Luton Town 2 - 0 Coventry City

Wilson off-colour and McFadzean red card



Coventry City suffered a setback in their bid for Championship safety by going down 2-0 at mid-table Luton Town.

The Sky Blues could and should have been 2-0 up inside the first 20 minutes after Max Biamou hit the post and somehow fired wide with all the goal to aim at before the visitors were duly punished.

James Bree volleyed home in the 23rd minute amid poor defending, and Elijah Adebayo doubled the lead from the penalty spot just before the break after Kyle McFadzean was sent off for deliberate handball, leaving the Sky Blues down to ten men for the remainder of the game.

It was a pretty tight affair in the opening five minutes with both sides sizing each other up and playing it cagey.

The home keeper Simon Sluga was called into action in the fifth minute when Fankaty Dabo floated in a cross-cum-shot that he plucked out of the air in his six-yard box.

Ben Wilson then caused a few nerves when he came for a deep cross and punched straight to an orange shirt and, committed off his line, allowed a free hit for Bree at an unguarded goal that fortunately went wide.

City looked vulnerable minutes later from a set-piece when Hatters’ striker Adebayo turned and thumped the post as the visitors failed to clear a free-kick.

Coventry were denied by the post themselves at the other end in the 11th minute when a clever ball from Callum O’Hare sent Biamou racing towards goal where he beat the keeper but saw his shot bounce off the inside of the far post before being cleared.

The big No.9 was then kicking himself in the 18th minute when Matty James won possession and fed the ball to him just outside the box with all the goal to aim at but inexplicably fired wide.

Mark Robins’s men were made to pay for their profligacy when the pacy Harry Cornick raced down the left on the overlap and sent in a diagonal cross which Bree met with a first time volley to beat Wilson at his near post, giving the Hatters a 23rd minute lead.

Luton continued to look the more likely, knocking the ball about well and spreading it wide to stretch the Sky Blues who had another glorious chance to score when James set up Biamou again, this time the striker hitting a decent shot that took a deflection of centre-back Matty Pearson and looped over the bar.

Disaster then struck at the other end when Wilson failed to deal with a ball into the box which resulted in a goal-mouth scramble and a shot from the troublesome Harry Cornick which Kyle McFadzean cleared off the line, claiming it hit his shoulder as the referee showed him a straight red card for deliberate hand ball before pointing to the spot.

Adebayo then made no mistake in slotting low into the left hand corner to increase Town’s lead and leave Coventry down to ten men three minutes before the break.

Callum O’Hare attempted to reduce the deficit early in the second half when he wriggled through on the edge of the box where his shot was blocked at the last second by some impressive defending.

Sluga was called upon to make his first proper save in the 53rd minute when Biamou got his head on the end of a corner, with the goalkeeper punching clear City's only attempt on target.

The home side, however, were denied a third when Leo Ostigard scrambled back to clear off the line after Robins had made two changes, with Ben Sheaf and Julien Dacosta replacing Hamer and Dabo just past the hour.

Matty Godden and Tyler Walker followed ten minutes later, replacing O’Hare and Biamou, but the home side continued to push for a third and should have wrapped the game up when City were carved wide open and Dewsbury-Hall spooned over the bar on a highly forgettable night at Kenilworth Road.

Luton cruise past 10-man Coventry



Luton Town cruised to victory over Championship strugglers Coventry City, who played with 10 men for more than half the game.

James Bree volleyed in Harry Cornick's 23rd-minute cross before visiting defender Kyle McFadzean was shown a straight red card on 41 minutes for handling Cornick's shot on the line.

Elijah Adebayo converted the penalty and, from then on, Luton stayed on top.

Coventry's defeat keeps them just six points above the relegation zone.

Coventry came into this fixture having won just twice in 10 games, and Luton tried to capitalise on any lack of confidence by starting positively.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's wide free-kick was sliced onto his own post by Coventry's Maxime Biamou before McFadzean's clearance also struck the woodwork in a frantic opening.

Two minutes later it was the visitors' turn to hit the goal frame at the other end when Biamou, one-on-one with Luton keeper Simon Sluga, curled an effort against the inside of the post.

Once Luton took the lead it was one-way traffic, as the Coventry woodwork was tested for a third time in the 50th minute when Sky Blues defender Sam McCallum headed Dewsbury-Hall's corner against his own bar.

Leo Skiri Ostigard then cleared a Ryan Tunnicliffe effort off the line after 70 minutes, while Jordan Clark had a fierce strike kept out by Ben Wilson from a tight angle.

Nathan Jones' side were untroubled in the closing stages as they rose to 13th in the Championship table, with Coventry staying 20th.

Coventry City boss Mark Robins:

"Having seen it, Kyle McFadzean was adamant it wasn't handball. It looks like his shoulder.

"From the referee's perspective in real time the body movement might have made it look like he handballed it but the referee was guessing on a few things.

"That is disappointing because it has cost us, really. I think it is worth an appeal."