Reacquainted with an old nemesis: Luton Vs York

[That Fat Centre Half]

I know we played out a rather drab 0-0 earlier in the year but this will be many Hatters fans first York game since that fateful day at Wembley (shudders).

York are a huge bogey team for us in recent times but if we have any ambitions of promotion this is a game we really should be winning with York struggling toward the bottom at the moment.

I'm interested to see Oduwa for myself who by all accounts had a decent cameo at Oxford, I hope he starts and provides much needed pace and threat. Failing that I'd love to see Guttridge back in the 11 or maybe even the mythical unicorn that is Pelly Ruddock, anything to provide some attacking thrust and help out our isolated strike force.

I think we'll get over the York voodoo with a Howells penalty after Oduwa is felled in the box.

1-0 Luton, I hope.

 

[Aberstone]

I'm looking to go to the game tomorrow night, I can't see anything on the Hatters website but I'm assuming there will be a pay on the day/evening turnstile?

 

[Judge Dredd]

I'm looking to go to the game tomorrow night, I can't see anything on the Hatters website but I'm assuming there will be a pay on the day/evening turnstile?

I would be extremely surprised if there wasn't. It definitely won't be a sell-out, and when it is an all-ticket match it is usually very well advertised on the official site/Twitter.

 

[AdamStag]

Will the Luton fans riot if they lose? (which more than likely won't happen!)

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Yes I for one will definitely be rioting, isn't that what everyone does when they lose at home?

 

[AdamStag]

Yes I for one will definitely be rioting, isn't that what everyone does when they lose at home?

Oh, it happened that often, we got bored and stopped doing it

 

[TheMinsterman]

You'll smash us, pretty inevitable.

 

[BelizeHatter]

We can't smash anyone right now. Settle for a single goal win.

 

[TheMinsterman]

You'll change your tune when you see how shit we are.

Even that little factor of it being you lot for the players is a non-issue, I doubt anybody in the entire line up ever played you in the Conference so they have no reason to be "up for it".

 

[Kenneth E End]

I'm more confident than usual tonight, however we didn't really learn the lessons from Cambridge against Oxford. But I'm hoping that we're at home; we'll be on the front foot against a weak opponent. Keep an eye out for Nathan Oduwa; definitely someone who will cause a hell of a lot of problems this second half of the season.

 

[Kenneth E End]

I don't think this will be the team tonight, but I fancy that I won't be far off:

Or Cullen on the right, Drury back in the centre and Oduwa further forward.

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Wouldn't mind seeing two up front, getting bored and frustrated with how isolated our forwards have been all season. Also think 2 up top gets the best out of Cullen if that's who we want to go with.

Would bet it won't be 442 if we did go 2 up top though, Still values the extra man in midfield too much for that.

 

[Kenneth E End]

I think that there may be a slight change in personnel or formation. We haven't taken as many points as maybe needed and it could perhaps doing with freshening it up.

That said, we're unbeaten at home in the league since August(?)

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

I thought we were abysmal tonight, to be fair we have played a few games looking that disjointed and won this year so you can't win them all, but really poor. Took York going down to 10 to get us going and then when Doyle went down we lost the momentum again. Made all the worse by the fact York weren't very good at all and their keeper couldn't hit a field 60 yards wide worst goal kicks I have ever seen.

Personally want to see a serious rethink in our shape, 1 up front isn't working anymore and hasn't for the vast majority of the season, we've got where we are on solid defence and when that lapses we're fucked. Cullen showed what he is good at with 2 neat finishes when he gets the right support.

Major injury and suspension issues too, Lacey looked poor when he came on at fault for both goals in my opinion and Doyle perhaps our best player this season looking quite badly injured. And then McNulty sending off which I didn't see so concerns going into Saturday.

 

[Kenneth E End]

FRUSTRATING. York did absolutely fuck all for 54 minutes; just sat back, defended, watched us be inept in front of goal and stuck away their first proper chance. And then they did it again. But just after we lost our best defender.

York were abysmal defending set pieces all night. Before we scored our first, they gave us at least 3-4 free headers which we just didn't put away. In the first half, we hit the bar, had a couple cleared off the line and Drury managed to miss a horrible sitter - it was easier to score. It felt like it was going to be one of those days we thought, but it was only a matter of time before we created another guilt edge chance.

Oduwa, once again, very impressive. Could've won it right at the death, with a run and shot from 20 yards.

But here is our big problem going forward - we are now absolutely DECIMATED. That has cost us big time today:

Steve McNulty - captain. Straight red. Couldn't tell whether it was deserved or not, but seemed to surprise everyone (as was York's red).
Luke Wilkinson - best defender - groin injury. Going to be a while out me thinks.
Nathan Doyle - best midfielder - thought he could fly. Again, going to be out for a while.

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Looking forward to Saturday with Lacey and Franks at centre half.

We'll be shit at defending as well as attacking!

 

[Aberstone]

Luton hit the bar in the first half? I don't recall that happening.

The referee's inability to control the game after York's red made the game far more entertaining than it should have been. Drury's miss in the first half was horrific, professional footballer!? Please.

Both Luke Wilkinson and Steve McNulty were superb I thought, Wilkinson's reading of the game was first class until he was substituted and McNulty is very clever once on the ball, his distribution time and time helps set up Luton's attacks. Alex Lacey unfortunately did look like a deer caught in the headlights when he came on, failed to win the majority of the 50-50s and his positioning was questionable.

York's first goal was very simple, Jake Howells couldn't close down the York player as he was outnumbered and a back stick header, not sure who was beaten on the jump, Harriman or Lacey? Howells was at fault for York's second, what the fuck was that half-hearted attempt at thumping the ball away from the Luton area!?

Any York fans on here who didn't go to the game tonight, avoid the highlights as Mark Cullen's first goal was so basic I was laughing at how bad the marking was on a simple set piece play. Regarding the equaliser, Shaun Whalley did well to retrieve what looked like a lost cause after running into traffic (I'm guessing that's quite common from him) and it was an excellent cross for Cullen to head level.

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

I think Harriman got beat for the jump on the first.

I'm not blaming Howells for the second, all started from Lacey losing out on a 50/50 that Wilko or Mcnulty would have won easily, or that's how it looked from my angle initially, could be very wrong.

He just doesn't have the aggression to be a centre half in my opinion.

 

[BelizeHatter]

Sounds like lots of questions being asked and with a revamp of the defense at the weekend looming a few more will too. We seem to have struggled for a while going forward at least and stayed in touch. We'll need the defense to hold for this to stay the case or click into gear going forward. Interesting times.

 

[Judge Dredd]

Blimey that was a strange old game.

On another day, Drury scores the easiest of chances, our confidence grows, York's drops and we win comfortably (similar could be said for Stockley's free headers).

On another day, Wilkinson doesn't get injured. He then wins both first headers, unlike powder-puff Lacey, and neither York goal happens.

On another day, Doyle doesn't get injured immediately after we equalise. 5-10 minutes more of 11 vs 10 and we win the game, at that point our tails were up, Doyle's injury killed any momentum we had.

With the points dropped and the injuries/suspensions, that has to go down as a terrible day at the office.

On the plus side (sort of), Cullen's goals tonight surely make him undroppable for Saturday. Combine that with the injury to Doyle and it might well force Still's hand into starting with 2 up top, as presumably Drury will drop in alongside Smith (which seemed to be the original plan for him when we first signed him pre-Doyle). Cullen needs to be on the pitch, he's our best striker by miles. Even if he isn't the most natural fit for one up top, with the extra service from out wide now he'd score goals. But I hope he'll start alongside Stockley on Saturday now.

I just pray we successfully appeal McNulty's sending off... the thought of a Franks/Lacey partnership makes me break out in a cold sweat. Griffiths being fit would be nice too to cover whoever has to stand in for Wilkinson (it would be nice if Harriman recovered some form too, been poor the last couple of games in my opinion). Suddenly our stable defensive unit is looking very frail indeed.

 

[Chippy]

Horrible watching that last night. As you said we weren't playing well but we made 2 fantastic chances, which Stockley put straight at the keeper (shock, the guy can't finish his dinner and I don't rate him at all) and that Drury put into the roof of the Oak Road from 10 yards. Getting pretty fed up of him too to be honest, has had about 4 good games all season.

We have to change the formation as its gone morbid, predictable and stale. I worry very much about a centre half pairing of Franks and Lacey, especially without the protection of Doyle in front of him.

Have to play 442 saturday, and we need to get Pelly and Gutts back in the team, and get Wilkinson fit ASAP or we can kiss goodbye to any chance of automatic promotion and get ready for another year in the play offs.

 

[Judge Dredd]

About 58 seconds in is McNulty's red. Can anyone tell me what he actually does wrong? Is it even a foul, never mind a red?!

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Can only assume he was making up for the York red, I don't see what the issue is?

We have to appeal that, I dont want Lacey and Franks as a defensive pairing on Saturday.

 

[Judge Dredd]

We have appealed it, club confirmed this morning. We'll know whether it was successful or not before the Carlisle game so fingers crossed.

York red was actually a reasonable decision rewatching it, he's clearly gone over the ball with studs into Doyle's ankle. Might not have been malicious, hard to say, but within the letter of the law pretty much a nailed on red these days.

 

[Kenneth E End]

Well from the photo I've seen, Luton have absolutely no grounds for the appeal. His studs are essentially going up his backside.

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Well from the photo I've seen, Luton have absolutely no grounds for the appeal. His studs are essentially going up his backside.

It's a good thing we have these things called 'videos' which tend to lend greater context to still images. Absolutely cracking inventions Kenneth, you really must try watching one!

 

[Boz]

I thought the Luton red card was a better call than the York one. Don't think either are 'clearly wrong' so in theory the appeals should be turned down. That said, the appeals panel have come up with a few strange decisions this season, so no harm in trying.

 

[Kenneth E End]

It's a good thing we have these things called 'videos' which tend to lend greater context to still images. Absolutely cracking inventions Kenneth, you really must try watching one!

The video pans away at the key moment:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10155240520960078&set=gm.807889469284108&type=1&theater