Manager Matt Bloomfield hailed a “significant” point in Luton’s fight for survival after Millenic Alli finally announced himself as a Hatters hero by bagging a brilliant late leveller against relegation rivals Stoke City.
The Irishman, who signed in January but has had to make do with coming off the bench, did so again, but this time was an early replacement for Alfie Doughty after the wing back limped off in the 17th minute with a hamstring problem that could threaten his season. Alli would prove to be a super sub.
After Reece Burke saw Lewis Baker’s dubious free-kick deflect into Luton’s net off his shoulder, the visitors were starring down the barrel of a damaging and undeserved defeat against a Potters side just above them in the coveted spots outside the Championship drop zone.
But in the 91st minute, Jordan Clark tried an audacious overhead kick that may well prove to be the assist of the season as, though he got his angles wrong, he glanced Isaiah Jones’ cross into the path of the Dubliner who showed a pair of snake hips to dance past two Stoke defenders and nearly rip the net off from the acutest of angles.
While that magic moment saved Town’s skin and opened his Hatters account, it wasn’t just the equaliser – which that keeps Luton one win from safety with five games to go – but it was the sense of a breakthrough performance for a man determined to make his mark as a Championship player, this season and next.
After a tentative beginning, his pace and directness caused the Potters heart palpitations throughout. He almost scored earlier in the second half as he danced through defenders but saw his effort deflected over the bar, while a header was cleared off the line and a powerful drive was beaten away by Viktor Johansson.
But Alli kept probing and he got his rewards in thrilling fashion. And now, in him, Luton may have found a new backflipping star for their remake of the Great Escape. This performance should make him the leading man against Blackburn on Saturday, with Doughty almost certain to sit at least that one out Saturday, while the injured Elijah Adebayo (knee) is also a doubt for the run-in, as he made way for for Tahith Chong to start.
“He’s excellent,” manager Bloomfield said of the former Exeter ace Alli, adding: “He’s probably been unfortunate not to start more games, but Alfie Doughty’s a top performer for us in that left wing back position.
“And Milli can play up front. There was a debate in my mind of what to go with tonight, but it feels like Chongy’s is a massive player for our football club and he was the right one to go with.
“But Milli came on, unfortunately because of Alfie’s injury, and I thought he was absolutely excellent.
“Once or twice early on, he didn’t quite beat [Bae] Junho, as a full back, but we asked him just to keep getting at him because Milli is a big outlet for us. And we know that at one-v-one moments that he can bring from his time at Exeter. So, I thought he was excellent. Fully deserved his goal.”
It extended Town’s unbeaten run to five games to keep alive the momentum that they have been building in the last month, and after Lasse Nordås, Josh Bowler and Mark McGuinness all passed up chances to score, the hope will be that the manner of the point will be a further springboard to staying in the division.
“It feels significant because, if we’d have lost the game where we played so well, it would have been particularly morale draining, I think,” Bloomfield told the BBC.
“It would have been really disappointing if we’d have lost when we played so well, especially away from home on a big pitch.
“We got the ball down and we passed it really, really well. I thought we showed good variety in our play and it would have been really disappointing to lose, but to find a way to come back from being 1-0 down and not give up, and find that moment, I’m really, really proud of the boys.”
And to come back from the way in which Stoke took the lead will be a confidence boost ahead of the visit of Blackburn on Saturday.
Substitute Lamine Fanne was adjudged to have fouled Sam Gallagher 25 yards from goal for Stoke’s free-kick, though Bloomfield didn’t agree with referee Dean Whitestone.
“I think he’s read the chop inside and as he’s stronger, the lads held onto him, gone down,” the Town manager said of Fanne’s supposed indiscretion, adding: “I felt there was a few soft ones going against the second half, if I’m perfectly honest, which was really disappointing from my point of view.”
Bloomfield added: “Obviously, the goal was really disappointing, a deflected free kick. It was going to take something like that to go against us tonight I think because, defensively, we’ve been very good recently.
“But I said to the boys in the changing room, ‘we’ve had consistency, we’ve had momentum, we’ve had performances. Now we’ve added, we don’t know when we’re beaten’.
“If there’s a way to draw a game, it’s that tonight, to go behind to deflection and still find a way to come back and find a moment.
“Because there were several moments in there that it could have been the equaliser. And to do it so late is great. And I’m really pleased for the supporters as well, because to come away on a Tuesday night and so many of our fans be here with us, supporting us, roaring the boys on, and another lovely moment to share with them at the end.
“We’re disappointed it isn’t all three, if I’m honest, because I thought we played well enough to to take all three points, but if there’s a way to just get one, then then that was it tonight.”
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