Luton Town 2 Crystal Palace 1
Rob Edwards’ side managed to move out of the bottom three this week without even needing to play a game. This was after Everton were handed a ten-point deduction for breaching the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules.
The Hatters welcomed Crystal Palace to Kenilworth Road looking to celebrate their good fortune with three points against Roy Hodgson’s side. The visitors welcomed back both Eze and Olise to their starting line-up, giving them hope of getting back to winning ways themselves.
It was the dangerous pair who combined for the first chance of the game as Olise looked to bend one in at the far post but saw his effort go narrowly wide, with Kaminski scrambling across his goal. Early warning shots fired by the visitors.
During their absence, The Eagles looked blunter than a Saxon sword dug up by Tony Robinson’s Time Team. This was ironic as Crystal Palace’s manager was born just after the end of the Saxon occupation of Britain.
Credit: @LutonTown
Eze then tried his luck from distance with Kaminski getting down well to save in the bottom corner, before leaping to his feet to make an excellent save as Schlupp followed up with another effort. Already it was seeming like the Luton keeper had definitely had his pre-game Weetabix.
Osho and Eze then challenged for a ball on the right wing with the two players becoming entangled together on the floor with the Palace winger seemingly getting his leg trapped at an awkward angle with the defender’s weight on it.
It was not good news for Hodgson who was forced to substitute the England attacker early on in the second half but he was able to walk off the pitch so Palace will be hoping that the injury does not keep him out for too long.
Things went from bad to worse for the veteran manager when Doucoure went down in a heap holding his leg in some pain, under no challenge. It looked as though he felt something go in his Achilles as he looked to pass the ball.
The defensive midfielder had to be stretchered off the pitch in some discomfort and certainly did not look like an injury he would bounce back from anytime soon. Hodgson must have felt like he was back in one of those Saxon battles from his youth as people all around him were dropping like flies.
Olise then played a sweeping long pass into the path of Edouard who held off the defender to get his shot away, which was saved by Kaminski, before the striker knocked the rebound into the net. However, the goal was ruled out as it seemed to strike his hand when the initial shot was blocked.
Credit: @LutonTown
Ogbene managed to win a corner for Luton which was flicked on by Morris before it was drilled home by Mengi to put the hosts ahead. Kenilworth Road erupted to the extent that peoples’ living rooms must have been shaking on the adjoining terraced houses.
Crystal Palace realised time was running out and came forward with Olise down the right wing, weaving in and out of defenders, before cutting onto his left foot and bending one into the top corner from just inside the box.
As he celebrated the equaliser, he put his finger against his lips as a message to the home fans. This has always a popular celebration from away players to the home faithful but can come back to bite you if you end up on the losing side.
The Hatters had not given up on the win and continued to come forward with Barkley pulling the strings and finding Ogbene out wide. He put in a perfect cross in behind the defence for Brown to slide and poke home to send the home fans into raptures.
Both Palace defender and keeper seemed to leave the ball to each other which allowed the Luton attacker to ghost in between them and score the all important goal. The visitors tried to find another equaliser and Andersen got a shot off at goal but again Kaminski was to deny them.
The visitors continued to press and as Olise put an inswinging cross in, the header came thundering back off the woodwork with fans’ hearts in mouths. Luton managed to see the game out and gain a huge three points in their battle for Premier League survival.
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