Luton v Colchester

Colchester goalkeeper Aidan Davison is always brilliant or nightmarish against Luton and on Tuesday evening it was his heroics which the ‘U’s had to thank for their point. His one man resistance and Luton’s poor fortune combines to prevent a rout in the second half of this match.

Luton managed to hit the woodwork three times and Langley missed a penalty, in a thrilling match.

Colchester were never going to allow the Town to open as they did on Saturday, and it was the away side which started the brighter. Richard Garcia found Jamie Cureton in the box early on and he somehow managed to shoot wide as Beresford came out to narrow the angle.

Luton eased their way into the match and Edwards teased the ‘U’s defence time and again. In the 31st minute Edwards received the ball from a quick throw in by Foley and got in an excellent early cross which found Parkin ghosting across the face of the goal and he glanced a perfect header in off the left hand post for a deserved lead, and his first goal in the Hatters colours.

Rather than spur the Town on to greater things, Colchester came at the home team venomously, and Luton sustained a long period of pressure by a mixture of good fortune and Colchester’s poor finishing.

Wayne Brown shot over from a free kick on the edge of the penalty area and Cureton marginally failed to meet a good cross in from Duguid.

Just as the storm seemed to have been weathered, Chris Iwelumo was given far too much space on the edge of the area and his deft layoff was struck first time by Cureton from outside the the area and beat the despairing dive of Beresford. However, a keeper of Beresford’s ability should not have been beaten from there, although it was hard to begrudge Colchester parity after the way they applied themselves after going down.

One all at half time was about right on the balance of play and it was all to do in the second half.

Luton came out for the second half in determined mood and set seige on the visitors’ goal. Edwards was playing out of his skin, and when Izzet was penalised for a foul on Langley, the former QPR midfielder got up to take the kick himself. He had 192 square feet to aim at but needed an extra 4 inches as the ball cannoned of the top of the bar and skywards back into play. You really must hit the target from 12 yards. If the keeper guesses correctly that is one thing but missing the target is another.

Vine was unlucky when the assistant’s flag ruled out his strike, and then Luton stepped up the pressure on to the ‘U’s defence. It seemed like when rather than whether Luton would score again, but Davison had other ideas.

Parkin got away an excellent shot which was going into the roof of the net before the keeper got fingertips on it to guide it over the bar. Then attempts by Vine and Foley were well saved.

Edwards jinked around the defence to clip in another goal bound shot but Davison got enough on it to send it onto the crossbar, and another shot by Foley which took a deflection wrong footing Davison seemed to be on its way into the net before the keeper appeared to change direction in mid air and palm it away, and Vine had yet another sweet strike saved. Edwards once again slid into the box and saw another goal bound effort tipped around the post and it was becoming clear that Davison was having one of those evenings where he could do little wrong.

When he did, and flapped at a corner from Robinson it eluded the jump of Barnett and went out for another corner, which was headed straight into the keeper’s midriff by Parkin.

As the game went into injury time, Colchester caught the Town napping, on the break, and Heikkinen was wrongfooted and gave away a corner. As it was whipped in, Town hearts were in their mouths as it fizzed across the goal, but fortunately it beat everyone.