Grainger '13 O. Lee '62
Sky Bet League Two | Saturday 21st April 2018
It is fitting that Luton Town should depart the fourth tier as they had entered; meandering round the rolling hills of the Lake District. On that August afternoon in 2014 Town fans sat on the grass bank which runs parallel to the East Stand at Brunton Park, contemplating how the Football League might have changed after five years in the wilderness. Indelible is the memory of Mark Cullen running jubilantly towards the Petteril End terrace, with orange 'home' shirts blazing under the Cumbria sun. We too had changed.
In the intervening years things had not been perfect by any means, but Luton returned to Carlisle in April 2018 knowing that victory would mean elevation to the third tier of English football. A level at which the Hatters have not competed in ten years following administration and relegation in 2008. Failing that, Town had to match the result of Exeter City in order to achieve promotion.
The sun beat down in 2018 as it had almost four years prior, but the hosts made the brighter start on this occasion. The delicate dribbling of Jamal Campbell-Ryce drew the opposition to the flanks which vacated space for his midfield colleagues. After Mike Jones' long range sighter was fielded comfortably by James Shea, former Morecambe winger Jamie Devitt took aim from similar distance and forced the keeper into a sprawling save down to his right.
The visitors were dormant in defence and Carlisle continued to move hastily towards Shea's goal - the only patch of turf covered in shade - believing that they could still make the play-offs. Luke Joyce passed to Ashley Nadesan on the edge of the area. Visiting defender Glen Rea had wandered carelessly out of position and the Blues exploited this error. Nadesan pushed into the path of Richie Bennett. The imposing striker poked towards the Warwick Road End but was swiftly upended by Shea. Referee Seb Stockbridge pointed to the spot and cautioned the ex-Wimbledon stopper.
Shea boldly flung himself low to his left, quickly gazing back over his shoulder to see Danny Grainger's penalty nestling in the opposite corner of the net. From the restart Carlisle fancied another. It didn't seem to matter though. Those holding phones in the away section of the East Stand were spreading the news "Crawley are winning at Exeter", every one seemingly refusing to acknowledge the vagaries of football, and that there was still an hour left to play.
Hatters striker James Collins is a puzzling prospect; a player who is razor sharp inside both eighteen yard boxes, but also one who looks like he is running through custard just about anywhere else. Five minutes before the interval, the former Shrewsbury striker feinted over Olly Lee's through ball, leaving it for Jack Stacey whose cross-shot was smartly saved by the feet of home keeper Jack Bonham.
Two quick-fire goals over three hundred miles away in Devon had put the Grecians 2-1 up, so it looked like the champagne would have to be put on ice for another week at least. Back in Cumbria however, Luton were finally showing signs of life. First Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu, the only remaining player from the class of 2014, blasted narrowly wide from twenty yards. Moments later Danny Hylton unleashed a stinging shot from the right side of the area which Bonham palmed into the danger zone. Olly Lee nonchalantly passed the ball through the legs of James Brown and into the net; invoking pandemonium in the away end.
Luton were in the ascendancy. Jack Stacey went on another galloping run from full-back and arrived at the other end of the pitch whereupon he served Mpanzu. The former West Ham trainee shot low, but his effort was blocked by the legs of Bonham. The recovering Mark Ellis shielded the ball out of play and the chance was gone.
"Crawley have equalised at Exeter!" Now the Bedfordshire side just needed both scorelines to remain in situ and Town would be up. The news transmitted onto the pitch and in the following ten minutes the Hatters retreated, gritted their teeth, and rather hoped for the best.
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Olly Lee has the propensity to score spectacular goals; evidenced by his winning the EFL goal of the year award. This time he took aim from thirty-five yards. To his chagrin the volley landed on the roof of the net. Luton had one more push in them. Dan Potts crossed from the left and Mpanzu rose like a dolphin from the depths, only to see his header drop onto the top of the crossbar. Flat on his back, Ruddock was a vision of desperation.
"Exeter have finished two-twoooo! Hold on and we're up!" Take the technicians off, send the trenchmen on. Flynn Downes came on for Elliot Lee and Alan Mcormack made way for Johnny Mullins. Carlisle would not give up on their attenuated play-off hopes and threw everything at the visitors. In the dying seconds Kris Twardek headed Joyce's corner agonisingly over the bar and into the Petteril End terrace.
The referee blew his whistle. Those in blue dropped to their knees while those in orange looked witlessly towards the East Stand, as if to say "Have we done it then?" Staff and substitutes sprinted from the bench. "Hey Baby" preceded "The Littlest Hobo" and the champagne flowed. Don't take me home. In half an hour of revelry each player had his moment. After the game, members of the board appeared at The Griffin pub next to the train station and were congratulated by all.
As the Luton team coach crawled along Lowther Street, it stopped intermittently to bathe in the adulation of those who lined the pavements. The pain of the last ten years had been expelled. The Town are going up.
Teams (Player Ratings in Bold)
Carlisle United
Bonham - 7, Brown - 6 (Miller 72' - 5), Ellis - 6.5, Hill - 7, Grainger - 7, Devitt - 7, Jones - 6, Joyce - 7, Campbell-Ryce - 6.5 (O'Sullivan 63' - 5), Bennett - 6.5, Nadesan - 6 (Twardek 72' - 5)
Luton Town
Shea - 7, Stacey - 7, Rea - 5.5, Sheehan - 6.5, Potts - 6.5, Lee - 6.5 (Downes 90+2'), McCormack - 6.5 (Mullins 90+1'), O.Lee - 6, Mpanzu - 7, Hylton - 6.5, Collins - 6
