Match Report: Hull City 0-1 Luton Town

Last updated : 17 September 2005 By Footymad Previewer

The game was fizzling out towards a draw, Luton perhaps edging it slightly towards the end, until Steve Howard's goal delighted the small away following and made Myhill explode in anger.

Under the greater scrutiny of the satellite cameras, the game did not start out as great entertainment, and the offside flag arguably saw the most action in the first half, being up and down more times than Crystal Palace.

Luton started the brighter of the two sides, with Howard looking a particular threat up front, but play was generally scrappy, neither team being able to keep possession for long.

Just ten minutes in, there was a lengthy delay after a serious injury to Tigers defender Danny Coles, who was stretchered off and replaced by Marc Joseph.

Ryan France missed a great chance to bury a header from just eight yards out in the 15th minute, after a perfect ball in from Stuart Green. France somehow saw his effort go yards wide, and held his head in his hands in frustration.

Warren Feeney should have done better at the other end five minutes later, after being played in wide on the right by an excellent cross-field ball from Dean Morgan, but he shot tamely across the face of goal with only the keeper to beat.

Despite having the smaller share of possession, City again had the best chance to score on the half-hour mark, when Luton keeper Marlon Beresford pulled off a brilliant diving save to his right to deny Green's 18-yard drive.

Howard was ruled marginally offside as Myhill did well to stop his header in the 36th minute, and the Tigers keeper did even better seconds later when it did matter, acrobatically tipping over Carlos Edwards' 20-yard shot.

It was almost the same story at the other end, with Beresford pushing Chris Brown's shot away for a corner. Nick Barmby then had the ball in the net in the 39th minute, nodding in almost from the goal-line, but he was ruled offside, much to the anger of the large home crowd.

Ahmet Brkovic then found the net at the other end, but the linesman's flag was raised again, drawing ironic cheers from the City fans. The Luton players did not appeal, but cameras later showed the goal to be onside.

Barely two minutes into the second half, Luton pressed forward, and a shot from Howard cannoned off the right-hand post.

France had a 20-yard effort well stopped by Beresford in the 55th minute, after another good ball in from Green, as the Tigers began to pick up the pace and look more organised.

Neither team could string together a concerted attack on goal, though, with play in the middle of the second half becoming rather scrappy and lack-lustre, and bogged down in midfield.

In the 73rd minute, Luton upped the pressure, bombarding City's box with shots and half-shots, but Myhill, again, was well up to the task.

Myhill bravely dived to his right in the 82nd minute to stop a close-range header from Chris Coyne, and he stood up well amid another late onslaught.

But with five six minutes to go, City's defence fell apart and Myhill was left in no-man's land as Brkovic created an opening for Howard to blast past him from 12 yards. Myhill kicked the ball right out of the ground in sheer anger and frustration at losing the clean sheet he had protected so well.

The Tigers threw all they could at Luton in the dying minutes, but to no avail - and their first season in the Championship continues to prove perhaps more difficult than they had anticipated, while their fellow 'promotees' are coping rather better.


Coca Cola Championship, Saturday 17th September 2005 @ 12:45
Click for Hull City squad listHull City
v
Luton Town
Click for Luton Town squad list
Starting Line-ups
1Myhill
3Dawson
21Coles
5Cort
16Delaney
19Welsh
29France
7Elliott
8Barmby
14Green
22Brown
Substitutes
12Duke
6Joseph
11Woodhouse
27Fagan
9Burgess
Starting Line-ups
1Beresford
4Coyne
3Davis
5Perrett
23Morgan
11Robinson
8Nicholls
18Brkovic
7Edwards
19Howard
10Feeney
Substitutes
33Brill
45Barnett
21Keane
27Holmes
29Andrew