Matchday Thoughts: Luton (A) – Some post-match thoughts on the way home from the game

On the way to the game I remembered Luton and Kenilworth Road, a ground that symbolizes two starkly contrasting experiences in a relatively short space of time. The first part was pure celebration as Nyron Nosworthy danced before the away game as we celebrated promotion under Roy Keane after sealing it with a kiss and a 5-0 win over our hosts. The second, of course, was the painful 2022-2023 play-off semi-final second leg, which saw an injury-ravaged Sunderland side face Bedfordshire trying to defend a narrow one-goal lead. That evening there was a team with a makeshift defense, no officially recognized central defender, Patrick Roberts at right-back and only one player over 1.80 m in Pierre Ekwah; we all know what happened. We were arguably still a few midfielders without a dogfight away from a back-to-back trip to Wembley… but let’s not relive that unfortunate turn of history.

When we went into Wednesday evening’s clash with unfinished business, we faced a tough test against a team buoyed by a derby win and looking for form. After Wilson Isidor’s outstanding individual performance secured us the hard-fought three points at the MKM Stadium on Sunday, we wanted to continue to capitalize on our promising start to the season.

As I approached the run-down old relic of a bygone football era, “The Kenny” (as Hatters fans affectionately call it), it was every bit as dark and yet as strangely charming as I remembered. A football pitch from a bygone era, a piece of football heritage in a world of first-class hospitality and the hygienic match day experience.

Due to the tight turnaround, travel and midweek play, a realignment was expected and rumors circulated that Patrick Roberts would be one of those out.

As team news hit our feeds, the pre-game murmurs were confirmed. Régis Le Bris opted for just one change: Patrick Roberts dropped to the bench and Alan Browne came on, meaning Chris Rigg was moved to the right wing.

Despite being a midweek game, a school night, and a 500-mile round trip, the team once again experienced a loud, sellout away game. While in the early exchanges we were able to counter our hosts through Romaine Mundle on the left, Luton quickly gained control and won the midfield battle and, unsurprisingly, the aerial battle. It was almost a carbon copy of what we endured last time, with endless long balls being pumped to the two groups Carlton Morris and Elijah Adebayo up front. As expected, the Hatters, a team known for being physically imposing, relied on physicality as their weapon of choice.

In short, we were bullied in the first half. Luton’s pressing prevented us from establishing a coherent rhythm as every other ball seemed to be loose. Our defense was under relentless pressure, but thanks to this newfound resilience and conviction, we actually defended skillfully and cleared set piece after set piece. This was a very different test than any we have experienced before. While we spent most of the first half in our own half, we restricted Luton to very little, which undid and frustrated Morris and Adebayo. Although Morris eventually scored just before the half-time whistle, Jordan Clark was fortunately found to be offside.

Photo by Bradley Collyer/PA Images via Getty Images

When we went into the much-needed half-time break, we were lucky at times, but I couldn’t blame us organizationally. If we could just beat Luton’s pressing in the second half then maybe we could grab something, I thought as the players walked down the tunnel.

The second half took some time to get going but then we started to express ourselves on the ball. A few nice turns from Dan Neil and Chris Rigg made us breathe a sigh of relief for the first time in the game. Mundle and Rigg began to work their magic on the wings and space opened up for Isidor and the midfield.

In the 55th minute our 17-year-old provided the wonderkid again when he found the ball at his feet on the edge of the Luton penalty area before calmly firing it past Kaminski into the goal. Delirium in the away game.

0-1.

Annoyingly, our lead didn’t last long as what felt like Luton’s 100th free kick of the game hit Adebayo at the back stick, who fired the ball into the goal, bringing Luton level. Of course, we were teased with the usual “everything’s gone quiet over there,” which made Mundle’s little argument three minutes later even sweeter. You can’t let down a well-staffed team. 1-2.

For the rest of the game, Le Bris showed his intent by bringing in Patrick Roberts and Aaron Connolly to hopefully extend our lead. Connolly’s brief cameo was great and incredibly effective. He held the ball up well, took on his man and delivered arguably one of the highlights of the evening when he managed to pirouette around three Luton defenders before finding Mundle in a huge space.

When the final whistle blew after a nervy injury time, it felt like a monumental victory and a testament to how far this team has come since the end of last season. While Le Bris has a clear philosophy, what was so impressive was our adaptability and ability to tackle tricky games almost on a whim. There is a plan A, B and C and we have always managed to “find a way” despite all odds.