to the starting line-up for the first time since the 2-2 draw with Coventry City last month, replacing Fred Onyedinma who was named on the bench.

Luke Berry and Luke Freeman were back in the matchday squad after recovering from injury, replacing youngsters Casey Pettit and Zack Nelson on the substitutes' bench.

The hosts started brightly, Brandon Thomas-Asante hitting the side-netting from close range inside the opening minute before Martin Kelly headed wide at the far post from the game's first corner soon after.

Ethan Horvath had to dive low to his left to keep out a Jed Wallace effort after quarter-of-an-hour, but the Hatters began to make inroads, James Bree twice sending in dangerous crosses from the right, the second leading to Henri Lansbury driving in a corner that Dan Potts headed at goal, only for Okay Yokuslu to clear off the line.

Thomas-Asante hit the post with a low shot on the turn as the Hatters managed to clear a 25th-minute corner only as far as the edge of the box, and Town were fortunate not to be behind.

The Championship's player of the month for September, Carlton Morris, had his first sight of goal in the 33rd minute when strike partner Adebayo slipped him in on the right side of the penalty area, but his shot found the outside of the side netting.

The scoreline remained blank heading into the break, and it was the Baggies who came out of the blocks quickest in the second half too, Thomas-Asante setting Conor Townsend up for a left-footed shot that Horvath tipped round his near post.

Dara O'Shea headed a Grady Diangana corner onto the roof of the net, and the Hatters then threatened briefly, but Clark couldn't connect cleanly when attempting to volley Bree's cross goalward.

Bradley became the first player to be shown a yellow card for a 57th-minute foul on Thomas-Asante, then Yokuslu soon joined him for a late challenge on Morris.

Town came closest when Clark fed Adebayo in the box on 67 minutes, and the striker's shot deflected up off O'Shea's leg, forcing a backpedalling Alex Palmer - one of Town's emergency loan goalkeepers last season - to tip over his bar.

Jones made his first change with just over 20 minutes remaining, introducing Harry Cornick in place of Morris, but it was Adebayo who had the Town's next effort on goal, his own flick-on rolling back into his path from Erik Pieters' poor touch, but the 25-yard side-footed shot was comfortable for Palmer to gather.

The keeper was in the right place to hold onto Potts' left-footed volley from Cornick's long throw on 79 minutes, and the Hatters could not find a way through in the closing stages, while remaining comfortable at the other end as home fans vented their anger towards their own manager, Steve Bruce.

Attendance: 21,550 (1,385 Hatters)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g26g3AYqww4 – Nathan Jones post-match interview https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CK7xRo5TTN4 – match highlights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6P053_qJd8I – Sonny Bradley interview

Reaction | Nathan Jones on point against West Brom

Nathan Jones said he was ‘relatively pleased’ with a point on the road against West Bromwich Albion this afternoon.

Stretching their league unbeaten run to five matches in the Sky Bet Championship with a goalless draw at The Hawthorns, the boss is looking at the positives as his side remain ninth in the table.

“It is (a good result). Regardless of their predicament and position, they are a good side and they have some real quality especially in the attacking areas. To show the defensive display that we did, regardless of their results, they always score. Their xG is very good, today that probably would have been their lowest xG so we’ve shown we can contain a very good side.

“I’m a little bit disappointed because we had the best chance of the game – a header off the line. Elijah could have slid Harry clean in late on, but I thought a point was a fair result really."

On taking five points from the last three matches, Jones said: “I said to them in there, if we could defend our box half as well on Tuesday night as we did today then we would have seven points this week.

"To stay unbeaten over three games, two away and a home in the Championship is tough to do so it shows we have a decent side here. We’re consistent, we’ve got a side that can compete and that is what we’ve shown today.

“It wasn’t a classic by any stretch, we could have been better in possession, at times we could have had a little bit more quality in the final third but they have put in massive shifts, two away journeys, played Tuesday night and I’m relatively pleased. We should have seven points, but it’s not the end of the world.”

Hatters increase the pressure on West Brom boss Bruce with Hawthorns stalemate

Championship: West Bromwich Albion 0 Luton Town 0

Luton heaped even more pressure on West Bromwich Albion boss Steve Bruce with a goalless draw at the Hawthorns this afternoon.

The Baggies chief’s position had been under massive scrutiny going into the game, and that only increased the longer the match wore on, as his is surely hanging on to his job by the merest of threads now.

For Luton manager Nathan Jones, he was able to reflect on a fifth game unbeaten, as despite the situation in West Midlands, a point away to a side who were playing Premier League football two season ago is never to be sniffed at.

The Town chief made one change to the team that drew 3-3 with Huddersfield Town in midweek, captain Sonny Bradley replacing Fred Onyedinma, to drop into the centre of Town's back three, with James Bree returning to his wing-back role.

The visitors bench looked far stronger than it had on Tuesday night as well, Luke Berry and Luke Freeman both named among the substitutes.

Knowing the hosts were having a tough time of it, particularly when it came to conceding goals inside the opening 15 minutes, Luton might have added to that stat, but Carlton Morris's pass was just behind Elijah Adebayo.

The opening moments had opportunities at both ends though, home striker Brandon Thomas-Asante sliding in to divert narrowly wide from close range and then Martin Kelly's downward header from a corner off target.

Bradley was having a tough time of it early on, as he looked to get back into the swing of things in the heart of Luton's defence, making just his second start in near enough two months, Jed Wallace taking him on to have an angled drive gathered by Ethan Horvath at the second attempt.

Town then upped their efforts, Bree's excellent cross just in front of Adebayo, before from an excellent corner routine that saw Bradley block the Albion defence for Henri Lansbury to pick out Dan Potts, his header was on its way in until Okay Yokuslu, stationed on the line, cleared behind.

Thomas-Asante was looking the hosts' most likely source of a goal, as midway through the half, with Luton clearing their lines from a corner, the follow up shot landed at the feet of the ex-Salford City frontman who swivelled and fired against the outside of the post.

Luton then went close on 32 minutes, with a move started from Bradley, involving Lansbury and Adebayo, that went straight through the middle of the Baggies' defence, ending with Morris blasting into the side-netting.

Just seconds into the second period, Horvath was called on to keep the scores goalless, as the dangerous Thomas-Asante burrowed forward, finding Conor Townsend to his left, with Town's USA international sticking out an important right hand to palm his drive behind at his near post.

The hosts threatened again from a corner, Dara O'Shea stooping to loop his header over as on the whole, Luton looked to have cured their defensive woes from set-pieces that blighted them in midweek.

Growing into the game again, the Hatters then went mightily close on 65 minutes, as Clark drove forward and teed up Adebayo in the box, his sidefooted attempt taking a huge deflection that saw an alert Palmer backpedal and tip over.

Jones brought on Harry Cornick for Morris with 21 minutes to go, and moments later, Town might have made far more of a decent situation, the ball breaking to Adebayo some 25 yards out, but with Clark in acres of space to his left, he went for a first-time side-footer that dribbled tamely through to Palmer.

Home winger Jed Wallace almost showed Luton's forward how it was done moments later, taking aim outside the box himself, only for it to curl behind.,

The Hatters should really have taken the lead on 79 minutes, a long throw by Cornick bouncing kindly at the feet of Potts, but he could only slice his volley, taking all the power off it for Palmer to pluck out of the air, the defender's expression showing he knew just what an golden opportunity it was.

Home manager Bruce opted to take off Thomas-Asante and Diangana to howls of derision from the home fans, as the atmosphere inside the stadium, which had been fairly supportive, suddenly took on a toxic air for the final 10 minutes, with chants against the former Newcastle and the club’s board.

Despite the change, plus Luton bringing on Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu and Fred Onyedinma, neither side could force a winner, as Town weren’t quite able to equal a club record of four straight second tier wins that stretched back to the 1981-82 campaign.

Baggies: Alex Palmer, Dara O'Shea, Martin Kelly, Erik Pieters, Matt Phillips (Taylor Gardner-Hickman 86), Jake Livermore (C), Okay Yokuslu, Conor Townsend, Jed Wallace, Brandon Thomas-Asante (Karlan Grant 82), Grady Diangana (John Swift 82).

Subs not used: David Button, Adam Reach, Jayson Molumby, Tom Rogic.

Hatters: Ethan Horvath, James Bree, Tom Lockyer, Sonny Bradley, Dan Potts (C), Amari'i Bell, Henri Lansbury (Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu 86), Allan Campbell, Jordan Clark, Carlton Morris (Harry Cornick 70), Elijah Adebayo (Fred Onyedinma 89).

Subs not used: Harry Isted, Alfie Doughty, Luke Berry, Luke Freeman.

Referee: David Webb.

Booked: Bradley 56, Yokuslu 59.

Attendance: 21,550 (1,385 Hatters).

Hatters boss satisfied by Baggies point although felt Town might have nicked victory

Reaction from Luton manager to goalless draw

Luton boss Nathan Jones declared he was satisfied with this afternoon’s stalemate at West Bromwich Albion, even though he felt his side could have ended up nicking the victory.

The Hatters travelled to the Hawthorns to face an Albion side who under Steve Bruce, were sitting in 22nd position, with the former Newcastle manager under severe pressure from the home support.

That was only to be cranked up in the latter stages of the game after he made a double substitution, as Jones, who saw Town go close through Dan Potts twice and Elijah Adebayo, felt the visitors might have left with all three points.

He said: “Regardless of their predicament and their position, these are good side.

"They have some real quality, especially in the attacking areas, so it is (a good point), and to show the defensive display that we did as regardless of what results they’ve had, they always score.

“Their xG (expected goals) is always very good, today that will probably be the lowest xG, so we've shown that we can contain a very good side.

"I'm a little bit disappointed, we had the best chance of the game, one headed off the line, and then Elijah could have slid Jordan (Clark) clear in late on, but I probably thought a point was a fair result really.”

The Hatters chief was also eager to highlight another clean sheet on the road which came just a few days after being breached three times from set-pieces in the 3-3 draw with Huddersfield on Tuesday night.

He added: “I said to them in there if we could defend our box half as well as we did today then we’d have seven points this week.

"But five, to stay unbeaten over three games, two away and one at home in the Championship is tough to do so it shows that we’ve got a decent side here.

He added: “I said to them in there if we could defend our box half as well as we did today then we’d have seven points this week.

"But five, to stay unbeaten over three games, two away and one at home in the Championship is tough to do so it shows that we’ve got a decent side here.