Lady Luck’s a cruel mistress as Town are thwarted by late leveller

A CRUEL, cruel finale saw Luton Town denied by an injury-time equaliser in the battle of the Hatters at Edgeley Park tonight, writes Mark Wood.

Bare bones Town got off to a flying start through Alex Lawless’ magnificent strike and they played some fantastic football as they created the best chances on the night.

But a rare mistake at the death allowed County to level when a heavily-deflected Sean McConville strike looped past the stranded Mark Tyler.

Even then Luton almost snatched victory six minutes into injury time but new signing Stuart Fleetwood’s shot crashed off the post and out as luckless Luton maintained their unbeaten record, but missed out on the three points they richly deserved as they drew their third away game on the trot.

Injuries bit hard as Town were forced into three changes from the side that drew 2-2 at Hayes & Yeading on Tuesday night. Welsh U21 left-back Jake Howells was ruled out with a knee injury and centre-half Dean Beckwith missed out with a virus, which also affected James Dance who dropped to the bench.

As a result in came Ed Asafu-Adjaye at right-back with Curtis Odano switching to the left-hand side, captain Keith Keane deputised at centre-half with John Paul Kissock making his debut in midfield alongside the recalled Adam Watkins and Lawless.

Meanwhile, new signing Fleetwood had to make do with a place on the bench, while former Town trialist Jon Routledge was named in County’s starting XI.

Attack-minded Town got off to the perfect start as they took the lead just five minutes in. A sweeping passing move saw Luton break from one end of the pitch to the other, switching flanks in the process, before Lawless was teed up 25 yards from goal and he let fly with an unstoppable strike into the bottom left-hand corner, reminiscent of his goal in last season’s play-off semi-final win at Wrexham.

The hosts though were taking every opportunity to get forward and Mark Tyler was only just able to smuggle Danny Rowe’s long-range effort behind soon after.

Creative Luton looked to break forward every time they got the ball and after some neat footwork Robbie Willmott could only drag his shot disappointingly wide on eight minutes.

Luton looked excellent going forward but slightly unsure at the back and County almost grabbed an equaliser on 12 minutes but McConville could only flick Euan Holden’s cross agonisingly wide.

New signing Antonio German fired an effort straight at Tyler before Town were desperately unlucky not to double their lead after a quarter of an hour. Matt Glennon could only beat away Willmott’s ferocious strike from the edge of the area and Will Antwi’s acrobatic scissor-kick was somehow just kept out by the struggling stopper.

Luton’s passing football was a delight to watch with Kissock producing some mesmerising jinks in the middle of the field.

However, Town’s makeshift backline was a worry and Holden got in behind on 24 minutes and whipped a delightful cross to the far post but the dangerous Nick Chadwick could only head wastefully wide.

County were having some joy down both flanks and Rowe had an effort deflected behind and German fired miles wide.

But it was the Bedfordshire Hatters who were playing the better football and some sumptuous interchange play between Willmott and Kissock saw the winger tease a cracking cross across goal and Danny Crow could only slide into the side netting.

The home side started the second half with a chance when McConville’s perfect first touch gave him a sight of goal but he whistled wide of the mark.

Willmott and Amari Morgan-Smith swapped flanks for the visitors at the break as the game maintained it’s free-flowing ethos, although Lawless was booked for a stupid lunge on the hour.

Morgan-Smith then did brilliantly to steal on to a defensive header and beat Glennon to the ball on the edge of the box on 63 minutes, but he couldn’t find the gaping net as he tried to convert from wide on the left.

Seconds later German created room on the edge of the box at the other end and dragged his shot just wide of the far post with the offside-looking McConville unable to get a touch.

Both sides started to make substitutions with Town replacing Kissock with Dance, while Morgan-Smith sent a dipping effort narrowly over on 69 minutes.

Luton weren’t keeping the ball as well in the second half and were being forced into longer and longer balls forward. But the Bedfordshire side should have sealed victory on 73 minutes when they spurned another great chance from a well-worked move.

Keane’s raking crossfield pass was headed into the path of the galloping Morgan-Smith but Town’s top scorer could only strike tamely at the onrushing keeper.

County continued to press for an equaliser with Keane doing well to deflect Routledge’s effort over the bar with 10 minutes to go and Carl Piergianni heading the subsequent corner straight at Tyler.

The visitors broke swiftly though with Lawless striding through the middle and slipping in Crow whose powerful effort was turned behind by the strong hands of Glennon.

Crow made way for Fleetwood on 84 minutes as the new boy made his debut as Town continued to look lively going forward and the substitute almost made an instant impact. Morgan-Smith made a magnificent block, although his hands looked to be involved and he slid ball invitingly across the face of goal but, with Fleetwood lurking, Danny O’Donnell did superbly to slide in and intervene.

Stockport weren’t done yet and quickly taken corner was headed back across goal with only two minutes left and the unguarded German could only stab wide at the far post.

Five minutes of injury time were added and County got a sickening and barely-deserved leveller two minutes in.

A single mistake from Osano allowed Stockport to break and the referee played a good advantage as the Luton left-back clattered into his man. The ball eventually fell to McConville at the far post and his strike took a wicked deflection off the luckless Asafu-Adjaye and sailed over the wrong-footed Tyler and into the net.

Still there was more drama to come as Luton were millimetres away from netting a last-gasp winner. Undaunted the Hatters came again and some hesitancy in the Stockport defence allowed Morgan-Smith to head into the path of Fleetwood whose shot streaked past Glennon and cannoned off the far post and back into the keeper’s thankful grasp as Town were cruelly thwarted.

Hatters (4-4-2): Matt Glennon, Euan Holden (Ryan Fraughan 66), Jon Routledge, Danny O’Donnell, Antonio German, Sean McConville, Ryan McCann (Jon Nolan 77), Danny Rowe, Nick Chadwick (C, Tom Elliott 66), Carl Piergianni, Chris Blackburn. Substitutes not used: Ian Ormison, Michael Paton.

Hatters (4-3-3): Mark Tyler, Keith Keane (C), Alex Lawless, Amari Morgan-Smith, Danny Crow (Stuart Fleetwood 84), Robbie Willmott, Ed Asafu-Adjaye, Will Antwi, Curtis Osano, John Paul Kissock (James Dance 68), Adam Watkins. Substitutes not used: Aaron O’Connor, Paul Carden, Kevin Pilkington.

Bookings: Lawless 60; McConville 90+2; Osano 90 +3.

Referee: Robert Merchant.

Assistant Referees: Matthew Pope and James Mainwaring.

Fourth Official: Darren Handley.

Attendance: 3,389 (Luton 321).

Star Hatter: Will Antwi. A colossus at the back and rose to his manager’s call to show more desire at the back.