Luton Town 1 - 0 Chesterfield
Hylton (53')
Mpanzu (Sent Off 77')
Sky Bet League Two | Saturday 23rd September 2017
 |
| Photo content belongs to Luton Town Football Club |
Luton's Danny Hylton rediscovered his goal-scoring form with a fifty-third minute strike against managerless Chesterfield, elevating the Bedfordshire side to the Sky Bet League Two automatic promotion places and inflicting further misery on the Derbyshire side who remain in the relegation zone.
From defensive territory, Substitute Jordan Cook's delightful crossfield pass seven minutes into the second half bounced into the path of Hylton. On the left side of the area, the marksman illusively shifted his body weight to deceive Scott Wiseman before thundering a right foot shot past the feet of Joe Anyon and into the net.
Despite Chesterfield's best efforts to restore parity immediately after Hylton's twenty-ninth goal in Luton colours, the hosts defended stoically with ten men to record a third successive victory; their fifth of the season and fourth at Kenilworth Road.
Hatters manager Nathan Jones made three changes to the team that dramatically defeated Wycombe last time out. Captain Scott Cuthbert replaced Glen Rea at the heart of defence, Olly Lee stepped in for the injured Alan McCormack, and Malta international Luke Gambin was handed his first league start at the expense of Luke Berry who was retrospectively penalised with a three game ban over an off-the-ball incident at Adams Park.
Meanwhile, one week on from Gary Caldwell's sacking, Chesterfield caretaker manager Guy Branston made two alterations to the team that lost 2-1 to Accrington Stanley. The suspended Bradley Barry made way for Matthew Briggs and veteran Chris O'Grady replaced Kristian Dennis up front.
The hosts looked promising in the opening half hour. First, Gambin glided down the left in front of the enclosure before unleashing an effort on the edge of the box which whizzed narrowly over the bar at the Oak Road End. Later, Lee's corner from the right was headed towards goal by the airborne Cuthbert. The Scot was denied his second goal in as many matches by a goal-line clearance. However, an injury to another midfielder Andrew Shinnie was an untimely blemish on a positive start for Town.
The tide then turned. The beguiling Chris O'Grady bustled past Alan Sheehan to flick an aerial pass into the path of Andy Kellett, who intricately nutmegged Jack Stacey with his first touch and skipped into the area. With his second, the midfielder lashed a low shot towards goal which Luton goalkeeper Marek Stech rapidly blocked with his feet and booted to safety.
The villain of the piece was Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu. First, he was lucky to get away with ponderous decision-making when dispossessed by Kellett; a tackle belatedly deemed illicit by referee Charles Breakspear with the Wigan loanee running through on goal. Then moments before half-time, the former West Ham trainee glanced Luke Gambin's enticing cross wide when it was easier to score. And finally, while the midfielder's challenge on Louis Reed in the seventy-seventh minute was not excessively forceful, it was high, mistimed, and unnecessary, with McCourt on the touchline inside the Chesterfield half.
Before receiving his marching orders however, Mpanzu set the tone for Luton to take the lead when his rasping volley seconds after the interval was gathered at the second attempt by Anyon.
As Hylton finally broke the deadlock, an atmosphere permeated through the wooden floorboards of the main stand which suggested the floodgates would open. While their play often lacked vigour and width against Chesterfield's condense midfield membrane, Luton had deservedly taken the lead.
However, the Spireites responded with surprising unity and belief. O'Grady's cross-shot from the right drew gasps from the home supporters, evading Stech's goal and colliding with the advertising hoardings behind. Moments later, Briggs' cross from the left bounced agonisingly along the six-yard line with Stech and O'Grady seemingly leaving it to one another; the suspense rendering them frozen.
Luton's ball retention was far superior to that of Chesterfield, but the home side lived dangerously by squandering multiple chances to secure three points. Hylton's curling delivery from the left was headed by James Collins tamely into the arms of Joe Anyon. Had the former Shrewsbury forward made any convincing contact he would have surely handed his team a two goal lead. Upon Mpanzu's misdemeanour, paranoia crept into the home sections of Kenilworth Road.
Immediately, Sheehan cynically upended the accelerating Gozie Ugwu. While Sheehan received a yellow card and listened to a telling off from Breakspear, the home faithful pondered how diligently their ten men would have to defend in order to achieve victory.
In the aftermath, Branston mused that his team "scared them to death." While the visitors competed well all over the pitch and did not resemble a team in complete disarray, Luton dictated play throughout and even created manifold chances after Mpanzu's dismissal in the seventy-seventh minute.
After bravely claiming McCourt's deep free-kick, Stech smartly volleyed upfield into the path of Harry Cornick. Through on goal, the ex-Yeovil winger shot to the left of Anyon. Time seemed to stand still. Eventually the ball clipped the post and went behind. Cornick despairingly ran his hands through his long hair.
Furthermore, Collins latched on to another Stech goal-kick in injury time only to lash into the lofty reaches of the Kenilworth Road End. Cheers of joy tinged with relief greeted the final whistle as the ten men had avoided any precarious moments and claimed victory.
In the upcoming weeks, Cornick's efforts must finally be rewarded by Jones with a starting berth. His unbridled energy and desire to defend from the front in difficult circumstances will only further endear him to team-mates and supporters alike.
In account of Chesterfield, rumours about Caldwell's replacement have vacillated from exotic names to familiar faces. Fabrizio Ravanelli, who scored against the Spireites for Middlesbrough in the pulsating 1997 FA Cup semi-final, has expressed his interest in the job. Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest under-23s coach Jack Lester, who scored ninety-two times for Chesterfield between 2007 and 2013, seems the more likely candidate. The decision must be carefully considered at the Proact Stadium if they are to avoid back-to-back relegations.
Teams (Player Ratings in Bold)
Luton Town
Stech - 7.5, Stacey - 7, Sheehan - 7, Cuthbert - 7, Potts - 6, Gambin - 7, (Rea 66' - 6), Lee - 6, (Cornick74' - 7), Mpanzu - 5, Shinnie - 5, (Cook 21' - 6), Hylton - 7, Collins - 6.5
Chesterfield
Anyon - 6, Jules - 6 Hird - 5.5, Wiseman 6, Reed - 6, Briggs - 5.5, Weir - 6, Flores 5.5, (McCourt 64' - 5) Kellett - 7, O'Grady - 6.5, (Ugwu 74' - 5) De Girolamo - 5.5, (Mitchell 69' - 5)
Referee: Charles Breakspear
Attendance: 7,575 (310 away fans)
No comments:
Post a Comment