Huddersfield Town vs Luton Town. Sky Bet Championship.
The John Smith's Stadium.
Report and highlights from the Sky Bet Championship clash at the John Smith's Stadium
Friday 10 July 2020 21:37, UK
Luton moved off the bottom of the Championship table and to within two points of safety after a 2-0 win at Huddersfield.
Sonny Bradley headed the Hatters in front after a lacklustre first 45 minutes at the John Smith's Stadium (49), with Elliot Lee securing a morale-boosting victory after James Collins' strike rattled the woodwork (71).
Nathan Jones' men move off the base of the table to 23rd with their second win since the restart, and while the Terriers sit four places above them, there are now just five points separating the bottom seven teams.
The fact Huddersfield striker Fraizer Campbell failed to take a single touch of the ball inside the Luton area and that the Hatters themselves hadn't registered a single attempt almost told the full story of the first half.
Having started in a deep midfield role, Lewis O'Brien found himself in a more advanced position to take a shot 10 minutes before the break, but he couldn't make goalkeeper Simon Sluga work with a shot straight into the stopper's hands.
Four minutes after the restart, the visitors earned a rare corner and from it they took the lead when Bradley rose from within a crowd to head James Bree's corner past Jonas Lossl, though he knew little about it as he'd been bundled to the deck before the ball had hit the net.
The subdued Karlan Grant slashed a free-kick over the bar as Danny Cowley's side looked to get back on level terms within a matter of minutes, but that was pretty much as good as it got. Though Arsenal loanee Emile Smith Rowe almost capped a bright display with a shot that drifted just narrowly wide.
Collins worked a marvellous chance for himself at the other end when he skipped past two challenges and curled beyond the far post, but he played a part in the crucial second, drawing Lossl from his goalline and allowing Lee to find the back of the net after his initial shot had hit the upright.
A key contributor to Luton's defensive stability at the John Smith's, the 26-year-old saw plenty of action in a defensive midfield role, forcing Huddersfield to draw a blank for the third game in succession.
"He's protected the back four very, very well," said Sky Sports EFL pundit Keith Andrews. "He's shown real tenacity and when you compare that to the Huddersfield midfield, it's been in stark contrast."
Huddersfield's Danny Cowley: "We're disappointed we didn't get to our levels. The first goal was always going to be important and it's a really soft one from our point of view. He's three or four yards out and he gets a free header - it's unacceptable. We can't concede those goals and when you do, you make it very difficult for yourself.
"We've had disappointments before this season and when we have, we've always responded well. We go to Sheffield Wednesday now, we get an extra day's recovery which will definitely help the group and we have to respond to tonight's performance."
Luton's Nathan Jones: "The result is everything but the performance, I thought, was magnificent. To come here against a side who were in the Premier League last year and do what we did to them, I thought that was excellent. It's a massive win.
"We're disappointed because if we hadn't conceded late against Barnsley it would be even more interesting. I know it's a cliche but all we can do is play the games in front of us and pick up the points that we need to pick up. This is a group that gives me everything, with the honesty and the desire to do well. You can't ask for anything more."
Both teams are back in action on Tuesday July 14 at 7.45pm. Huddersfield travel to Hillsborough to take on Sheffield Wednesday, while Luton host QPR at Kenilworth Road.
