Ten-man Luton earned their first point of the season with a resolute rearguard at Portsmouth after Thomas Kaminski was sent off with 60 minutes remaining.
When the Belgian raced recklessly outside of his penalty area, swinging two clumsy legs and leaving Paddy Lane and Connor Ogilvie crumpled on the ground, it threatened to be another miserable outing to an unhappy hunting ground.
It’s 49 years since the Hatters won at Fratton Park, but after such a tumultuous week in the wake of their 4-1 humbling at the hands of Burnley, what followed was a disciplined sign of a corner being turned.
Perhaps, this performance on Pompey’s big Championship home return after 12 years away, where Luton limited the hosts to scraps until stoppage time, will quell this summer’s small rumblings of discontent.
With concerns ranging from a lack of transfer business to injuries and legitimate tactical concerns, the 60 minutes that stretched long before Luton as Kaminski trudged forlornly back to the changing room, seemed a tale of suspense with all too predictable final twist. But the killer moment never came.
“It was a good day for us,” Town boss Rob Edwards told the club’s website, adding: “. “After Monday and the disappointment of the result it was important that the supporters, who were brilliant, saw a team that was fighting for them, for the fans, for the badge, for the club.
“A team that was cohesive, organised and everything else. We saw that. With 11 men I thought we were really good and looked quick and dynamic, created big chances and should’ve been one or two up, there’s no doubt about that.
“Then, when we went down to ten, we showed a different side to ourselves that they (fans) needed to see. The lads need to see as well, to keep that rapport with our fans.
“That’s going to be important this year. I understand there was anger and disappointment the other day after the (Burnley) game. It was a really disappointing result.
“There are reasons and difficult circumstances. We had a relegation, we’re dealing with a lot, getting a lot of people back and we’re working to get people in. No excuses, we got stuff wrong on the night.
“But the stuff that we got wrong, we showed that we’ve learnt and took it on today.”
If Luton are to have any gripes it’s that they should probably have inflicted some fatal blows.
That was because it was a first half tale of two goalkeepers, with Will Norris keeping Carlton Morris and Elijah Adebayo at bay before Kaminski, so often the hero last term in the Premier League, turning heel, but not before some stops of his own.
But even before a ball was kicked, Town’s injury woes were eased by the return of defender Amari’i Bell from a lengthy spell out and midfielder Jordan Clark from missing the opener against Burnley.
Both were superb, as was Teden Mengi, a leader in defence, with Clark providing the spark that probably should have seen Luton hit the net.
After Tahith Chong saw a shot flash across the face of goal, the midfielder cut open Portsmouth with a ball through to captain Morris. But in a one-on-one with Norris, the keeper came up trumps. He also blocked Adebayo’s point blank volley and tipped the target man’s header onto the crossbar.
Prior to that, Portsmouth had fashioned some decent chances, the best of which needed Kaminski to paw away a header from Conor Shaughnessy.
The Belgian was then called into more spectacular action, though Samuel Silvera’s shot was straight at him.
But after the good came the bad when Kaminski, who’d already been booked for time-wasting, kicked a pair of Pompey players up in the air.
With the keeper gone Morris was sacrificed so James Shea could fill the void in Town’s goal.
With their tails briefly up, Pompey screamed for penalty soon after when Reuell Walters appeared to pull back Shaughnessy. Nothing came of it and Town saw themselves safely to the interval.
Then, just before the hour mark the Hatters should have gone ahead. Once again it was Clark with the through-ball, but Adebayo seemed to toe the ball wide when a curler was on the cards.
With such a disciplined defensive display, there were still further chances to Town to pinch all the points. Substitute Joe Taylor ran from box to box, ricocheting through challenges, but could only fire at Norris.
Pompey only really sprung into life in the six minutes of stoppage time, when Tom Holmes – making his debut, replacing a tiring Bell – cleared off the line to deny Connor Ogilvie, while Shea saved superbly from Owen Moxon, though the whistle had already gone.
And after a week of more questions than answers, this was a welcome tonic, a rare clean sheet and the signs that Town, with a little more killer instinct and a full complement, can push for promotion this term.
