Luke Berry Scores First Premier League Goal as Luton Earn Late Draw With Relegation Rivals Nottingham Forest

Luke Berry became the first player in Luton Town history to score in each of the top four divisions on Saturday when he netted an 89th-minute equaliser in the 1-1 home draw with Nottingham Forest. 

Nuno Espirito Santo’s men took the lead on 34 minutes when Chris Wood hooked a volley high into the net from Morgan Gibbs-White’s cross, and could have doubled their lead in the second half when Anthony Elanga’s shot was cleared off the line by Teden Mengi. 

But Berry added another goal to Luton’s selection of late strikes this season, salvaging an invaluable point when he swivelled and volleyed following Ross Barkley’s corner. 

Rob Edwards’ side, which has been ravaged by injury in recent weeks, made a positive start against Forest when Barkley unleashed a trio of long-range shots, one of which hit the outside of the post. 

First Barkley shot low towards the bottom right corner, but he saw his shot saved and held by Matz Sels. Then the midfielder seized onto a loose pass by Murillo and fired a shot straight at the Forest keeper. On 11 minutes Barkley showed his class by weaving past Ibrahim Sangaré and shooting with his weaker left foot from 25 yards, grazing the woodwork.

Forest regained composure and might have taken the lead when Gibbs-White threaded a pass through the Luton defence to Divock Origi. The former Liverpool striker beat Thomas Kaminski to the ball and delicately chipped the ball over the diving Town keeper, but Issa Kaboré had retreated to the goalline to clear the danger. 

Gibbs-White was at the centre of the action again when his deep delivery from the right was headed wide by the imposing Willy Boly who could have done better with the opportunity. 

Forest began to take control against the depleted hosts, but Origi was frustrated by yet another goal-line clearance when Reece Burke dived heroically across goalmouth to block the Belgian’s powerful shot which had whizzed past Kaminski.

Luton had relinquished a three-goal lead on Wednesday night when they fell to a 4-3 defeat at Bournemouth, and the makeshift defence was breached once again as Gibbs-White crossed for Wood following Kaminski’s poor clearance. The New Zealand international showed poise and athleticism to stretch and volley into the roof of the net with his right foot. 

The Hatters responded immediately when Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu flicked the ball over Murillo on the right flank and crossed dangerously across the face of goal, forcing Neco Williams to clear behind wildly and concede a corner. 

Town thought they had equalised when Mengi stabbed in from Alfie Doughty’s corner. However, as the defender wheeled away in celebration, referee Darren England disallowed the goal, ruling that the recently-selected England under-21 international had handled the ball. The replays of the incident were inconclusive, but Town’s players did not complain after the goal was cancelled out.

Forest might have doubled their advantage at the beginning of the second half when Kaminski showed indecision as Origi chipped a ball over the top, but the keeper stood tall to block Gibbs-White’s effort. 

Town’s injury crisis and lack of energy began to tell midway through the second half Elanga exchanged passes with Wood and outmuscled Chiedozie Ogbene. The Swedish winger rolled a shot past Kaminski but Mengi, who played alongside Elanga in the Manchester United academy, scurried back to sweep off the line. 

Kaminski was almost caught out minutes later when Murillo launched a free kick towards goal from 15 yards inside his own half. The Town stopper watched the ball carefully as he backpedalled, taking the safe option to tip the ball over the bar and behind for a corner. 

Luton had posed minimal threat to the Forest goal in the second half but grabbed a potentially invaluable equaliser in the penultimate minute of normal time. Barkley wedged a deep corner to the back post at the Kenilworth Road End where Burke was waiting. He headed down to substitute Berry who spun and volleyed through Sels’ legs. On the line, Williams made a last-ditch attempt to boot away, but the ball rocketed into the roof of the net. 

The home crowd went wild and attempted to roar their team on to a famous and unlikely victory during the seven minutes of stoppage time, but it was Forest who came closest to grabbing all three points after Ryan Yates volleyed narrowly wide from the edge of the box. 

Having suffered no fewer than 14 injuries in recent weeks, the draw felt like a victory for Luton in such challenging circumstances. Two days after the game, Berry’s equaliser took on added significance when Forest were deducted four points for breaching financial fair play regulations, pushing the Trentside club down into the relegation zone, one point and one place below Luton who rose to 17th as a result.

Cauley Woodrow Scores Last Minute Equaliser as Luton End Losing Run at Crystal Palace

Cauley Woodrow netted his first Premier League goal in almost 10 years as Luton left it until the 96th minute to salvage a point in a 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace. 

Jean-Phillipe Mateta had given the Eagles an 11th-minute lead with a skilful flick after Daniel Muñoz capitalised on Alfie Doughty’s loose pass and rounded Town goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski. 

Odsonne Édouard hit the crossbar late on as Palace missed a host of chances to put the result beyond all doubt, and Woodrow made them pay when he headed in fellow substitute and former Eagles winger Andros Townsend’s cross with seconds remaining.

Rob Edwards’ Hatters, who had lost four consecutive Premier League matches before Saturday’s game at Selhurst Park, made the worst possible start when Doughty passed beyond Gabriel Osho and short of Kaminski. Muñoz stepped in and dribbled past Kaminski, passing to Mateta who cleverly backheeled past Teden Mengi and into the net. 

As the Frenchman celebrated by kicking the corner flag, greeted by the bellowing ‘boom’ from the home fans, Luton’s supporters were reacquainted with that familiar sinking feeling.

Luton had shown promising signs in the opening minutes when Ross Barkley headed over and took a whack to the face for his troubles, but Town were fortunate not to concede more than one goal in the first half. First Issa Kaboré dived to clear Jordan Ayew’s low cross behind for a corner. Then Joel Ward headed over from Jefferson Lerma’s cross.

The Hatters briefly ventured into the Palace half and had an attempt on goal when Jordan Clark volleyed wildly into the Holmesdale Road stand following Doughty’s corner. Regular service resumed when Eberechi Eze’s inswinging free-kick from the left was flicked on by Andersen and headed over by the overworked Mengi. From the resulting corner, Mateta put his free header over from six yards. 

Town were almost architects of their own downfall yet again when Osho dived to intercept Joachim Andersen’s probing pass. With no sign of danger, Clark controlled the loose ball and passed lazily towards Kaminski. Mateta anticipated the pass and tried to round Kaminski, chipping over the Belgian and into the side netting, much to the relief of Clark. 

The half-time interval was made memorable by a penalty shootout competition between two junior Crystal Palace fans and two junior Luton fans, with one Palace fan doing his best Robin Friday impression and flicking the V sign at the Town support after scoring the first spot kick. With the Town fans suddenly engaged, those in the away end cheered on the Luton youths and shamelessly booed the six-year-old Palace fan as he ran up to take a penalty. He missed and Luton prevailed, prompting sarcastic celebrations in the away section.

When the first team action restarted, Luton earned a sight of goal when Chiedozie Ogbene headed Kaboré’s deflected delivery wide. Town then finally put Sam Johnstone to the test when Doughty tried to make amends for his earlier error by crossing for Carlton Morris, whose firm side-foot volley was well held by the home goalkeeper.

Kaminski then kept Luton in the game by making an excellent save from Mateta. The forward met Tryick Mitchell’s left-wing cross with his head but was denied from point blank range by the right leg of the Luton keeper. Substitute Naouirou Ahamada then sliced wide on the follow up. 

It was the first of many second-half chances Palace should have converted to wrap up Oliver Glasner’s second win since taking the reins. Eze almost doubled the lead with a stunning effort from just inside the Luton half, spotting Kaminski off his line before attempting a spectacular lob, grazing the roof of the net and missing the target by a matter of inches. 

As Town committed more bodies forward, Kabore had to race back to block a Mitchell shot after Luke Berry had clattered into Hughes on the halfway line. Substitute Édouard then had Kaminski beaten after tying Townsend in knots on the edge of the box, firing against the crossbar in the fourth minute of six added on. 

In one final roll of the dice, Luton’s injury-hit side surged forwards with Townsend dribbling down the right flank before cutting in on his left foot and delivering an in-swinging cross which Woodrow flicked on with the top of his head. From my vantage point in the away section, the ball disappeared from a split second behind a pillar and re-emerged as it kissed the post on its way into the net, beating the sprawling Johnstone. 

The goal sparked pandemonium amongst the away fans who had seen their injury-ravaged team fight until the end and pick up an unlikely point, reinvigorating the club ahead of two critical matches in the Premier League relegation battle against Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest.