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Luton Town 3-1 Ipswich Town - Match Report
Tuesday, 13th Aug 2019 21:46

A much-changed Town side exited the Carabao Cup at the first round stage having been comfortably beaten 3-1 by Luton at Kenilworth Road. The Hatters, who switched their entire XI, went in front through Lloyd Jones on eight, Elliot Lee made it two from the spot in the 17th minute, then Andrew Shinnie added the third before Armando Dobra hit a debut consolation for the Blues 16 minutes from time.

Boss Paul Lambert made 10 changes handing keeper Will Norris and youngsters Bailey Clements and Dobra debuts.

Skipper Luke Chambers, who started at the centre of the defence alongside James Wilson, was the only player kept in the team from Saturday's 1-1 draw with Sunderland.

Clements, one of four academy graduates in the starting line-up with two more on the bench, was at left-back and Josh Emmanuel at right-back.

Emyr Huws made his first competitive start since December 2018 in central midfield alongside Andre Dozzell.

Dobra was on the left and Edwards, back after his groin injury, on the right with Alan Judge behind lone striker Jordan Roberts.

Jon Nolan was among the subs following his calf injury, while ex-Hatters loanee Flynn Downes was also on the bench.

Luton, who changed their entire XI, included former Blues loan man James Bree from the start at centre-half, while one-time trialist Marek Stech was a sub.

With former boss Mick McCarthy watching from the directors’ box in his new role as Republic of Ireland manager, Luton’s on-loan Chelsea midfielder Izzy Brown hit the game’s opening shot at keeper Norris in the opening minute.

The much-changed Blues took time to settle and on five Hatters captain Andrew Shinnie was played in behind Clements and hit a shot from the right of the box which Norris pawed wide off the woodwork.

And three minutes later, the home side took the lead. After a corner was cleared, the ball was played back in from the right by Brown where it found Jones unmarked and the defender had a simple task of nodding past Norris.

Luton continued to have much the better of it with Brown at the heart of most of their attacking play. On 13 the Chelsea youngster found Harry Cornick on the right but his shot flew over.

A minute later Dobra took the ball across the edge of the Luton penalty area before hitting a shot straight at home keeper James Shea, the Hatters’ third choice.

On 15 Dozzell curled a freekick over the bar after Edwards had been fouled by goalscorer.

However, in the 17th minute, the Hatters doubled their lead from the penalty spot. Emmanuel was penalised for blocking off Lee and referee Brett Huxtable pointed straight to the spot.


Town complaints came unsurprisingly to nothing and Lee slammed the spot-kick to Norris’s right as the keeper dived the other way.

The Blues were still to really get going but in the 27th minute Judge struck a shot which was deflected wide.

But a minute later, Luton again threatened on the counter-attack, but Kazenga LuaLua’s backheel flick from the edge of the area was blocked.

Luke Berry scraped another effort just past Norris’s right post on 31, then two minutes later Roberts battled his way on to the ball on the left of the Hatters box before cutting across to Judge, whose shot was diverted away from goal.

But it was still mainly Luton and in the 35th minute a quick Brown break ended with Lee hitting a shot which Norris saved to his right.

Six minutes before half-time, it was almost 3-0. The ball fell to Berry 25 yards out and the ex-Cambridge man’s low strike flew only just past Norris’s right post.

LuaLua shot not too far wide on 44, then as the half moved into injury time referee Huxtable inadvertently clashed heads with Brown midway inside the Town half with the Luton man coming off worse. Inevitably there were chants of ‘off, off, off’ from the Town fans.

Huxtable’s whistle ended a dismal half for the Blues soon afterwards with Town having been very much second best.

Despite having changed all their XI from Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at Cardiff, Luton got on top very quickly and went into an early lead before Town had settled.

The Blues were still to find their feet when the Hatters doubled their lead from the spot and although they started to pass the ball around more fluently later in the half, the home side continued to look more threatening and might even have gone in further ahead at the break.

Too many of Town’s players looked off the pace having played few competitive games either due to lack of recent fitness or inexperience with youngster Dobra perhaps the brightest spark having made one or two tricky dribbles.

Luton withdrew Luke Bolton and LuaLua at half-time in favour of Martin Cranie and Josh Neufville.

The Hatters went close to a third two minutes after the restart, a cross from the right reaching Lee on the left of the area but his effort flew just over. At the other end, a Judge low shot was hit straight at Shea, also from the left of the box.

Nine minutes into the second half the home side did add to their lead. Dozzell committed a foul just outside the area after Emmanuel had failed to clear and Shinnie’s freekick flew past Norris.

Judge was shown the game’s first yellow card for a foul on Brendan Galloway two minutes later, before Lee hit a strike from the edge of the area which was too close to Norris.

Just before the hour mark a Wilson error allowed Cornick to break down the right and tee-up Brown, whose shot was deflected wide.

Danny Rowe replaced Edwards on 61 with the Welshman having benefited from the run-out but unsurprisingly not at his best having not played a game since April.

A minute later, the ball fell to Dozzell in space on the edge of the box but his shot was too close to Shea, who turned the ball over. Soon after, Roberts scraped a low shot to the Hatters keeper.

Town went closer in the 65th minute when, following a corner, Rowe crossed from the left and Shea failed to claim. Roberts turned goalwards but the ball was cleared away from the line.

Luton swapped very impressive loanee Brown for Callum McManaman on 66, before the Blues switched Huws, who again will have benefited from the competitive minutes if some way from his best, for ex-Luton loanee Flynn Downes.

The Hatters continued to dominate and went looking for a fourth, Norris saving from McManaman with his feet, the ex-Wigan man having found a way through the Blues’ defence.

The 1,064-strong Town support finally had something to cheer in the 74th minute when Dobra smashed home a debut goal. The Albanian U19 international picked the ball up from Downes after the sub had won the ball on halfway, brought it forward and inside to the edge of the box before slamming a low strike to Shea’s left and into the net.

With 13 minutes remaining Judge was replaced by Jackson, then on 79 Roberts was booked for a foul on Jones.

After a spell in which Town sent in a couple of dangerous balls from the right but without being able to create a chance, Dobra was booked for a foul on halfway.

Just prior to the fourth official indicating four minutes of additional time, Emmanuel was booked for a foul as Luton broke, the last serious action of a disappointing evening for the Blues.

Having started slowly and conceded early on, Town never looked like they would get back into the game and threaten to claim a place in round two.

The Hatters, who made one more change than the Blues, looked a much slicker outfit from the off with Town thoroughly disjointed with too many players either on the way back from injury or lacking senior experience.

Dobra’s debut goal and display and game time for the likes of Huws and Edwards were the only positives Town could take from the tie.

While manager Paul Lambert won’t be too disappointed at not having another game to add to the Blues’ lengthy fixture list, he will have been unimpressed that his fringe team was swept aside so easily by the Championship new boys.

Luton: Shea, Berry, Lee, Shinnie (c), Cornick, Bolton (Cranie 46), Galloway, Brown (McManaman 66), LuaLua (Neufville 46), Bree, Jones. Unused: Stech, Jervis, Moncur, Pante.

Town: Norris, Emmanuel, Chambers (c), Wilson, Clements, Huws (Downes 66), Dozzell, Dobra, Edwards (Rowe 61), Judge (Jackson 77), Roberts. Unused: Holy, Skuse, Nolan, Kenlock. Referee: Brett Huxtable (Devon). Att: 5,433 (Town 1,064).


Photo: Action Images



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Northstandveteran added 18:57 - Aug 14
Midastouch

Swn98 has continued to post.

Can you work out who he is?

Welcome back Blueboy 😃
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midastouch added 19:05 - Aug 14
Go on spill the beans please detective Northstandveteran? Who do you think Swn98 has been posting as? It's like a game of Guess Who on here sometimes!
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Northstandveteran added 19:05 - Aug 14
Oh I couldn't spoil the fun 😁
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Northstandveteran added 19:06 - Aug 14
I don't think, I know.
😁
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midastouch added 19:10 - Aug 14
I've got a couple of ideas, need to do some digging on the comments, leave it to Detective Midastouch. We can pass the good news on to Blueboy1981 and it will be like Friends Reunited on here again! ;-)
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Michael101 added 19:14 - Aug 14
Pexzer,still a few days for Evans to sell dob ra,a few more quid for his back pocket.
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alfromcol added 19:47 - Aug 14
PHIL a plea from a big supporter of TWTD.

Is there someway that you could implement a change to the site that allows users the option of being able to block other users so that individual don't have to keep reading the same/repetitive posts that they post.

This is a serious proposal and I would like to hear your response.

Thanks and keep up the good work.
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Bluearmy_81 added 20:05 - Aug 14
Alfrom, you can block people already, knock yourself out
1

warktheline added 20:09 - Aug 14
Just to reaffirm my earlier post,
Bobble hat and I can't remember the other name ( that mind numbing) what a pair of numpties you are!
#chainedandpacified
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Dozzells_Bobblehat added 20:16 - Aug 14
bye bye warktheline
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Dozzells_Bobblehat added 20:17 - Aug 14
He's right Alf you can . Just click on the name and then press ignore
0

midastouch added 20:27 - Aug 14
@ Dozzells_Bobblehat and Bluearmy_81, wish you two had never spilt the beans, I'll prob be talking to myself on here from now on in! ;-)
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londontractorboy57 added 20:45 - Aug 14
I did read somewhere that SWN had moved to Ireland with mickma and TC.
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midastouch added 20:47 - Aug 14
Swn98 has revealed himself!
Welcome back londontractorSwn, did you enjoy your trip to Gibraltar? ;-)
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alfromcol added 20:54 - Aug 14
Ignore does not block users
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TimmyH added 21:02 - Aug 14
londontractorSwn is Swn98?..really? can't remember too may posts from him of late, but then Mick's job was cancelled over a year back! :)
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TimmyH added 21:07 - Aug 14
aaahh! londontractorboy57!!...think he's changed his name before as well.
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midastouch added 21:12 - Aug 14
@ TimmyH, londontractorSwn may have blown his cover here! ;-)
Be careful what you wish for!!!! by midastouch 24 Jul 2019 0:18
When will this prehistoric argument ever end? It's enough to give any one a numbskull. It's a question that can't really be answered for at least another 12 or 24 months. So rather than us regurgitate all the same old tired arguments why don't we just wait 12 or 24 months and see where we are at. So please, let's Jurassic Park that question till then...

0

Walk_the_Wark added 21:21 - Aug 14
Anyone question the medical staff? It seems to have been several seasons now that we've been ravaged by long term/serious injuries..
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midastouch added 21:25 - Aug 14
Think we might need to get the White helmets in from Syria to be our medical staff.
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blueboy1981 added 21:36 - Aug 14
Midastouch - I had enough of the said person last season, that's why I shall not be posting much this time around.
Lot's of great posters on here, but a certain few (one in particular) not worth mixing it with, and best treated with the disdain he/she deserves.

Great place to comment, communicate, and share opinions - just spoilt by a tiny minority, as I guess most things In life are.
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midastouch added 22:00 - Aug 14
@ blueboy1981, the fallout and divisions of Mick and now Evans has made for a divided fan base. Until we have a decent team we can all unite behind again it will probably remain pretty fractious between some elements of us going forwards. You only need to look on the comments following the result last night for example. My approach is that it's probably better to have those I don't always agree with inside the tent peeing out, than outside the tent peeing in. We sometimes forget the real enemy is down the road in Naaaaridge but sadly they have been peeing all over us of late too. Hopefully one day we'll all be united again in the ITFC tent peeing out all over them again, but not sure if my prostate can hold out that long! I'll do my very best to hold on though as that would be one hell of a satisfying pee if I can somehow hold out for that long! ;-)
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Dozzells_Bobblehat added 22:00 - Aug 14
Oh ! 🤔☹️ Sorry Al
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warkyisgod added 22:47 - Aug 14
I'm sure I'll be down voted down for burying my head in the sand but we're out of the cup so what it's nothing new yes of course would be good to have a cup run not just for the fans but to get some well needed funds but so far I have enjoyed the games Burton away I think has to be my best game ever football not amazing but to be in the crowd singing for nearly 2 hours best time . home to Sunderland football was better and the result a massive kick in the bits but again the atmosphere again was second to none I am literally counting down the minutes till kick off at Peterborough because with 4000 thousand of us bouncing the stadium will be amazing. What I'm trying to say is results matter of course they do and our history counts but to be at those matches with the fans it becomes a much more memorable experience and to be honest it's been a few years since I have felt that it finally feels like the fans are one not on here obviously but in the stadiums all pulling in the same direction now the players and the club have to do the same. ITID
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Gcon added 23:16 - Aug 14
Oh Lord. Blueboy's back....They let him out of rehab.
1


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