Recalled Cullen nets brace as Hatters come from behind to beat Lincoln City in tumultuous finish

Skrill Premier: Luton Town 3 (0) Lincoln City 2 (1)
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Stand-in striker Mark Cullen was Town’s two-goal hero as the Hatters twice came from behind to beat in-form Lincoln City 3-2 in a tumultuous clash at Kenilworth Road this afternoon, writes Mark Wood.

Lively Lincoln led 1-0 at half time thanks to Alan Power’s strike only for Cullen to level with his first-ever Luton goal just seconds into the second half.

A long throw again brought City’s second goal as Ben Tomlinson was allowed to head home from close range before Town battled back with a rousing performance in the last half hour.

Influential midfielder Luke Guttridge levelled when his 30-yard free-kick flew through the Lincoln wall and under Paul Farman and, as the game swung from end-to-end, the Hatters completed an exhilarating turnaround when Cullen slammed home an unstoppable second on the turn from a corner as Luton claimed back-to-back victories for the first time this season and moved up to eighth, eight points off of top spot.

Town were forced into one change from the team that beat Dartford on Tuesday, Cullen coming in for injured target man Paul Benson.

The Imps started well and fired a warning shot across Luton’s box on five minutes when Tomlinson’s header flashed across the face of goal.

Luton looked to respond as Mark Tyler’s brilliant clearance released Jake Howells and he drew calls for handball as he tried to beat his man. Cullen then lobbed the ball to the far post but Farman easily claimed with Guttridge lurking.

A poor defensive mistake by Nat Brown let Cullen in, but he scuffed his shot straight at the keeper before Jonathan Smith’s ridiculously ambitious long range effort went harmlessly wide.

But it was the visitors who took the lead on 20 minutes when Tom Miller’s long throw was only half cleared as far as Power on the edge of the box and his low drive through a crowded area took a slight nick as it bulged the far corner.

And it was almost 2-0 moments later when Andy Parry misjudged the bounce from a throw and Tomlinson raced downfield, but could only fire into Tyler’s midriff under the close attentions of Steve McNulty.

The Hatters though still had their moments and almost equalised on 24 minutes when Jim Stevenson eked out a cross and Cullen found Guttridge on the edge of the area, but his thumping volley flew inches wide.

The Imps forced a string of first half corners against a lacklustre Luton side with one dangerous one bouncing right across the face of goal after half an hour.

Town had looked flat for much of the encounter but almost found a way back into the game when Guttridge tricked his way into the box and, after seeing his first shot blocked, curled tamely at Farman.

The hosts were being overrun in the middle and offering little in attack, with few of the decisions going their way against a powerful Lincoln side.

But Luton were desperately unlucky not to level on 41 minutes when great work by Smith saw him pick out Cullen on the edge of the box. He teed up Guttridge and the attacking midfielder cleverly stepped inside his man but curled just wide.

Town finished the half much the better of the two teams and had an equaliser chalked out for offside on the stroke of half time. A lovely passing move worked its way to the offside Stevenson on the edge of the area and, although Cullen netted the rebound when Farman couldn’t hold his effort, the flag was already up as the Hatters trailed 1-0 at the break.

But it took the Hatters just 43 seconds to level in the second half. Guttridge found space on the left and lifted the perfect cross in for the unmarked Cullen to power home his header.

Playing with far more confidence Scott Griffiths dragged wide only for Lincoln to retake the lead in all too familiar fashion on 51 minutes. Another Miller long throw was allowed to bounce across Town’s six-yard box and Tomlinson nipped in through Luton’s statuesque defence to head goalwards. Tyler got a hand to it and then desperately clawed the ball away at the second attempt, but not before the ball had snuck across the line as the assistant signalled for a goal.

Now in the lead Lincoln proceeded to play some great counter-attacking football with overlapping full-back Miller to the fore. And it was he who should have made it 3-1 moments later when a swifts Imps counter saw played in on the overlap but he dragged just wide with only Tyler to beat.

The Imps looked quite a force on the counter as Jon Nolan’s superb long-range effort dipped just over on 65 minutes before Andre Gray and JJ O’Donnell were both given warm receptions as they replaced Stevenson and Griffiths respectively.

Town started to ramp up the pressure as calls for a penalty were waved away when Alex Lawless was bundled over by substitute Todd Jordan and a Cullen blockbuster fizzed wide.

And they got their reward on 77 when Cullen won a free-kick 30 yards out and Guttridge’s low free-kick went through the wall and under the body of Farman as Kenilworth Road erupted.

It was a mad few minutes for Luton as they almost snatched the lead two minutes later. Gray did well to latch on to O’Donnell’s ball over the top and his cross ran to the unmarked Cullen at the far post but Farman came charging out to just turn the ball round the post.

But the Hatters were not to be denied as they took the lead from the subsequent corner. Steve McNulty headed down and Ronnie Henry and Gray combined to turn the ball on for Cullen to bury an unstoppable effort into the top corner on the turn.

Unbowed, Lincoln continued to threaten as Jordan flashed a header from a corner just over on 87 minutes before Nick Wright got in behind in the last minute but lashed miles over.

In-between Solomon Taiwo replaced two-goal hero Cullen, who received a great reception, but City refused to give up as they strived for a late equaliser.

Last man McNulty made a great sliding tackle to deny the onrushing Wright in the closing minutes as Tyler then saved well at the feet of Tomlinson as the striker threatened to turn in a cross.

At the other end Gray almost got in behind, but it was the Hatters who held on to triumph in a topsy-turvy encounter that was marred slightly at the end as skipper Henry and a member of the crowd exchanged words and the Luton full-back had to be ushered away by his team-mates to celebrate.

Hatters (4-5-1): Mark Tyler, Jonathan Smith, Steve McNulty, Alex Lawless, Jake Howells, Scott Griffiths (JJ O’Donnell 67), Mark Cullen (Solomon Taiwo 88), Andy Parry, Luke Guttridge, Ronnie Henry (C), Jim Stevenson (Andre Gray 65). Substitutes not used: Elliot Justham, Shaun Whalley.

Imps (4-5-1): Paul Farman, Tom Miller, Sean Newton, Andrew Boyce, Mamadou Fofana, Alan Power (C), Danny Rowe (Todd Jordan 63), Ben Tomlinson, Jon Nolan, Nat Brown, Luke Foster (Nick Wright 81). Substitutes not used: Waide Fairhurst, Dan Gray, Bohan Dixon.

Booked: Sean Newton 68.

Referee: A Bromley.

Assistant Referee: K Marshallsay and J Richardson.

Fourth Official: R Smith.

Attendance: 6,203 (Lincoln 227).

Star Hatter: Luke Guttridge. Another mesmeric midfield display topped off by his superb 30-yard free-kick which levelled the scores at 2-2.

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