Luton 3 Alfreton 0

The Hatters juggernaut rolls on in fine style!

John Still, for this fixture against Alfreton, chose to select an unchanged starting eleven for the fifth game on the trot. With the Oak Road once again open to home supporters, it was great to see a sea of orange in the famous old stand.

For what must be a first in ages, the game kicked off in bright sunshine with Luton attacking the Oak Road end. Unlike the last home game, this one had a quiet start with the first ten minutes seeing solely possession based football displayed.

Alfreton, with 13 minutes gone, had the first effort of the game but, from 25 yards out Bradley saw his effort go high and wide. Compared to the three previous games which had seen a glut of chances and goals, we entered the second half of the first forty-five minutes waiting for the game to really ignite.

Bradley, getting forward for Alfreton, saw an effort from twenty yards go the wrong side of the woodwork. Luton were struggling to up the tempo with Alfreton closing down the Hatters at every opportunity.

But, just before the half-hour mark Luton edged ahead with Luke Guttridge scoring his 13th of the season after a cross from Gray had only been half-cleared, Guttridge saw his first shot blocked but his second, after taking a slight deflection, nestled in the Alfreton net.

The goal rejuvenated the Kenilworth Road crowd and the noise levels were upped. Suddenly Luton were playing better and Ruddock almost forced his way through with a rampaging run whilst Benson saw a shot from six yards blocked after a fine solo run.

As we approached the 40th minute Alfreton had a half chance when Shaw hit a shot into the arms of Tyler in the Hatters goal. As half time approached a fine Hatters move involving Howells, Ruddock and Guttridge saw Gray fire a shot over the bar. Two minutes of injury time were played before Luton left the pitch to applause from the packed Kenilworth Road crowd.

Half Time – Luton 1 Alfreton 0

John Still made no changes at half time as the action resumed with Luton attacking the Kenilworth Road end. Alfreton, pushing forward, saw Harrad glance a header over the bar. Luton responded with a corner from Howells that was met with a towering header by Franks that Law cleared off the line.

Luton were, in the 52nd minute, to double their lead when Alfreton couldn`t clear a corner properly and Andre Gray tapped in a cross from Griffiths for his 25th goal of the season. Alfreton had an almost immediate chance to reduce the arrears but Harrad saw his shot beaten away by Tyler.

Chasing the game now, Alfreton almost reduced the arrears when, after Ruddock had blocked one shot, Bradley saw his effort tipped over the bar, brilliantly, by Tyler.

With 65 minutes gone Still made his first change bringing on Robinson for McGeehan and Luton almost went three up when Gray and Benson combined but were denied by the Alfreton keeper. The afternoon was then soured when Guttridge was carried off on a stretcher, to be replaced by Lawless.

In the 73rd minute Gray showed just what pace he possesses when he burst clear but his shot hit the post. With thirteen minutes to go, the ex-Hatter Godfrey Poku picked up the first yellow card of the game.

Still searching for the third goal Ruddock whistled a shot over the bar from a Gray pass. With five minutes to go the third goal did come when Paul Benson netted when Alfreton once again failed to clear their lines enabled Howells to cross for a simple tap-in for his 16th goal of the season.

The points belonged to Luton and the fourteen point gap was maintained.