Some days you get what you deserve and on others you dominate one of the best footballing sides in the Championship and create chances galore, but convert none of them and get a man sent off for nothing.
It’s no exaggeration to say that, barring a submissive opening quarter of an hour, Town could and perhaps should have beaten Brentford. At the very least a point would’ve been a just reward. It’s a funny old game. Frustrating even.
Instead, one moment of Bees quality told in the first half, from a sublime cross that Saman Ghoddos met with a bullet header.
Town boss Nathan Jones said: “The performance definitely did deserve something. We start slowly and that’s the thing. We were a bit overawed by Brentford who came with an aggression and then we conceded.
“We kept giving the ball away and weren’t brave in that first 15 minutes and that’s the thing that cost us, really.
“I couldn’t have asked any more from them, apart from a goal. We had so many chances, so many crosses. We had opportunities, we were intense, aggressive in our play and I’m really proud of that second half performance.
“But, we still need to score. When we’re that dominant and putting on that much pressure, we need to score. That’s what we didn’t do and that’s what I’m disappointed with.”
If the Hatters had had that accuracy of Ghoddos, they might’ve got someway closer to atoning for the 7-0 drubbing they suffered the last time there were in this part of west London, albeit at Brentford’s former Griffin Park home.
But, once the sting of defeat dissipates, you could philosophise over just how far Luton have come since then.
Yes, this defeat saw them drop a place to 13th in the league table, but between Boxing Day and the final game of last term they never left the bottom three.
Yet, though they remain closer to the play-offs that the drop zone, to climb any higher, for a team largely comprising the same players that gave Manchester City a run for their goalscoring money, a few seasons ago, they must learn how to stick the ball in the net.
Harry Cornick, Jordan Clark, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu – all part of some sterling build-up play – squandered golden chances.
Cornick, in particular, still hasn’t notched this season, and his profligacy here is unlikely to swell his confidence in front of goal.
Top scorer James Collins is also experiencing something of a barren spell and he was removed with 25 minutes still to play. It didn’t hamper the Hatters, but no-one took the bull by the horns to hit Brentford where it hurt.
Their striker Ivan Toney, who provided the cross for the winner, then disgraced himself at the death, when in a handbags altercation with Tom Lockyer, he flung himself to the deck. The Luton centre half was dismissed under protest, that will generate an appeal from the club, while the Bees striker was also unceremoniously sent from the field, having petulantly kicked the ball away earlier for his first booking.
That circus did however stunt any of Town’s last-gasp aspirations and they will return to this part of the capital on Sunday to face a beleaguered Chelsea in the FA Cup.
Play like this and they stand a chance, but you won’t win anything without goals.
PLAYER RATINGS:
SIMON SLUGA – 6.5
Made a fabulous fingertip save to push a Sergi Canos cracker over the bar at 0-0. He had no chance with the opener and then had little to do, but did stop Ivan Toney to keep Town in the ascendency early in the second half.
DAN POTTS – 6
Could have got closer to Ivan Toney to prevent the cross for the goal, but an otherwise reasonably solid performance. Replaced by Kal Naismith on 76 minutes.
SONNY BRADLEY – 6.5
Made his fair share of blocks in a busy opening 15 minutes. Booked in the 40th minute for a cynical foul on Bryan Mbeumo, but had little to trouble him in the second period.
TOM LOCKYER – 6
Made a vital block one-on-one with Ivan Toney in one of Brentford’s rare second half attacks, but the two tussled late on and both saw red. The centre half will be very hard done by if it stands, after the Bees striker’s embarrassing theatrics.
JAMES BREE – 7
Got forward effectively in the second half, launching crosses into the box with regularity. One in particular found Jordan Clark for a great chance to equalise, but it went begging.
KIERNAN DEWSBURY-HALL – 7
Picked the pocket of Saman Ghoddos in his own half, but the options were there for him to make anything of the opportunity as the team were too passive in the first half. Had more of an influence in the second period as Town shows more hunger and camped out in the Bees’ half for long periods. Replaced by Danny Hylton in the 89th minute.
GEORGE MONCUR – 6
Some useful approach play in the first half, but couldn’t find the killer ball. Replaced by Jordan Clark in the 64th minute
PELLY-RUDDOCK MPANZU – 7.5 (star man)
Saw lots of the ball and was a real driving force. Had a great chance to run at Brentford on the counter but he didn’t take the invitation in the first half. After the break he as at the fulcrum of everything Town did in attack, but he didn’t bring his shooting boots.
LUKE BERRY – 6.5
He had Luton’s first effort on target, but the header was never troubling David Raya. Made a wonderful saving, sliding tackle to deny Ivan Toney a clear sight of goal in the first half. Replaced by Ryan Tunnicliffe in the 64th minute.
HARRY CORNICK – 7
Was Luton’s brightest attacker on the counter in the first half, but he just cannot buy a goal. He could’ve had two, and one airshot from Jordan Clark’s centre may give him nightmares, as his season-long barren spell continues.
JAMES COLLINS – 5
Inches away from two crosses from Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu and George Moncur just before the hour mark, having seen little of the ball in an attacking sense before that. Replaced by Kazenga LuaLua in the 64th minute.
SUBSTITUTIONS:
JORDAN CLARK – 7
Got straight into the action with some teasing crosses, and had an excellent chance to equalise but flashed his shot across the face of goal.
RYAN TUNNICLIFFE – 7
Pressed and harried and almost netted an audacious equaliser, looping a backheeler that required David Raya to dive at full stretch to collect.
KAZENGA LUALUA – 7
Made an instant impact with a cross to an unmarked Harry Cornick but the striker couldn’t turn it in.
DANNY HYLTON – N/A
Not on long enough for a rating.
KAL NAISMITH – 6
Didn’t have a lot to do, but more vital minutes under his belt.
UNUSED SUBS: James Shea, Matty Pearson, Glen Rea, Sam Nombe
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