Derby 2 Luton 2: Adebayo nets late leveller as Jones hails ‘fighting spirit’ – Report and reaction

Elijah Adebayo bagged a point against Fulham
Elijah Adebayo bagged a point against Fulham. Photo by Liam Smith

Elijah Adebayo bagged his sixth of the season to earn a point for Luton at Pride Park as his side twice had to come from behind against bottom of the Championship Derby County with boss Nathan Jones saluted his side’s battling spirit.

Fred Onyedinma returned after seven weeks out when he was thrust into action in an early and bold first half tactical switch. The attacker got Town back on terms early in the second half when he bundled in from a Harry Cornick long throw.

Jason Knight blasted Derby back in front on the hour, through the legs of Simon Sluga from an acute angle, but Adebayo headed in with seven minutes remaining to extend Town’s unbeaten run to four games.

“I’m really proud of them in the end,” said Jones, adding: “The performance levels and energy was nowhere near but if you can’t win a game and you don’t play well, don’t get beat.”

The manager made an early impression when he sent on Onyedinma and Admiral Muske after just 31 minutes, once Tom Lawrence stopped the clock at 316 minutes where the Hatters had not conceded. It was the Hatters shooting themselves in the foot when captain Sonny Bradley had his pocket picked by Kamil Jozwiak.

On his decisive early change, Jones said: “We wanted to go with a bit more energy, pace and power so we got Muskwe and Fred on. it looks like a genius sub because Fred scored, but it wasn’t quite like that. We changed, got back in the game and then conceded out of nothing. We conceded two goals out of absolutely nothing, but that’s Championship football. If you mess about and you’re not at it then that can happen.

“It wasn’t like we were under the cosh, or penned in and they scored. Ironically, it was right agains the run of play, the second goal, but we showed fighting spirit, came back and got a point.”

Nathan Jones
Nathan Jones. Photo by Liam Smith

Despite their lowly position because of a points deduction, Derby had the meanest defence in the division, having only conceded nine time before tonight.

After Adeabyo headed in with Rams keeper Ryan Allsop flapping at James Bree’s cross, Jones said: “We believe we’ve got goals in us.

“We believe we’re quite rounded, we can go direct, go around people, we can go at people, but we were nowhere near our best tonight. If we had been, I don’t think Derby had many opportunities to score. The goals are poor.

“I was just thinking about it and I said it to someone the other day, we’ve never given the ball away in our own box and conceded since I’ve been here. It happened tonight, it was a poor decision and it was symptomatic of us in the first half.

“We were sloppy, lethargic, we weren’t aggressive and we allowed them to rotate and dictate. They had a bit of possession in front of us, but they never looked like causing us any problems, apart from shots from 25 yards.

“But then, we had to make a few changes. We were a bit more aggressive, we came out and we were the better side. We got sucker punched again, from absolutely nothing. It was a poor goal. We lose the first header, which we lost all night. We lost the second ball, which we lost all night. Then, from an angle, they shouldn’t score from there.

But Luton could’ve won it as the full time whistle approached, when Onyedinma chipped Allsop from a tight angle but saw his effort crash onto the bar. So it was a point and four from two tough away games, taking Town to four games unbeaten and up to ninth in the Championship.

Jones dedicated his side’s battling spirit to young Hatter, saying: “A young lad tragically lost his life at the weekend, Jacob Crawshaw. His mates were here as a tribute. We’re sorry that the tribute was spoiled a little bit because we conceded in that minute, but that performance and the fighting spirit was for him and we’re delighted we could at least get a point here and not get beaten on such an occasion.”

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  4. NJ said on Saturday that that 11 couldn’t do what they did for 3 games in a week. I’m guessing I’m in the majority when I thought there’d be some changes last night. I was surprised to be wrong. But NJ knows more about football and that group than I do.

    All 4 goals were gifts from the conceding side. It would have been hilarious to nick it at the end. Hilarious but unfair. Derby have the quality to stay up, and in Curtis a genuine legend. But they have to start winning games before their sticky patch comes or they will be cut adrift. Not that I’d mourn the financial cheats going down. But it’s a nice ground.

    First half we had no midfield as the defence was very much 5 man. Bree and Bell were poor. Couldn’t seem to figure out whether they were there to help defence or midfield. Quite often did neither. But well done Bree for not letting his head drop and setting up the 2nd equaliser. That’s the mark of a very good player.

    First half also looked like people hadn’t checked the weather forecast. They amount of slipping done must’ve meant they weren’t wearing studs. It should have also meant less mucking about at the back. It continued even after Bradley gifted the first goal.

    But a midweek draw away when we don’t play our best is a good result, made all the sweeter by being able to mock the bouncing Derby fans. That and their drummer(s) are just 2 more things to add to the list of crap to root out from the game. If you’re childish enough to love a bounce, wait till you’re out of sight on the pitch. But better yet, grow up and don’t do it at all.

    And for a final Brucie Bonus, the M1 wasn’t down to one lane only for too long coming home. A pretty successful evening all round.

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