Luton back on track

Despite not fully returning to top form, Luton bounced back from defeat at Grimsby with a comfortbale victory over in form Cambridge United on Saturday.

Luton looked a totally different proposition with Drury back in the side and he scored his second goal for the Hatters in a man of the Match performance.

Also notable were Shane Blackett in central defence who had arguably his best game yet in Town colours, Tai Atieno, who looked a real handful before being substituted late on, and Freddie Murray who put in an excellent performance.

Cambridge deserve credit for trying to attack and they might have had something out of the game but for a couple of goal line clearances and some sloppy finishing.

Both teams started well with some end to end play but it was the Hatters who should have gone ahead early on when Gnakpa bore down on the penalty area and set up Drury who maybe had too much time to think about it before curling a shot over the top corner.

Matthew Barnes-Homer who had looked so sharp in the first three games seems to have lost a bit of confidence again and should have scored in a 1 on 1 with the keeper but saw his shot clip the legs of the diving Brown.

As Luton piled on the pressure MBH linked well with Atieno and the Kenyan international only had the keeper to beat but slipped it wide as Brown charged out kamikaze style.

Luton were looking strong in defence with Kroca and Blackett doind well as pilkington payed just in front of them as a defensive midfielder.

After MBH was scythed down just outside the box Drury's free kick worried the keeper but jut drifted over the bar.

With all their attacking play Luton still had not scored and might have been caught on the break when Wilmott set up Wright and he took his eye off the ball for a split second and somehaow managed to put it wide with the goal beckoning.

On 34 minutes Luton got the breakthrough their link play had deserved. Drury dropped a shoulder and made half a yard for himself and buried it in the bottom corner with the keeper unable to respond.

A few minutes later, Barnes-Homer repeated his feat of Grimsby, taking 1 touch receiving the ball facing away from goal theturning and driving a great shot against the post.

Cambridge rallied and had a period of pressure, which was well contained by the Hatters' defence and a qick break by Luton earned a corner kick as the referee looked at his watch for half time. Fortunately he felt there was time to allow the corner to be taken and Drury stuck it right on Pilkington's head and he directed is header into the net in what is becoming his trademark style.

2-0 at half time was no more than Luton deserved and we were hoping they could push on and maybe see the two front men back a couple more in the second half.

To be fair Cambridge looked to have a better shape after the break and they started to gain a foothold in the match, and in the 50th minute Wright got a shot away, on target and beating Tyler but Gleeson was well placed on the goal line and cleared well.

Immediately, Cambridge, fired up by the near miss, broke again and Daryl Clare, a regular scorer at this level, had the easiest of chances to slot home for the visitors but hit it wide when to miss was the more difficult option!



uton had gone awol and the Town goal was leading a bit of a charmed life. Clare finally hit the back of the net on 60 minutes but the flag had long since been up for offside.

In a bid to shake the Town up a bit, Richard Money sent on Jake Howells for the tiring Atieno and moved Drury right.

Luton did get themselves back in order and a delightful cross from Drury fell invitingly for MBH and he hit it well enough but drew an excellent save out of Brown.

Kroca thought he had scored from a corner by Drury as he rose to head it but it caught the top of his head and went high over the bar.

Crow came on for Gnakpa with 15 minutes left and the Luton shape looked a little more settled with Howells left Crow and MBH up front and Drury on the right.

However, on 80 minutes the Hatters' defence went to sleep again and Russell struck a shot early from outside of the penalty area with Tyler unsighted but Freddie Murray was in the right place on the post and hooked it of the line.

Danny Crow began to get more involved and having received an inciteful pass from Adam Murray the former Cambridge striker hit a screamer only to see Brown make the save of the match. From that point Luton settled for the two and ran down the clock professionally.

LUTON TOWN:

Mark Tyler, Dan Gleeson (Newton, 54), Zdenek Kroca, Shane Blackett, Freddie Murray, Claude Gnakpa (Crow, 74)George Pilkington, Adam Murray, Andy Drury, Matthew Barnes-Homer, Taiwo Atieno (Howells, 60),

Subs not used: Kevin Pilkington, Pavel Besta,

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