Luton Town 1 Newcastle 0
Rob Edwards’ side got back to business after their game was abandoned last week when defender Tom Lockyer suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch. Fortunately, the latest news is that the player has been released from hospital to recuperate at home after treatment.
Moments like this show how the football fraternity come together, as Newcastle fans held a huge a banner in the away end saying, ‘get well soon Tom, NUFC’. Touch of class from the Toon Army right there, credit where it’s due.
Luton Town welcomed Newcastle to Kenilworth Road as the visitors tried to get over the disappointment of their exit from the Carabao Cup on penalties in midweek. Eddie Howe’s side had crashed out of two cups in a matter of a week.
The entire ground started to applaud in the fourth minute for Tom Lockyer, while the digital advertising boards listed all the healthcare professionals the club wanted to thank for treating him last week.
Credit: @NUFC
Both sides starting huffing and puffing as they looked to find a goal. Firstly, Luton struck the woodwork but it was adjudged the ball had gone out in the build-up which is why the Newcastle defence had seemingly downed tools. Risky business with VAR decisions this season.
Newcastle then came forward and a series of players looked to get shots off on goal but Luton’s players threw themselves in the way, to protect Kaminski’s goal. Lewis Miley thought he was destined to score in the middle of the goal before the block came in.
Anthony Gordon then played a sublime cross into the box to pick out Callum Wilson. Stood six yards out, in the middle of the goal, you would think he had to score. The only place he could put it where he wouldn’t was straight at the keeper and the striker duly obliged.
The hosts then forced a corner and as Barkley flicked it on, Andros Townsend was at the back post to head it in for The Hatters. It was his first goal for the club and he held aloft the shirt of Lockyer to celebrate the goal.
Luton almost doubled their lead when Barkley struck one from outside the box but it thundered against the crossbar before hitting the back of the sprawling keeper and somehow staying out of the goal. The former Everton man is rediscovering the form that saw Chelsea splurge on him.
He was causing all sorts of problems for Newcastle and as he slotted the ball into the path of Adebayo, only the legs of Martin Dubravka could deny him extending Luton’s lead. At this point Eddie Howe’s side would be happy to get to the interval only a goal down.
Credit: @LutonTown
In the second half Adebayo stole the ball from a Newcastle defender before finding Brown. His first touch took him wide of the goal but he let rip and saw his shot smash against the crossbar and come back out with the Newcastle keeper well beaten.
The travelling Magpies’ fans thought they had saved a point when Almiron spotted the run of Isak who slotted the ball into the far corner before the assistant’s flag went up. VAR reviewed it and the Newcastle striker had just started his run a little too early. Fine margins.
Barkley continued to offer some attacking threat for The Hatters and he tried his luck from the edge of the box, only to see his shot go a yard wide of the post. Rob Edwards’ side took all three points and the home faithful erupted on the sound of the final whistle.
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