Iron blunted as unbeaten Town triumph again

A DOUBLE salvo late in the first half helped to fire the Hatters to a 3-1 win over Braintree at Kenilworth Road this afternoon as they continued their rise up the Blue Square Bet Premier table, writes Mark Wood.

Amari Morgan-Smith’s double was key to the victory while Jake Howells also weighed in with a fine goal as Luton blunted the Iron’s challenge in the first-ever meeting between the two sides.

Town made three changes from the team that ground out a 1-1 draw at Mansfield on Tuesday night.

The fit-again trio of Keith Keane, Alex Lawless and Robbie Willmott all came back into the starting XI with Aaron O’Connor, Ed Asafu-Adjaye and Adam Watkins dropping to the bench alongside new signing from Southport John Paul Kissock.

Manager Gary Brabin opted for a 4-4-2 formation for the first time this season and crosses by James Dance and Willmott both went begging in the opening moments.

But it was the Iron who almost snatched the lead on four minutes when former Luton loan man Ben Wright raced on to Sean Marks’ flick and dragged a powerful shot across the face of goal and wide.

Keane pulled a shot well wide before the Iron went close again on nine minutes. Wright’s clever backheel ran kindly for Kenny Davis on the edge of the box and his low drive seemed destined for the bottom left-hand corner before Curtis Osano’s foot deflected it behind for a corner.

Too many misplaced passes were letting the Hatters down and a heavy first touch let Wright down as Mark Tyler cleared straight at him.

But Luton took the lead out of nothing when Tyler’s kick was allowed to run through to Dance and his pass was perfectly weighted for Morgan-Smith to beat the keeper to the ball and roll home.

Wright seemed particularly lively for the visitors and he again tested Tyler from range with a firm drive, before Town should have doubled their lead on 13 minutes. Willmott skinned Ryan Peters on the left as he powered to the byline and pulled the ball back to Danny Crow who could only side-foot wide from eight yards out.

Luton went close again moments later when a free-kick was only cleared as far as Lawless on the edge of the box and he teed up Keane whose curler crept agonisingly wide.

Braintree though refused to buckle and levelled the scores on 20 minutes thanks to some haphazard Hatters defending. Wright refused to give up on a lost cause and having robbed Osano and forced his way to the byline and his driven cross was turned home by Marks.

Willmott shot wide for rattled Luton and Wright saw another sharp effort flash wide of the upright as the game died.

Five minutes before the break a pinpoint Dance cross picked out Crow in the box but he could only loop his header over the bar.

Two minutes later though the game again flipped in Luton’s favour. Lawless and Morgan-Smith combined beautifully to slip in Crow and after his heavy touch seemed to have taken him too far from goal, but keeper Nathan McDonald came out flying to send him tumbling. Referee R West took a second before pointing to the spot and booking the keeper.

McDonald redeemed himself by guessing correctly and throwing himself to his right to save, but Morgan-Smith was quickest to the rebound and squeezed home through the keeper.

Town ended the half strongly and made it 3-1 a minute into stoppage time when Willmott and Howells combined and the Welsh U21 international kept his composure to slide home.

It was almost four moments later when Morgan-Smith did brilliantly to beat Matt Paine to a 50/50 ball, only to be caught by a hefty late challenge which left in a heap on the floor. The referee played a good advantage as Willmott seized on the loose ball and played in Crow, who took a fraction too long and saw his shot blocked.

Lawless made way for Watkins at the break as Town began to find their stride at the start of the second half. Crow’s flick header flashed across goal and Osano shanked a left-foot effort wide after a mazy run.

A lazy McDonald throw was seized on by Crow but his shot was deflected wide, while the bookings began to flow for frustrated Braintree who started to put themselves about.

Energetic Watkins then produced some magic to twist one way and then the other in the box on 67 minutes before laying the ball into the path of Dance who forced a good sprawling stop from McDonald.

The Iron continued to look dangerous at the other end, Jai Reason slipping in former Town trialist Aswad Thomas who could only fire into the side netting.

Willmott’s free-kick forced a fine flying save out of McDonald as the heavens opened while a teasing Wright cross forced Tyler to flap behind.

The woodwork then came to Luton’s rescue when Wright’s corner sailed to Paine and his powerful header smacked the underside of the bar and came back out.

In search of his hat-trick Morgan-Smith saw a deflected effort loop across goal, with Dance just unable to net at the far post.

Watkins got the ball stuck under his feet when a good late chance presented itself, O’Connor was unable to turn home Osano’s cross and Willmott fired over, while Kissock made his debut as a late substitute.

Willmott flashed wide in the late sunshine but it mattered for nothing as Town claimed all three points and continued their unbeaten start to the season.

Hatters (4-4-2): Mark Tyler, Keith Keane (C), Dean Beckwith, Alex Lawless (Adam Watkins 46), Amari Morgan-Smith, Danny Crow (Aaron O’Connor 83), Robbie Willmott, Jake Howells, Will Antwi, Curtis Osano, James Dance (John Paul Kissock 90). Substitutes not used: Ed Asafu-Adjaye, Kevin Pilkington.

Iron (4-4-2): Nathan McDonald, Ryan Peters, Aswad Thomas, Adam Bailey-Dennis, Matt Paine, Jai Reason, Nicky Symons (Pat O’Connor 73), Kenny Davis (C), Sean Marks (Chibuzor Chilaka 62), Ben Wright (Brad Quinton 80), Andrew Yiadom. Substitutes not used: Ashlee Jones, Merrick James-Lewis.

Bookings: McDonald 42; Peters 63; Wright 64; Morgan-Smith 67.

Referee: R West.

Assistant Referees: A Degnarain and M Rushton.

Fourth Official: A Neil.

Attendance: 5,703 (Braintree 110).

Star Hatter: Amari Morgan-Smith. Got his goal and showed a great work ethic for the team.