Sheffield Wednesday 1 Luton 0: Defensive lapse sees Harris hurt Hatters

Simon Sluga punches clear
Simon Sluga punches clear. Photo by Liam Smith

Luton suffered a third successive defeat for the first time since April 2016 in League Two, as a defensive mistake cost them in early in the second half for a third match in a row. 

Simon Sluga, who’d had a commanding first 45 minutes, threw a quick ball short to Ryan Tunnicliffe who got caught out by Jacob Murphy. Town still had chance to snuff out the opportunity but they didn’t deal with the cross or Stephen Fletcher whose headed knockdown was tapped in by Kareem Harris. 

It undid a promising first half but had been coming after the restart, with Wednesday more committed to pressing Town’s proclivity to pass out from the back. 

The first ten minutes after the half time interval are fast proving Luton’s Kryptonite as they’ve conceded early in each of their last three Championship outings. 

As at the weekend against West Brom, the Hatters struggled after conceding but they still created chances in the dying stages that Harry Cornick and Luke Bolton couldn’t convert.

That was after The Owls had made them sweat, with Fletcher seeing a goal ruled out for offside and then a header fly dangerously close to the top corner. 

Had Town taken their opportunities in the first period, it could have been a different story, particularly as the home supporters booed their team off. Andrew Shinnie had almost caught out stopper Keiren Westwood, thumping back a poor clearance, only to see the goalie recover well to tip over. 

But they’d come close to a breakthrough before that, having commanded the lion’s share of first half possession. 

Tunnicliffe blazed high after Kazenga LuaLua – making his first start of the season as one of three changes – rolled the ball invitingly into his path 12 yards out. 

Harry Cornick did well to run in behind the last defender and with 40 yards of open grass in which to turn on the afterburners, chose the wrong option and had the chance nicked away. 

Ultimately, it proved the first time this term that Town have failed to hit but it’s at the other end were the errors are being made and ruthlessly punished.

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