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Lightning Luton beat Barnet
McVeigh and Martin on target as Hatters earn vital three points
Coca-Cola League Two
Luton Town 3 Barnet 1
A lightning start set Luton on their way to a vital three points in League Two as they saw off 10-man Barnet at Kenilworth Road.
Hatters were two-up inside the opening 15 minutes and, despite a brief fightback from the visitors, the win was sealed three minutes from time.
Barnet had to play the entire second half a man down after their goalscorer Abu Ogogo was given his marching orders as the players left the field for half time.
Town started with the same formation in which they finished the midweek 3-3 draw with Bournemouth.
Desperately needing a win, they employed an attack-minded 4-4-3 shape, with out-of-sorts right-back Claude Gnakpa dropping to the bench, and replaced by the returning Michael Spillane, who was back after a one-match suspension.
Centre-half Ian Roper was also back in the fold after injury and partnered George Pilkington at the heart of defence, while stand-in skipper Keith Keane moved into the centre of a three-man midfield.
The home side forced the first real chance of the match on eight minutes, when Kevin Gallen's pass found Chris Martin down the left and, after cutting back inside, the striker's low effort forced a good save out of ex-Luton stopper Rob Beckwith.
Three minutes later, though, Luton did take the lead when Martin's ball inside set-up Paul McVeigh, who took a touch before firing a terrific right-footed shot into the top left-hand corner from 25 yards
And they doubled their advantage on 14 minutes, when the unmarked Martin did brilliantly to meet Rossi Jarvis' perfect free-kick from the right and his header flew past Beckwith and into the bottom corner.
On-fire Hatters then came within a whisker of putting the game out of sight less than 60 seconds later, when they won a free-kick on the edge of the box and Gallen drilled his low attempt through the wall but just a shade the wrong side of the post.
It was all one-way traffic and, on 17 minutes, McVeigh unleashed a dipping right-footed volley from distance that needed Beckwith to tip it over the crossbar, while Drew Talbot also had a chance to get his name on the scoresheet, but fired over from a tight angle shortly afterwards.
Keane saw his shot flash just wide of the right-hand post on 25 minutes while at the other end, Barnet registered their first effort on goal after 33 minutes but Albert Adomah's shot was well dealt with by Conrad Logan.
Luton, who should have been out of sight, handed Barnet an unlikely lifeline five minutes before half time when they failed to properly clear their lines and, after the ball found its way out to Kenny Gillet on the left, his cross into the six-yard box was converted by Ogogo.
After the half time whistle had blown Ogogo, who had already been booked, was then sent-off as the players left the field following an altercation with Martin.
With a one-man advantage, Hatters started the second half looking to restore their two-goal advantage and came close when Pilkington headed narrowly wide from a Jarvis corner on 51 minutes, before Spillane saw his effort turned on to the post by Beckwith moments later.
The visitors continued to invite Luton on to them in the second half and seemed content to try and snatch something on the break rather than commit men forward searching for an equaliser.
Jarvis crashed a shot over on the hour mark, while Town also had what looked like a decent appeal for a penalty waved away by the referee on 70 minutes, after Spillane had done well to see off a couple of challenges inside the area and his mazy run was brought to a halt, just as he looked like getting a shot away.
Beckwith was at full-stretch to turn Talbot's shot around the post for a corner of 79 minutes, while he also had to be at his best prevent McVeigh's free-kick from finding the net shortly afterwards.
Town did finally seal their much-needed win three minutes from time when a ball over from the right was diverted past his own 'keeper by Michael Townsend and, despite the fact Hatters centre-half Ian Roper will try and claim it, the Barnet man got the final touch.
Luton: Logan, Keane (C ), Roper, Pilkington (Hall 81), Jarvis, Martin, Talbot (Andrews 88), Spillane, McVeigh, Gallen (Gnakpa 90), Howells.
Subs not used: Brill, Davis
Barnet: Beckwith, Gillet, Bishop (C ), Leary (Medley 77), Adomah, Akurang (Yakubu 46), Birchall (Porter 23), Townsend, De Magalhaes, Ogogo, O'Flynn.
Subs not used: Deverdics, Kadoch.
Attendance: 5,536 (511 Barnet).
Referee: David Phillips (Sussex).
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Weather for Luton
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 21 mph
Wind direction: East
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Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
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