Luton v Sheff Utd report

Luton all but beat promoted Sheffield United, but a late Tonge free kick secured an undeserved point for the Blades. Brkovic seemed to have scored the winner after a missed penalty kick by Vine, as Luton ended their home matches for the season.

Pre-match news from Kenilworth Road on Friday suggested that the team would be severely depleted again due to injury, but Kevin Nicholls was a big surprise inclusion on the bench. Marcus Heikkinen failed to make it and Steve Howard resumed the central defensive role alongside the inexperienced Leon Barnett.

Sheffield United were also depleted but Akinbiyi returned to the ground where he scored a hat trick for Burnley earlier in the season.

Luton began well and an early Brkovic cross found Morgan but the ball came off his chest too far to control it and Kenny took it easily. Brko then shot goalwards but the ball struck Feeney and was cleared.

Luton semed to be doing more of the attack king and it was worryingly like the game at Bramhall lane when Luton controlled the first half only to concede four later on, but with Howard and Barnett looking solid at the back, that was never going to be repeated.

Despite their greater attacking intentions, Luton failed to give the Blades keeper too much to worry about, while Beresford was a spectator for most of the first half. It was not until 8 minutes before the break that Kenny was tested and it came from the boot of Enoch Showunmi who missed narrowly from 35 yards with Kenny scurrying across his goal and relieved to see it go wide.

Luton’s first real scare came just before the break when Akinbiyi crossed towards Dyer but Barnett slid in to clear it skilfully. Bolstered by that success Barnett popped up at the other end with a good header after a Morgan free kick but the ball went straight at Kenny.

The Blades were more adventurous after the break and again the spectre of the Bramhall Lane match came to mind. However, it was Luton who were gifted the golden opportunity to open the scoring when Vine went down far too easily under the attentions of Chris Morgan and the Assistant Referee signalled a Penalty Kick. For me it was never a foul and justice was done when Vine got up and blasted the spot kick over the bar. Had Nicholls have been on the field at the time I doubt Vine would have had the opportunity!

Just after the hour, Francis slipped the ball right across the face of goal and several onrushing Blades failed between them to get anything on the ball and the chance was gone.

Three minutes later, Keane drilled a perfect cross into the area and the unmarked Brkovic gleefully headed it past Kenny for a deserved lead. Luton upped the pace a little after the goal and a Feeney shot was well saved by Kenny and as time was running out, Nicholls took a trademark free kick which beat Kenny but struck the cross bar

It appeared that, with Sheffield United making little inroad into the Luton defence, Luton would hold on, but in a somewhat rare attack, Howard bundled over Armstrong, who like Vine needed little invitation to go down, and Tonge curled the ball into the net from 20 odd yards but without too much pace, and Beresford will have been disappointed not to have got to it.

A toss up between Steve Howard and Leon Barnett but I'd say Barnett: 8 On Luton's Official Website: 'We had a patched up side and everyone out there was everything we had available, but it tells you something about the spirit of the lads when they are still giving their all like that in the 45th game of the season.

'That pretty much sums up our season. I think we had the better of the game and created all the chances. We had the game won and Marlon Beresford didn't have a save to make all day.

'I know Sheffield United are promoted and might have taken their foot off the gas, but we had them beaten and it's very frustrating.

On Sheff Utd's Official Website:

'It wasn't a great game and there wasn't a lot to write about, but it's been a long season, there were a lot of tired legs on the pitch - and it was red hot out there.

'Naturally we didn't want to lose in front of our fans. The lads are going abroad for a few days rest and I wouldn't want them to do that on the back of a loss.

'I think we deserved a point. We had no injuries, scored a good goal and Chris Armstrong was the best player on the pitch - he just keeps getting better in every match.

'We didn't create a lot and to be honest I could only see us scoring through Chris, although Simon Francis did put in a great cross which nobody get a toe to.'

Like me, Warnock was unimpressed with the penalty decision!

He went on: 'The referee told 'Morgs' that he didn't think it was a penalty but that the assistant referee who flagged had made his mind up.'

Warnock was complimentary about his opponents but not the overall quality of the football, which it has to be said, lacked the flair we like to see.

'What a great pro Steve Howard is, a centre-forward playing central defence so easily he might have had a cigar in his hand - I have just congratulated him as we left the pitch. And Mike Newell has done a great job here.

'But as for the match, well the most exciting part was putting the sunblock on at half-time - Chris Armstrong had to rub some on his head!'

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