Luton v Walsall report

Luton failed to gain their first away win in the league this season but gave a battling performance showing signs of improvement.

New loan signing Marc Wilson was given his debut while the other loanee Anthony Grant started on the bench. Jaroslav Fojut showed his steel in returning to play through the pain barrier on his injured ankle and gave another strong performance in central defence.

Robinson and Edwards were absent due to International call ups, with Edwards gaining his first full Welsh cap coming on as a substitute. Robinson remained an unused substitute in Northern Ireland’s 2-1 victory over Denmark.

Both sides started in a cagey manner and little of note happened in the first quarter of an hour until what the Town fans hoped was an opportunity for a David Bell special when Wilson was fouled 25 yards out. Bell however still hasn’t regained his shooting radar and the shot was so wide of the mark that it almost went for a throw in.

With McVeigh scoring four in the reserves 7-7 draw with Grays in midweek, Town boss Kevin Blackwell abandoned the 5-4-1 tactics which the players seem so uncomfortable playing, and McVeigh started up front alongside Calvin Andrew in a 4-4-2. Calvin continued to show he is developing with a run in the side and McVeigh did well working off Andrew.

Demontagnac was looking bright for the home side and after a 1-2 with Ricketts might have opened the scoring but he drilled it wide of Brill’s left post when unchallenged in the box.

Calvin Andrew chased what looked a lost cause and when Gerrard made an uncharacteristic slip, Andrew got away a sharp shot but the onrushing Ince blocked it with a good save.

Sonko’s speculative effort from 30 yards after a corner was only half cleared did little to test Dean Brill’s nerve and the young keeper made a confident save.

The chance of the match fell to Michael Ricketts just after the half hour, when for once the central defensive pairing of Coyne and Fojut seemed to leave covering duties to each other leaving the Oldham loanee unmarked for Sonko to place the ball accurately for him to head home from the edge of the 6 yard box; but somehow he headed wide when scoring was easier than missing, and the last 15 minutes were about as eventful as the first 15.

The second half began in the same vein but the Town looked a little more purposeful and began to gradually take control.

On 55 minutes, Luton were very unlucky after Andrew crossed for McVeigh to gain a yard of space but his trickling shot beat Ince but also drifted just wide.

Coyne headed a Walsall cross away and found McVeigh, who strode forward unchallenged and struck a sweet shot from 20 yards which was deflected wide.

An appeal for a penalty kick for handball from a Luton corner fell on deaf ears although to be fair it looked dubious, but minutes later Darren Wrack clearly handled in the penalty area as Bell fired in a shot but referee Taylor, (who, shall we say, may have had better days in the middle than this one), was unimpressed and waved away the appeals.

It was beginning to look as though a penalty kick was the only way a goal was going to be scored in this match!

Talbot, on for the tiring McVeigh, went close with about 20 minutes left clipping the ball over the bar after a good cross from Bell, and Luton were definitely in the ascendency. However, in true Luton style, over committing to attack, they almost allowed themselves to be mugged at the other end, when Mooney got on the end of a hoofed clearance and the ball sat up nicely for him to drill a fierce shot goalwards and on target. It looked a screamer of a goal all the way but Brill made a stunning save which earned his wages for the next two weeks!

Talbot went close again in the closing stages and Walsall had a couple of half chances but as the game wound down, both sides having escaped conceding when placing too many men forward, seemed to accept the one point each and the game died mercifully!



Walsall: Ince, Weston, Fox, Gerrard, Wrack, Mooney, Hall (McDermott 63), Demontagnac (Taundry 83), Dann, Sonko, Ricketts

Subs not used: Roper, Bossu, Deeney

Luton Town: Brill, Perry, Coyne, Fojut, Jackson, Wilson, Hutchison, Spring, Bell, McVeigh (Talbot 70), Andrew.

Subs not used: Goodall, Currie, Keane, Grant

Referee: Anthony Taylor – Manchester- must do better. Won’t be getting asked to referee his home clubs any time soon on this performance! Got involved when he didn’t need to and didn’t when he did need to! Not helped particularly well by one of his assistants either.