Yeovil Town vs Luton Town FC (22nd Aug 2015)

PUBLISHED 19:17 22nd August 2015 Hatters lose a 2 goal advantage at Huish Park

YEOVIL TOWN 3-2 LUTON TOWN

The Hatters fell to their second consecutive league defeat this afternoon at a muggy Huish Park.

First half goals from Craig Mackail Smith and Paul Benson cancelled out by a Stephen Arthurworrey header and two second half goals from Yeovil sub Ryan Bird.

Luton fall away dramatically in the second half.

Luton travelled to Yeovil in Somerset today for only the second time – but it would turn out to be a fruitless trip for the Town who fell to a disappointing 3-2 defeat.

Things started brightly enough for the Hatters, who won the toss and kicked off with over 700 travelling fans cheering them on behind Mark Tyler’s goal. Town lined up in a 4-4-2 formation, a change from earlier in the week against Bristol Rovers. Three changes were made to personnel too – with Danny Green, Ryan Hall and Jonathan Smith making the starting XI.

Luton were quickest out of the blocks in the early exchanges, and after three minutes Danny Green whipped a cross in just over Paul Benson’s head into the Yeovil Keeper Krysiak’s hands.

Then, a minute later a goal to Luton as Craig Mackail Smith spotted the Yeovil keeper off his line and met a cross with a sweet volley, fully 25 yards out. The shot flew past Krysiak, and into the back of the net. This was Mackail Smith’s first league goal for the Hatters, and one to remember.

The positive start continued, with some good passing movements for Luton, with Wilkinson, McGeehan and Green moving the ball quickly between them. And on 16 minutes, the Town were two to the good.

Ryan Hall met a cross with a volleyed shot which took a deflection. The resulting corner was delivered long and deep by Green. Bravely, Jonathan Smith headed the ball back back into the path of Wilkinson making a simple pass to Paul Benson who simply slotted the ball home.

From that moment on, the tide turned Yeovil’s way. Stephen McNulty picked up a yellow card for holding on to Jeffers over by the far touchline, as the Glovers started creeping back into the game. On 37 minutes, an unmarked Stephen Arthurworrey rose to meet a cross from the left with a solid header past Mark Tyler for 2-1.

His goal lifted the Yeovil team, and the half came to a nervy close, with Hatters skipper McNulty receiving a stern word from referee Hooper.

As the two teams came out for the second half, the weather looked to be taking a turn for worse with dark skies and some spots of rain. McNulty unsurprisingly made way at half time, with manager John Still looking to avoid losing the player to a possible second yellow. Mark O’Brien came on his in his place for the Hatters.

The Glovers came out looking up for it, with the home side testing the Luton defence with a through ball to Jeffers, who was caught narrowly offside.

Early in the half, Paul Benson had a volleyed shot turned around the post, and Cameron McGeehan also had shot parried behind, but the corner delivered by Ryan Hall was too long to pose any danger. Hall was substituted a few moments later for Alex Lawless.

Yeovil then really started putting the pressure on the Hatters defence. On 53 minutes Dolan nearly put Smith through down the right flank with an inventive cross, but the ball went out for a throw. Yeovil continued with this strategy - trying to get through the Luton defence, and were caught out on two or three occasions by the offside trap.

The real turning point came with the arrival of Ryan Bird as a sub, on for Ryan Jeffers on the hour mark. The Yeovil equaliser came soon after. Luton failed to close the attack down quickly, and Harry Cornick made his way through for Bird to stroke the ball past Tyler.

John Still looked to mix things up with the introduction of Paddy McCourt on for Danny Green after 65 minutes, and the weather looked to make things a misery for everyone with heavy and prolonged shower.

With the town looking nervy on 72 minutes, Paul Benson went down holding his neck – looking a bit dazed. Play continued as Ryan Bird picked up the ball over on the right after a Jonathan Smith clearance ricocheted back into his path and fired home confidently past Tyler in goal to take the lead.

All that remained for Yeovil was to see the game out. Jonathan Smith was getting stuck in in midfield, but was penalised on 85 minutes for a strong two footed challenge. The last half chance of the game came as Griffiths sent a cross-cum-shot bouncing of the top of the Yeovil crossbar on 89 minutes.

The match came to a close after 3 minutes of time added, with Yeovil marking their first points of the 15-16 campaign, and more questions than answers for John Still and his team.

Luton host Premiership Stoke City on Tuesday night in the Capital One Cup.

Luton: Tyler, Smith, McNulty, Cuthbert, McGeehan, Benson, Hall, Green, Griffiths, Mackail Smith, Wikinson,

Subs: Lawless (58), McCourt (65), Justham, Ruddock Mpanzu, McQuoid, O’Brien (HT), O’Donnell

Yeovil: Krysiak, Smith ©, Dolan, Arthurworrey, Sokolik, Jeffers, Compton, Lacey, Cornick, Roberts, Wakefield

Subs: Bird (60), Weale, Burrows, Sowunmi, Allen (72), Beck, Norris

Attendance 3,830

Referee – Simon Hooper

http://www.lutontown.co.uk/news/article/yeovil-3-2-luton-gallery-2639331.aspx

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1su2bhmJZgU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxKQxrNj9Kk

League Two: Yeovil Town 3 Luton Town 2

Luton Town’s supposed charge to the League Two title this season continues to blow up in their faces as they slumped to defeat at Yeovil Town this afternoon.

Although nothing is ever won in August, the manner of Hatters’ loss was cause for real concern, as leading 2-0 with just 18 minutes gone, they somehow contrived to let their advantage slip, to eventually and criminally, leave Huish Park with nothing.

To put things into context, this was a Glovers side who went into the match without a single league point, or a goal in all competitions since the opening day, so the ease in which they found the net three times, is already a huge worry.

The result also means Hatters are yet to taste victory in League Two themselves, slipping to third bottom in the table.

It could and without doubt should have been all so different too as the visitors made three changes for the clash, Danny Green finally restored to the starting line-up after the opening day draw at Accrington, while Ryan Hall came in for his first start of the season.

Jonathan Smith completed the trio of alterations, replacing the injured Nathan Doyle, with Stephen O’Donnell and Paddy McCourt dropping to the bench.

Hatters boss John Still also ditched his much criticised 3-5-2 system utilised for the last three matches, reverting to a 4-4-2 formation, with Green and Hall on either wing.

After failing to even test Bristol Rovers’ keeper during Tuesday night’s woeful defeat, Town took just four minutes to make a mockery of that stat through summer signing Craig Mackail-Smith.

The striker picked up a flick from Paul Benson and then arrowed an absolutely stunning dipping volley, that was in from the moment it left his boot, over Glovers keeper Artur Krysiak.

Town almost had a second on 17 minutes when the ball was cleared out to Hall and his magnificent volley flew inches over, with the aid of a slight deflection.

From the corner, it was 2-0 though as although Green’s delivery was poor, Smith never gave up the loose ball, with Luke Wilkinson hooking an effort over Krysiak and Benson tapping home from a yard.

Yeovil, as expected for a side without a point all season, looked bereft of confidence, with supporters already voicing their frustration at what was on offer.

However, Luton appeared to think they had done enough, dropping their tempo, as Matthew Dolan shot hopefully at Tyler from 25 yards, while Hall’s complacent pass saw Shaun Jeffers force the keeper to save low down.

On 38 minutes, Yeovil were back in the contest too as Town switched off from a free kick, with Connor Roberts delivering an inch-perfect cross allowing towering centre half Stephen Arthurworrey to outjump Steve McNulty and head beyond Tyler.

That saw the hosts finish the half strongly, with Dolan’s long ranger turned behind by the now over-worked Luton stopper.

McNulty was also left walking a disciplinary tightrope after being booked for a cynical foul on Jeffers, and receiving two more clear warnings from referee Simon Hooper, he looked a red card waiting to happen.

That forced boss Still into the only option available at the break, withdrawing his skipper, with Mark O’Brien on for his league in his preferred central defensive role.

Benson almost had his second of the afternoon, diverting Wilkinson’s cross goalwards, only to be denied by a fine Krysiak save, while Cameron McGeehan’s thunderous effort bravely blocked by Jakub Sokolik, before the hosts brought on Ryan Bird and their fortunes suddenly changed.

On 63 minutes, they were level as with Scott Griffiths sucked out of position yet again, Harry Cornick picked out an offside looking Bird to tap home from close range.

Huish Park was then caught in a rainstorm of truly tropical proportions and Luton’s advantage was washed away completely, when Arthurworrey broke out of defence.

Although tackled as he charged forward, the loose ball ran through to Bird for the sub to produce an unerring finish beyond Tyler.

Still had already rung the changes by this point, bringing on Alex Lawless and Paddy McCourt, but Hatters laboured in the closing stages, never looking like threatening a leveller.

If anything, it was Yeovil who almost added to their tally, although Town almost got out of jail wit the aid of a fluke in stoppage time, when Griffiths’ over-hit cross cannoned off the top of Krysiak’s crossbar.

Hatters now have to somehow lift themselves for the visit Premier League Stoke City on Tuesday night, before an even more important league clash with Portsmouth at the weekend.

Glovers: Artur Krysiak, Nathan Smith (C), Matthew Dolan, Stephen Arthurworrey, Jakub Sokolik, Shaun Jeffers (Ryan Bird 61), Jack Compton (Ifeanyi Allen 74), Alex Lacey, Harry Cornick, Connor Roberts, Joshua Wakefield.

Subs not used: Christopher Weale, Jamie Burrows, Omar Sowunmi, Mark Beck, David Norris.

Hatters: Mark Tyler, Scott Cuthbert, Steve McNulty (Mark O’Brien 46), Luke Wilkinson, Scott Griffiths, Danny Green (Paddy McCourt 66), Cameron McGeehan, Jonathan Smith, Ryan Hall (Alex Lawless 59), Paul Benson, Craig Mackail-Smith.

Subs not used: Elliot Justham, Josh McQuoid, Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu, Stephen O’Donnell.

Referee: Simon Hooper.

Booked: McNulty 32, Roberts 87, J Smith 88.

Attendance: 3,830.

Hatters MOM: Jonathan Smith - wholehearted display in central midfield once more.

Hatters chief John Still admitted he wasn’t getting affected by ‘silly season’ as Town’s poor start to the League Two season continued with a 3-2 defeat at Yeovil Town yesterday.

It had looked like Luton would be on their way to a welcome first win, leading 2-0 after just 18 minutes, but for the second Saturday running, they squandered that advantage.

The result took Town’s record to two draws and two defeats in a season they were heavily tipped as one of the main promotion contenders, but Still said: “I looked at the opening games and did I think we would win all of them? No, but I believed we would get something from all of those.

“As someone pointed out to me, it’s silly season. Portsmouth were 3-0 down at home (to Morecambe, drawing 3-3) and Cambridge got beat at home (to Crawley), but I know it’s silly season and I don’t really get affected by it, I don’t.

“I always look at if after eight or nine games, but I have to say that regardless of starting a bit slow which my teams usually do, that team didn’t particularly didn’t slow, that team was in a winning position and never played well enough to see it out and that’s disappointing.”

When asked just why his side had failed to garner their first victory at Huish Park, a mystified Still continued: “I sort of talk to myself when games are going on and when games are over, figure of speech talk to myself by the way.

“I ask myself questions and I try to answer those questions. This particular moment, I couldn’t answer that question.

“We have people that I think are solid defenders, we had two players who can cross and supply, energy in midfield, Cameron (McGeehan) and Smudge (Jonathan Smith). Someone that can hold the ball upfront and someone who can run in behind and score goals, but it wasn’t a team.

“I can’t explain it better than that, it wasn’t a team at all. I thought the last game we played at home against Bristol Rovers it wasn’t a team.

“I’m never one at the start of the season to be disappointed with what I see, but I was disappointed.”

JOHN Still thinks it's 'silly season' in League Two but was rather more serious during Saturday's 3-2 defeat at Yeovil, removing 'poor' captain Steve McNulty at half time to spare him a red card.

The central defender spent the first half at Huish Park making clumsy, unnecessary fouls, collecting one yellow card and then getting a final warning from referee Simon Hooper.

Then, with Town 2-0 up inside 18 minutes, thanks to a first Luton goal for Craig Mackail-Smith and a second of the season for Paul Benson, McNulty was beaten in the air as Stephen Arthurworrey pulled a goal back for Yeovil before the break. That was enough for Still to replace his leader with former Derby County defender Mark O'Brien for his Hatters league debut.

But Town were woeful in the second period and conceded two goals to Ryan Bird to slump to their second successive defeat and leave them without a League Two win this season.

Afterwards, Still said: "I don't think Steve was fully on it, I don't. I thought his concentration levels from almost the start were off, I don't know why, but he headed a ball back once without looking and the fella could have got in.

"I thought he got beat too easily for the goal, thought his concentration levels were really poor. I don't know why. Taking him off at half time was the right thing to do.

"I think one more foul of any description and he was going to go off."

Alex Lawless also made his first appearance this season, coming on just before the hour with Luton still 2-1 ahead. That changed four minutes later but the midfielder said that the turnaround that followed was not down to McNulty's absence.

"Macca's a massive character on the pitch," the Welshman said, adding: "He's our leader, so when he's not there, it's not ideal.

"But we're professional footballers and we should be able to adjust to that. I don't think that should really be an excuse, although we did miss him."

O'Brien endured a tough introduction to League Two in McNulty's place, but Still added: "Mark came in for his first league game and was a bit rusty, but the result wasn't down to him."

After two successive defeats to follow two consecutive draws, the manager admitted he didn't expect such a poor start to Luton's season.

"I believed we would get something from all of these games. As someone pointed out to me, it's silly season. Portsmouth were 3-0 down at home [to Morecambe, before drawing 3-3] and Cambridge got beaten at home [to Crawley], but I know it's silly season and I don't really get affected by it, I don't.

"I always look at if after eight or nine games, but I have to say that, regardless of starting a bit slow which my teams normally do, that team didn't particularly didn't slower, that team was in a winning position and never played well enough to see it out and that's disappointing."