Hatters sent to Coventry

What a place the Ricoh Arena is – if we possibly can we must support a new stadium, wherever it can happen.

The Town side set the pulse racing again, with at least the promise of a threat or two. Worries still about the lack of a centre half of course, and no Marlon – two games a week is a bit much for someone that old!

The side:

Brill

Foley Perrett Keane Davis

Bell Robinson Spring Emanuel

Talbot Morgan

For Coventry no Michasel Doyle or Robert Page after a punch-up in training that left one requiring dental treatment and the other a severely damaged hand, and Coventry coach Adrian Heath talking about sacking the pair of them. Wonder who was shagging whose missus?

A fast start with the Town pressuring the Sky Blues and looking strong. But City looked marginally more threatening with Adebola and McNamee both making runs which went too far for comfort, and then Spring tidying up with a back-pass which sold Brill horribly short.

The first corner went to City after 18 minutes, but easily cleared.

For the Town Talbot looked lively up front, but the midfield was too tight for any real chances, with Bell in particular given no room. City boss Adrian heath apologised afterwards but said his priority had been a clean sheet, and that was obvious as they stifled the midfield with five, leaving Dele Adebola alone up front.

The whole first-half was much the same and ended two corners to nil to City, with the Town not even managing a shot on goal. So dull it was hardly believeable.

The Town started the second half much brighter, having noticeably moved the whole side 10 yards further forward and pressing City back. This gave us the better of the opening 20 minutes or so, but no clear cut chances.

After 63 minutes City made a double forward change, with Leon McKenzie and Kevin Kyle making an appearance and Adebola limping off.

The game and the hitherto silent City crowd – 18,000 outsung by 200 Hatters fans – came to life as space started to appear.

A further City change as Kevin Thornton, clearly a crowd favourite, added trickery in the middle. This started to look ominous, and on 75 minutes it worked, Thornton finding McKenzie unmarked in the box, and his shot cruelly deflecting past Brill.

1-0

After three tactical changes from City, which had changed the game, Luton reacted but only to the sight of a limping Lewis Emanuel, Adam Boyd the replacement and Morgan dropping back to midfield.

The momentum swung back in Luton’s favour, but still with little reward. On 88 minutes the first Town corner arrived, and from the clearance another.

But of course to no avail.

4 minutes of injury time, most of which was spent in our half. But With seconds left Talbot burst onto a Boyd flick and was pulled down on the edge of the box. Morgan’s freekick was deflected for a corner, from which Talbot’s glancing header was cleared off the line. And that really was it.

So yet another 6 pointer went the wrong way.and with the bottom three all winning Barnsley have leapfrogged the Hatters, who now are one above the relegation slots and just four points off bottom club Leeds, who have a game in hand…

Oh and Steve Howard scored the winner for league leaders Derby, who extended their lead to six points tonight after Southend won away at Birmingham. Still never mind, we have signed an unknown forward on loan for a month – who needs a proven goalscorer?

Scores


Brill 6 one miraculous save
Foley 6 worked hard but no more
Keane 6 performed well in the centre
Perrett 7 ditto
Davis 5 OK defensively but nothing coming forward
Bell 7 worked hard but little space
Spring 6 nothing special
Robinson 5 anonymous
Emanuel 4 even more so
Morgan 5
Talbot 6