James Collins will look at his mantlepiece tonight and wonder how there isn’t a match ball sitting pride of place after golden chances came and went and with them the three points they so richly deserved against Birmingham.
It just would not go in for the Republic of Ireland striker on his 150th appearance for the club, as the outstanding Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Rhys Norrington-Davies laid it on a plate only for heads to end up in hands.
Hatters boss Nathan Jones said: “He doesn’t often miss chances. And let’s give the keeper credit, the keeper did well.
“He’s had good connection. It’s not like he missed it. Look, at least we’re creating those chances. The keeper’s had a very good game. He needed to after his comments, but all I say is I’m disappointed because we didn’t get three points, because the performance deserved it, but I’ve very proud of the group.”
Chief among the misses was a point blank blast that Blues keeper Neil Etheridge – who claimed on Monday that Luton were a team that would be battling at the bottom – somehow blocked, during second half one-way traffic, bar at the death.
Simon Sluga, who’d had nothing to do but pick out Lukas Jutiewicz’s penalty from the net, was nimble enough to deny Ivan Sunjic and preserve a point.
“It would have been an absolute travesty” had the Blues nicked it, said Jones.
It should never have come to that. Once Matty Pearson scored his first of the season to equalise, it was all Luton.
And it was the first time this term that Town have scored after conceding first, with Elliot Lee was adjudged to have handled in trying to stop Maxime Colin’s cross.
“I have no idea about the handball rule,” Jones said, adding: “I couldn’t explain it to you now. It seems a little bit harsh from a home point of view. From an away point of view it’s probably clear, but I can’t say he’s wrong because I don’t think the people that actually make the rules know what’s going on, so I have no idea.”
But the manager was quite rightly fulsome in his praise of Leicester loanee Dewsbury-Hall who ran the show for the second match in a row.
He said: “I don’t really want to comment, because unless you’re blind, there’s no words I can say. The lad’s pure class. It was outstanding and as good a midfield performance as I’ve seen at this football club. And, to be fair, I’ve seen some very good ones, because we’ve been dominant here for a long, long time.”
Dewsbury-Hall said: “(I’m) really, really upset that we haven’t come away with the three points tonight, I thought we played really well. We dominated from start to finish, of course there was one or two moments where they had a couple of chances but you are going to get that in a game.
“I thought on the whole, we were much the better team and deserved the three points. It is really frustrating that we haven’t come away with the three points but we can be proud of the performance, knowing that we are competing at a really high level against good Championship teams. That is going to take us in good step, going forward.”
The midfielder has the lot and the minute Luton fine tune to his wavelength and discover a killer instinct, there’ll be less of this night’s frustration.
But even that feeling is relative. It will feel like two points dropped because of their dominance, but that’s a sign of how far the Hatters have come.
Yet, to evolve and get to the next level, they have to be more convincing at the sharp end, particularly against a side as poor as Birmingham City.
The Blues may have delusions of grandeur when looking at Town on the fixture list, but Aitor Karanka’s side are where in they are in the Championship – last season and so far this – for a reason.
For Luton, the sense is that they’re on the cusp of something promising.
“We should’ve won the game, no doubt about it, but the one thing I’m taking from it is, we are a Championship side and we’re proving we’re evolving week by week, and that’s such a good thing for a manager,” said Jones.
“That’s the positive I take from tonight. I’m disappointed we didn’t get three points, because we deserved them. If we want to do anything in this league, when we’re in the ascendancy like that, we have to make sure we take it, but in terms of performance levels, I couldn’t have asked for more.”
PLAYER RATINGS:
SIMON SLUGA – 7.5
Produced a stunning late point-saving stop to deny Ivan Sunjic, having been a spectator for much of the second half, with Luton on top. He didn’t have much to do in the first half either, but didn’t get near Lukas Jutkiewicz’s penalty.
RHYS NORRINGTON-DAVIES – 7
Finally saw his left peg in action in the 69th minute when he fizzed in an inviting cross that James Collins was inches away from nodding in. He found him in the 84th but a last-ditch block stopped the Wales ace from getting an assist.
SONNY BRADLEY – 7
Snuffed out the danger when Gary Gardner tried to burst through the backline, and kept Scott Hogan quiet.
GLEN REA – 7
Handed a centre back role alongside Sonny Bradley, he headed Luke Berry’s corner into the path of Matty Pearson for an assist on the equaliser and marshalled Lukas Jutkiewicz well.
MATTY PEARSON – 7.5
Smashed his first of the season to equalise, having put in a very solid and dependable shift at right back. It’s fast turning into his best position. He took a hefty whack in an early aerial challenge and looked knocked out for a second, but he got straight back up. Hard as nails, that lad.
KIERNAN DEWSBURY-HALL – 8.5 (Star man)
A class above, he so deserved an assist when he laid it on a plate for James Collins. Tidy in tight areas and always playing with his head up, looking to start attacks, he’s got a good turn of pace too and he’s not afraid to use it. Even made a last-ditch tackle late on to thwart Riley McGree.
LUKE BERRY – 7
His 100th appearance for the Hatters and was more a driving force in the second half, having provided the corner for the equaliser. Got in behind the Blues defence thanks to a fortunate ricochet, but his pull back was cut out by Maxime Colin.
PELLY-RUDDOCK MPANZU – 6
Control and passing problems plagued his first half, but he did win the corner that led to Matty Pearson’s equaliser. He improved after the break.
ELLIOT LEE – 5
Handled the ball when trying to stop Maxime Colin’s cross, conceding the penalty that Lukas Jutkiewiz buried for his customary goal against Luton. The Hatter knew straight away that referee David Webb would award a spot-kick. Replaced by George Moncur on 61 minutes.
HARRY CORNICK – 6
Won a fair share of corners by running at Jake Clark-Salter, but rarely seemed to have the ball under control and was well-marshalled in the first half. He found more space in the second period and delivered a couple of promising crosses that Town couldn’t make the most of. Replaced by Jordan Clark on 70 minutes.
JAMES COLLINS – 7
Missed a sitter in the 73rd minute, firing into Neil Etheridge’s arms, who’d earlier beaten away a stinger. He saw another big chance blocked by a Blues leg, while he was inches away from a Rhys Norrington-Davies cross. Good hold up play in general and on another night he’d have had a hatful.
SUBSTITUTES:
GEORGE MONCUR – 6
Was involved in the build-up for James Collins’ biggest miss. Slightly disappointing he didn’t take a free-kick 25 yards out, which was very much in his territory.
JORDAN CLARK – 6
Made a fabulous run and shot that needed Neil Etheridge to tip over.
Unused subs: James Shea, Martin Cranie, Ryan Tunnicliffe, Tom Lockyer, James Bree, Sam Nombe, Joe Morrell
thought rea was average all night looked suspect felt berry deserved more than 7 was outstanding along with dewsbury hall and our 2 full backs were very good also
It’s so much nicer to read/hear something a bit more objective about us at the moment. Thank you. But..
It was a penalty all day long. No questions need asking. Jones is wrong to have any doubt.
And Collins rating of 7 is weird. When Sluga was making as many mistakes that cost us points last season, people were calling for his head. Collins missed a sitter in the 6 yard box again, failed to hit the target in the first half with a header, failed to get on the end of a perfect cross yet again this season, and took a shot that finally caused Simon Pitts to show a little less bias in his commentary “you wouldn’t expect Collo to score from there.”
You’re spot on that this is a mark of how far the team has come in a year. All but one of the remaining squad has improved and each of the new players has improved us. Collins is the exception. At the moment he has gone backwards. 2 league goals in a quarter of a season is hurting the team at least as much as Sluga’s mistakes at the start of last season.
I know we are threadbare up top but it feels like Collins needs taking out of the firing line like Sluga was. His movement off the ball from an attacking perspective, and his finishing are 2 things he needs some work on. He has had a couple of starts from the bench but I think he needs longer and to not be called off the bench unless absolutely needed. It worked wonders for Sluga. Perhaps reminding him his place is on current form not reputation will help Collins? That’s all said without knowing him or what happens in training, or how Sluga was really affected last season. But how many more sub par performances by his high standards is Collins going to be allowed? We can’t afford to buy better, so need to get more from him ASAP.
Can’t agree on your comments about Harry Cornick. I felt he had good control and was hardly ‘marshalled’ throughout.
All about opinion, of course but I think he had his best game for ages.
I agree with you Graham. So a 3rd minor quibble. He was a huge threat going forward and we missed him when he went off. Only negative was he perhaps dribbled too much (something a lot of the midfield was guilty of). The ball can travel faster than any of them can run. He and the rest could’ve passed with a bit more tempo.