Grant nets twice as Town run riot at Chesham

Jorge Grant scored twice as a late goal glut saw Luton run out 5-1 winners at Southern League Premier Division South opponents Chesham United this evening.

With 30 minutes to go, the Hatters were level at 1-1 until making wholesale changes which saw them run riot, Grant (2), Danny Hylton and Matty Pearson all on target to give the final scoreline a severely one-sided look.

Town hadn't threatened a great deal in the opening stages, James Collins with the only real effort on 12 minutes, firing wide from 20 yards.

James Shea was called into action soon after, flipping over Jon-Jo Bates' intended cross and gathering the corner well.

Collins was looking Luton's most likely source of a goal, taking Elliot Lee's through ball and seeing his shot saved by a flying Mo Sampat.

The Generals broke the deadlock on 21 minutes though when Nathan Webb was in acres of space on the right and sent over an excellent cross that Ryan Blake did superbly to direct a downward header beyond Shea and into the net.

Arthur Read's lovely jinking run saw him ride a few challenges to find Lee, who was brought down 20 yards from goal, with his ensuing free kick parried by Sampat and cleared behind.

Luton were level on the half hour though, as Alan McCormack nipped in to win the ball back, setting Lee away.

He scampered forward and found Jake Jervis to his right, the striker shooting low and straight through Sampat from 15 yards.

Town fashioned another opportunity when Luke Gambin and Collins combined for the midfielder's first time attempt to dribble through to Sampat, while Collins took aim from 20 yards, his effort not coming down in time.

Luton kept the same side for the start of the second half, Chesham going closest early on, Jack Stacey's poor clearing header met by Bates, his snapshot wide via a deflection.

On the hour mark, boss Nathan Jones changed his entire outfield 10, and it was clear the Generals just wouldn't be able to cope as Hatters had the lead moments later with a glorious sweeping move.

Hylton and James Justin combined in their own half, with Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu finding Justin who had kept charging from right back and he played in Grant to find the net for his first goal since joining from Nottingham Forest.

The on-loan midfielder doubled up with 10 minutes to go, as he slid Cornick in, and when his shot was blocked, blasted the loose ball into the unguarded net.

Dan Potts should have made it 4-1 when picked out by Cornick, scuffing wide, but Luton weren't to be kept out, Hylton swivelling to get his name on the scoresheet.

Cornick almost got the goal his sprightly display deserved, only to see Sampat stick out a leg to divert his low shot away, but Luton kept on pressing, something that was a massive feature of their play last term, Pearson nodding home a deflected header from a corner.

They could have had six, Cornick striking the post with the last kick, as Hatters now head on to St Albans City this weekend.

Chesham: Mo Sampat, Benji Crilley, Ben Walster, Callum Webb, Kieran Murphy (C), Darren Locke, Jon-Jo Bates, Danny Green, Ryan Blake, Oran Swales, Nathan Webb.

Subs: Matthew Hall, Joe Evans, Max Holland, Scott McGleish, Harry Loakes.

Hatters (up to 60mins): James Shea, Jack Stacey, Jack Senior, Sonny Bradley, Lloyd Jones, Alan McCormack (C), Arthur Read, Luke Gambin, Elliot Lee, James Collins, Jake Jervis.

Hatters (from 60mins): James Shea, James Justin, Dan Potts, Alan Sheehan, Matty Pearson, Glen Rea, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Jorge Grant, Andrew Shinnie, Danny Hylton, Harry Cornick.