Luton win Beds Premier Cup

Biggleswade United 1 Luton Town 5.

In the end the Hatters won comfortably, but not many would have predicted such a one sided scoreline at half time.

It was a terrible start for Luton though, from the kick off the ball was passed to the Town’s right back (Chris Pendleton?) and as he weighed up his options his team mates were telling him to keep the ball, with all the Luton players in front of him marked up he decided to pass the ball to the keeper only to get it badly wrong and instead gave it straight to the Biggleswade’s no.10, the striker then cooly went around the keeper before slotting home to give United the lead in their first ever Beds Premier Cup Final.

After such a bad start the Town regrouped and started to put Biggleswade under pressure with Danny Stevens particulary proving troublesome. Though Luton had a lot of the ball, clear cut chances were few and far between, and you felt that whilst Biggleswade were giving everything they had to defend their lead Luton were playing well within themselves. Calvin Andrews had a couple of efforts that looked dangerous and Stevens looked like tapping in but just couldn’t get to the ball, however Biggleswade had a couple of chances as well, after good work down the left a dangerous cross was whipped in only to be just diverted over his own crossbar from a Luton defender and then following a free kick a free header at the backpost could have led to more danger, but with three team mates totally unmarked in the centre the Biggleswade player looked to have been caught in two minds with what to do and instead headed tamely at the keeper.

Calvin should have equalised with the best chance of the match, he was put through on goal but as it looked easier to score than miss he blazed high and wide! Still the goal wasn’t long in coming and and it was the right back who made admends with an excellent assist, after an attempted throughball was cut out by an United defender in his box; he then took to long to clear and Pendleton got a takle in to win the ball, he then skimmed past another defender before drawing the keeper and passing the ball into the centre for the waiting Ashley Hamilton to tap in.

Half time 1-1

In the break I was fairly confident Luton would go on to win, but I felt they hadn’t pushed themselves enough yet-the second half they would though as they went on to dominate, playing some excellent football with it.

The second goal wasn’t long in coming in the second period, Danny Stevens picking the ball up on the right before cutting in and dispatching a left footed drive into the far corner; the keeper got a hand to the ball but couldn’t keep it out, and judging by the goalie’s face he felt that he could have done better.

Luton remained on top and continued to attack at will, the ball was played down the left which saw a Biggleswade defender handle it in desperation to stop it falling to Calvin, as the ball reached its destination anyway the ref played advantage. Calvin, with a player in front of him, looked to play a team mate in but with no one making the run he wanted, he simply moved the ball to the right before unleashing an unstoppable shot into the top right corner.

With the Luton midfield now dominant (especially the no.8, Shane Hill?) it was looking like how many they would now score and the fourth soon followed. After a superb move by Luton’s midfield, the home team keeper pulled off a great save to concede a corner, and from the resulting set piece the ball landed up on the left wing, and a right footed cross deceived the Biggleswade defence who got too far underneath it, allowing Calvin to calmly chest down before vollying home.

Following a good spell of passing, the ball was at the feet of Matt Kenneford, who finding himself in space on the edge of the area, hit a left footed shot low and hard to the left of the keeper to make it five. Luton had a couple more chances, Calvin looked odds on for his hat trick before being pushed (ref didnt see it!), and the crossbar was rattled in the dying seconds as well.

Overall a very good win, and in the second half an excellent performance. My man of the match would be Luton’s no.8 who showed plenty of skill and determination.