Berry snatches a crucial point for the Hatters as he grabs late equaliser against Forest

Luton's incredible battling spirit was there for all to see yet again as a first ever Premier League goal from midfielder Luke Berry kept the Hatters' hopes of staying up intact, earning Town yet another late 1-1 draw at Kenilworth Road this afternoon.

Billed as a must-win game going into the contest, with victory seeing the hosts leapfrog their opponents going into the international break, a bright opening was then followed by the exertions of the past seven days catching up with a clearly exhausted squad riddled by injuries, who to their credit, still managed to find something in the closing moments to register what could be a vital point.

The Hatters made one change from the side who were playing a third game in a week, and going into the fixture on the back of a heart-breaking 4-3 defeat at AFC Bournemouth on Wednesday night, the majority having to go again, although Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu replaced Daiki Hashioka. The alteration saw Issa Kabore drop into the left-sided centre half role vacated by Hashioka, with Chiedozie Ogbene moving to right wingback, Jordan Clark out to the right wing, with Mpanzu partnering Ross Barkley in midfield for his first start start since the 4-3 defeat to Arsenal on December 5.

The ex-West Ham youngster made a terrific sliding challenge to prevent the visitors from taking a potshot early on, which worryingly saw him need some running repairs, something that was going to become an all too familiar theme for the long-serving midfielder. Once back on though, he began a bright period for the Hatters, cutting out a clearance and finding Carlton Morris, who teed up Ross Barkley to test Matz Sels with a first time effort.

Barkley looked to do it by himself in the opening stages, as his intentions were clear, seeing another swerving attempt gathered by Sels and then jinking around one marker to have another pop, dragging narrowly wide on his left foot. With every touch and tackle made by Mpanzu being heartily cheered from the home fans, there didn't seem any major signs of any kind of hangover from Wednesday night lingering.

Forest showed they weren't here to just sit back though, ex-Liverpool striker Divock Origi being sent through on the right and dinked over the advancing Thomas Kaminski, but it didn't have the power or direction, Kabore able to get back in time. Willy-Arnaud Boly's header from a free kick bounced wide, while Morgan Gibbs-White sent a free kick sailing harmlessly over as Forest began to have their first real spell of authority.

They were denied an opener on 32 minutes by a quite brilliant goal-line clearance from Reece Burke, who after the ball fortunately deflected for the Reds forwards, was on hand to slide in and prevent Origi's shot from finding the back of the net. Luton's good fortune lasted all of a minute though, as they were behind 60 seconds later, a moment of real quality from Gibbs-White splitting the Town defence, Chris Wood stabbing his volley into the roof of the net.

Town tried to hit back, Chong taking aim and shooting narrowly wide via a slight deflection, before the Hatters’ lack of luck was summed up in the space of a minute. Firstly, Mpanzu did brilliantly to take a ball down on the right and saw his thunderous cross cleared inches over his own bar by a Forest defender, when a little lower and it was 1-1.

Luton then did have the ball in the back of the net, Teden Mengi bundling home from a corner, but as he was off celebrating, referee Darren England, who had already made himself very unpopular with the home supporters for a number of questionable decisions, blew for a handball, as the leveller was frustratingly chalked off. The break saw Doughty replaced by Cauley Woodrow, Forest almost doubling their lead, Gibbs-White racing on to a ball forward, unable to beat Kaminski who had come out to meet him.

Town should have gone closer from a corner, Clark sending a presentable volley into orbit, but with 51 gone, Luton had Mengi to thank for keeping them in it as Origi shouldered Ogbene off the ball and lift over Kaminski, but the centre half, who was called up to the England U21 squad in the week, never gave up the chase, sprinting back to clear away just in the nick of time.

Having been in the wars, Mpanzu was then sent flying into the advertising hoardings by Murillo on 55 minutes and after trying valiantly to run it off, had to accept defeat, the disappointment etched all over his face, as Andros Townsend came on with an hour gone. With the visitors now in the ascendancy, Murillo tried his luck with a stunning free kick from well inside his own half, Kaminski having to backpedal and acrobatically tip over his own bar.

Gibbs-White wasn't far away as Forest kept up the pressure, knowing a second would more than likely break Town's already battered and bruised resistance, the Hatters offering little in terms of finding an equaliser, Townsend curling straight at Sels. Somehow Luton lifted themselves off the canvas once more though, as their inability to accept defeat saw them win a corer. Barkley took it, and after Burke nodded it skywards, Berry, as he has done so many times before in a Luton shirt, found a glimmer of space to swivel and shoot beyond Sels.

With seven minutes of stoppage time added, Town couldn't quite go to the well once more, as Forest were able to clear their lines from a number of set-pieces, the Reds almost snatching what would have been a confidence shattering victory, Ryan Yates' slamming wide. Although not the victory Luton were desperate for, the point was enough to keep Rob Edwards’ side above water with nine games now to go, and more importantly, three away from Forest, who now wait to see just how many points, if any, they are going to be deducted in the coming weeks due to breaking Premier League rules.

Hatters: Thomas Kaminski, Issa Kabore, Teden Mengi, Reece Burke, Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu (Andros Townsend 60), Alfie Doughty (Cauley Woodrow 46), Ross Barkley, Jordan Clark (Luke Berry 86), Tahith Chong, Chiedozie Ogbene, Carlton Morris (C). Subs not used: James Shea, Tim Krul, Axel Piesold, Zack Nelson, Dominic Dos Santos Martins, Daiki Hashioka.

Forest: Matz Sels, Ibrahim Sangare, Neco Williams, Morgan Gibbs-White (Nicolas Dominguez 83), Chris Wood (Callum Hudson-Odoi 76), Harry Toffolo, Anthony Elanga, Ryan Yates (C), Divock Origi (Felipe 76), Willy-Arnaud Boly, Murillo. Subs not used: Matt Turner, Cheikhou Kouyate, Giovanni Alejandra Reyna, Danilo, Andrew Omobamidele, Rodrigo Duarte Ribeiro. Referee: Darren England. Booked: Kabore 30, Toffolo 84, Sels 90. Attendance: 11,639 (1,260 Forest).

Mike Simmonds

Sports Editor

Luton News

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@LutonNews_LTFC