Laboured Luton finally put Romans to the sword

LABOURED Luton bossed the game against Bath but struggled to finally put the Romans to the sword at Kenilworth Road this afternoon, writes Mark Wood.

The Hatters were again hampered by another clueless refereeing performance but eventually prevailed against their rock-bottom rivals thanks to Janos Kovacs’ header and substitute Adam Watkins’ thumping left-foot volley as they condemned Bath to their ninth-straight defeat.

Town made one change from the team that beat Gateshead 2-0 in the FA Trophy last week, Kovacs coming into the centre of the defence and Shane Blackett dropping out of the squad entirely.

Luton started brightly and went close after only four minutes. Jake Howells and Keith Keane combined nicely and John Paul Kissock fizzed just wide from 25 yards out.

Greg Taylor then cut inside his man and stroked just wide three minutes later before Robbie Willmott got in behind and drove in a cross that Glyn Garner couldn’t hold, but there was no-one on hand to turn in the loose ball.

It was constant Luton pressure as the Romans invited Town on to them, but the Hatters were almost hit with the ultimate sucker punch on 14 minutes. Captain George Pilkington was robbed by Sean Canham who raced clear on goal, skipping past Kovacs, but thankfully he could only roll a tame effort too close to Mark Tyler.

But Luton did deservedly take the lead on 17 minutes when Howells whipped a corner into the six yard box and an unmarked Kovacs powered home his header.

The home side continually cut through the Romans and went close again midway through the half when Keane and Howells combined, with the latter laying in a cross that was fired goalwards by Taylor only to be deflected wide by unaware team-mate Danny Crow.

Failing to do the simple things and too much showboating meant the Hatters stuttered when going forward.

Marley Watkins lashed over for the visitors three minutes before half time, while Luton went close again when Howells’ free-kick picked out Alex Lawless but he could only glance his header straight at the keeper.

And Bath almost shocked Luton in stoppage time when a free-kick caught them napping and an offside Gathin Jones powered his header just wide as Town went into a murmur of boos from Luton’s disgruntled fans at half time.

The second half continued in much the same vein as Luton were given a sight of goal five minutes in when Pilkington put Howells’ corner back across goal but Crow’s snapshot was straight at Garner.

Adam Watkins was introduced for Kissock to pep the Hatters up while Keane could only spoon an effort from the edge area well over as the Hatters continued to struggle against a team that had lost eight on the trot in all competitions and hadn’t won away from home in the league all season.

Town were guilty of overplaying far too often against a Bath side that were happy to sit back and defend in numbers.

Lawless stabbed wide before Luton twice went close in a matter of seconds on 72 minutes. Willmott’s cross was deflected goalwards and a scrambling Garner was able to palm the ball on to the near post. Crow gleefully stroked towards the gaping net, but somehow found the only man on the line who cleared, despite claims it had crossed the line.

Kovacs was then nonsensically booked for a perfectly-timed challenge before referee R Whitton, who looked hopelessly out of his depth, failed to punish an awful lunging challenge on substitute Andre Boucaud with even a free-kick, despite it happening just a couple of feet away from him.

A Howells cross ran to Lawless with 10 minutes to go but his heavily-deflected shot failed to test Garner before Town made the game safe with a second minutes later.

Lawless’ cross was only headed as far as Adam Watkins who met the clearance with a sweet left-foot volley as he buried an unstoppable effort into the bottom right-hand corner.

Crow lashed an effort well over from a narrow angle, while at the other end Adam Watkins’ challenge ran nicely for Chris Shepherd who stepped inside Ed Asafu-Adjaye, only for the defender to recover and put in a great block.

The final minutes saw Willmott come to life as he twice found space on the right. His first cross was just too far behind substitute Stuart Fleetwood and when he did recover he whistled wide of the mark. Willmott then picked Fleetwood out at the far post in the last minute but Garner produced a great point-blank save to keep out his header.

In the second minute of stoppage time Adam Watkins released Fleetwood but he could only blast just over, only for a corner to be given by the clueless official to sum up his day as Town eased to victory.

Hatters (4-3-3): Mark Tyler, Greg Taylor, Keith Keane (Andre Boucaud 66), George Pilkington (C), Alex Lawless, Danny Crow, Robbie Willmott, Jake Howells (Stuart Fleetwood 82), Ed Asafu-Adjaye, John Paul Kissock (Adam Watkins 55), Janos Kovacs. Substitutes not used: Craig McAllister, Aaron O’Connor.

Romans (4-5-1): Glyn Garner, Paul Stonehouse, Gethin Jones (C), Adam Connolly, Lewis Hogg (Chris Shepherd 24), Mark Preece, Marc Canham, Marley Watkins (Scott Murray 68), Joe Burnell, Andy Gallinagh, Sean Canham. Substitutes not used: Jim Rollo, Jamie Cook, Tommy Doherty.

Bookings: Stonehouse 51; Kovacs 73.

Referee: R Whitton.

Assistant Referees: A Degnarain and T Goddard.

Fourth Official: L Wood.

Attendance: 5,745 (80 Bath).

Star Hatter: Janos Kovacs. Solid defensively and got the ball rolling with his header.