13/2 - Luton v Crawley

[devilofajob]

We've pooped on Luton's party before - can we do it again?
I'd be delighted with a point.
We won't have the biggest following but I think we'll make some noise.
We've a good record away at the top teams - apart from Wycombe.

 

[oakroader]

You’re on a great run admittedly d.o.j...but this will be your cup final ..,enjoy the experience and say goodbye to the champions in waiting...
(I know...I know!!)

 

[doctor crawley]

Our cup final ...he he he
Even we have improved since a trip to KR is seen as a cup final.
We will win on Tuesday and our 280 fans will out sing the Luton faithful, as they always do.
A win, on Lutons cup final......still clinging to their non league roots.

 

[devilofajob]

We've sold our initial allocation (260) so for a change on a Tuesday night, our support won't be shite.
I hope the grass is closely cut to enable or slick passing game.

 

[Smurf]

Concerned about this one as we just keep stumbling and you are in great form. Would snatch your hand off for a 1 0 now. Without Hylts we arent the same. Collins is a mostly lazy bugger that spends half the game with his arms out shouting at his team mates but would like to think he would like to get one against his old club.

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

This is going to be a tough old game, not sure if its borne out in fact but it feels like we have played a lot of teams this season who are coming into games against us on a run of good form. Crawley are flying at the moment and maybe Kewell has cracked it. We struggled in the away game, albeit in some tricky conditions, and without Hylton we are a different side. It just doesnt seem as fluent with just Collins up there and we huff and puff a little bit at times. We havent scored more than 1 in a game we have won since New Years day, which I think says a lot about how big of a miss Hylton is for us. Normally when we get 1 we go for more and put teams away but we dont seem all that capable without him.

Just think we need to get through this game relatively unscathed and get to this little break we have coming up to get people back fit and firing for a proper run at getting promotion.

 

[BelizeHatter]

Collins is no Hylton but he's also no lazy bugger. He runs his socks off - less effectively perhaps but we need to adjust to him being up top and not Hylton and change the delivery

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Collins is no Hylton but he's also no lazy bugger. He runs his socks off - less effectively perhaps but we need to adjust to him being up top and not Hylton and change the delivery

Yeah he is in no way lazy.

I think we have adapted our play with Cornick and Jervis playing wide. I think Jervis has been brought in to help and give us another way of playing where we we cant play through teams as we like, and on tricky games where the best tactic is to get the ball wide and in the box at every opportunity(i will admit i didnt see the Stevenage game so thats based off 1 games observation). That should help Collins.

I will admit his demeanour does annoy me a little bit though. No matter what delivery he gets unless he puts it in the net its always the wrong one for him. Just for instance when Cornick puts in one of his low crosses, that are really dangerous always feels like he has a dig at Cornick. He has played with Cornick enough now to realise he wants to beat his man get to the by line and get the ball in low but he never bloody reads it.

 

[Maple Hatter]

At the beginning of the month I looked at this fixture thinking it would be a straight forward win. Injuries to our strikeforce have meant we aren't playing with the same fluency and creating as many chances. Hylts won't play and I'm not sure how far Elliot Lee has come with his recovery but can't see him coming back for this one. That leaves us with Collins as the only real forward who can score goals. Cornick ddn't have the best of games against Stevenage but hoping he is back to his best tonight. Doesn't convert as many chances as he makes but he is a work in progress. Not entirely sure what to make of Jervis. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and allow him time to settle in but he hasn't impressed at all the first couple of games. Someone has stated that he isn't 100% fit which could explain things. We go into this game lacking in confidence I feel. Against Stevenage we just didn't look comfortable on the ball. Crawley on the other hand seem full of confidence which is just what you need at this crucial stage of the season. In the first meeting I didn't see them as being much of a goal threat so interesting to see what has happened since. Hopefully tonights return fixture will be a different game. We need to make home advantage tell tonight. Not just the team dictating the pace and pattern of the game but the crowd need to get behind us from the off. I win today would give us a little cushion ahead of our next game in 11 days time. Dropping points could see the chasing teams close that gap after Saturdays games to a margin which may increase the tension for both fans and the players. All games are crucial at the moment but this for me is the most important game so far this season.

 

[BelizeHatter]

Great half. Back on song. Could easily be 5. Crawley look dangerous at times and comfortable with the ball but we have the added cutting edge so far. Flynn Downes. omg he's good.

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Well absolutely battered Crawley there. How we haven’t scored 4 plus goals I’ve no idea. Crawley have got this badly wrong, been far too open and tried to play us at our own game rather I feel.

Be difficult to keep up that level of intensity and pace so that 2nd goal was crucial. Hopefully see it out now.

 

[devilofajob]

Oh Dear. Should've gone for the Joker Oakey!
At least we're in the dry. Agree with above comments. Our keeper has made 5 good saves and you've hit the post.

 

[oakroader]

Oh Dear. Should've gone for the Joker Oakey!
At least we're in the dry. Agree with above comments. Our keeper has made 5 good saves and you've hit the post.

Well at least a losers medal is better than no medal...
I must say that those supporters of yours who got in early sang a heartfelt rendition of abide with me...

 

[Judge Dredd]

Easy as you like, on another day could quite easily have been another 7 or 8. Collins should have had 4 or 5 himself really.

Fair play to Crawley for coming and trying to play their way but it suited us perfectly. 2 mins of stoppage time tells its own story, first time in a long time an away team at the Kenny hasn't even tried to frustrate and slow us down. Refreshing but maybe a bit naive from Kewell.

 

[Kenneth E End]

Easy as you like, on another day could quite easily have been another 7 or 8. Collins should have had 4 or 5 himself really.

Fair play to Crawley for coming and trying to play their way but it suited us perfectly. 2 mins of stoppage time tells its own story, first time in a long time an away team at the Kenny hasn't even tried to frustrate and slow us down. Refreshing but maybe a bit naive from Kewell.

Naive? It was suicide!

 

[Hatter86]

Yea, Crawley did that thing Yeovil, Stevenage and Cambridge did. Far too open and we tore them apart. Could have should have been 7 or 8. Collins hit the post, Should have done better with a free header, Cornick had one well saved in first 5 minutes, countless other chances in the first half. Less chances in the second however still should have had more. Disappointed to concede.

Flynn Downes is the real deal. Phenomenal.

 

[Bosox]

Perfect way to go into the mini break and should be a full squad to pick from when they are back in action. Hopefully that's the 'wobble' out of the way and they can stick to that sort of performance the rest of the way.

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Yeah credit to Crawley for trying to play that sort of game but it’s not a smart move against us this season. Should have been another pasting being dished out there really.

Do think there is an element of hubris from the younger/less experienced managers (Sarll/Way/Kewell and perhaps a lesser extent Derry) in thinking they can come and play us at that type of game at home. It really plays into our hands. Then you hear the interviews after the game and it’s all we were rubbish didn’t to xyz, they weren’t good we were poor etc and shifting blame to the players rather than accept the other side is better at that sort of game than you are. Jones has spent 2 years+ and been backed by the board to build that sort of side to play that sort of game.

Bit puzzling really as Crawley did pretty well in the reverse fixture in playing the type of game that makes us uncomfortable.

Be really good to get everyone back after this break. Be good to get Hylton back in particular, he’d have loved playing in that game tonight.

 

[devilofajob]

Move along, nothing to see here.
I should have changed my 'Oakey' prediction when I saw the team.
Yorwerth out injured (big loss) and for some reason we brought Robert's straight in after an injury lay off. Everyone else made it to the game on time except our media team so didn't spot it until too late.
All the luck that had gone our way recently deserted us. Thankfully Morris kept it reasonable.
I thought Kewell's comments a little ungracious although we did keep gifting you possession in dangerous areas and you made the most of it.
Good luck next season. Hope you ditch Collins in L1. L2 is his level.

 

[Kenneth E End]

We were very good last night - back to our fluid best. And probably this was the last occasion with the "depleted" side - by Cheltenham, Scott Cuthbert, Alan McCormack and Danny Hylton should be back available for selection. But that said, based on that performance the former 2 would be struggling to get into the side.

To quote Steve Evans: "we absolutely battered 'em" in a Glaswegian accent.

Crawley's tactics as I touched on last night was bordering on a suicide. They were far too expansive and allowed Luton to dictate the way the want to at home. The 4-1 result definitely flattered the away side - it arguable could've/should've been double that. The Crawley keeper made some outstanding saves - they have him to thank that the scoreline was respectable.

 

[Maple Hatter]

Crawley were in great form coming in to this game and fancied their chances at beating us by playing football. Problem is that there is no better football team in this division when we are allowed to play like that. It was a mismatch yesterday and Crawley should be relieved that they too were not beaten by 7 or 8 goals. I said before the game if we could dictate the game and play with pace and more urgency then we would win well and so it was. Sides that do well against us get in our faces, slow the game down and hoof the ball long in to the spaces behind our defence. Crawley did this at their place yet did not learn from that game. Very impressed with the lads yesterday. Everyone of them worked their socks off. Special mention to Berry and Downes who were excellent. Downes had the Crawley players kicking air with his turns and Berry showed again what he can do when he is in form. Fine passing, movement and a well taken goal. Kewells post match comments are amusing. All our chances were down to mistakes by Crawley players. OK Harry! Add that to the other bitter kneejerk reactions by the other managers this season when their teams have been outclassed. I'm sure Crawley fans at the game tonight will have seen it differently.
Now we have a rest. Perfect timing to get everyone fit and focused. The final run in begins.

 

[BelizeHatter]

Nathan Jones having recently started to mellow post match, goes into intergalactic orbit again. Celebrating on the pitch in front of J Block - I swear he must be a frustrated player that missed out on any glory - then post match interview spending a full minute on the Stevenage bog and about twenty mins on not having adjectives to describe how good his his side is, but finding dozens. Love him.

 

[Casey]

Ouch!

Was at work (every close away game this season has been the same) and looked up the interweb every now and then but as soon as I saw Bulman and Yorwerth out I knew we were in trouble.

Obviously I didn't watch the game but I have to agree about ungracious comments from our manager. Even if the goals were all our players fault you scream at them behind closed doors and credit the opposition in public.

Well done Luton, good luck in league one next season. Now defenders get ready for a right, royal rollicking!

Casey

 

[Maple Hatter]

Ouch!

Was at work (every close away game this season has been the same) and looked up the interweb every now and then but as soon as I saw Bulman and Yorwerth out I knew we were in trouble.

Obviously I didn't watch the game but I have to agree about ungracious comments from our manager. Even if the goals were all our players fault you scream at them behind closed doors and credit the opposition in public.

Well done Luton, good luck in league one next season. Now defenders get ready for a right, royal rollicking!

Casey

Very gracious Casey. Obvioulsy with the form you have been in of late you still have a great chance of the play offs especially as all your rivals seem to be playing eachother. Obviously we were rather relieved that you wanted to play the game the right way yesterday. It made for a good game of football. You just happened to be up against a team that to a man were all on song. Was expecting a similar type of match to the first one.