Brilliant Benagr marks Town debut with a goal as Hatters ease past Gills

Benny Benagr marked his Luton debut in wonderful fashion as he scored his first Hatters goal during this afternoon’s dominant 3-0 Carabao Cup first round triumph at League Two Gillingham.

The 18-year-old was one of two academy graduates handed his first start at Priestfield, with Jayden Luker the other, as the pair, who enjoyed promising pre-seasons, both demonstrated just why they are so highly rated by Town chief Jack Wilshere, playing key roles in the victory. Defender George Johnston was also in from the word go having joined in the summer from Bolton Wanderers, with fellow new additions, Kasey Palmer and Harrison Ashby on the bench, although Callum Marshall missed out with a slight knock.

Town almost made the perfect start when Luker’s deft flick found Izzy Jones, who was able to advance and find the run of Jake Richards. The teenager cut inside his man in the box and had a go at goal, but it was easy for emergency loanee Owen Mason, who had only signed for the hosts before kick-off.

With Liam Walsh pulling the strings in midfield, he lofted a wonderful ball over the top for Nahki Wells, the striker peeling off as he looked to be in with a clear run on goal, but a poor first touch saw the hosts’ defence able to get back and bundle the ball away. Bar one defence-splitting pass that saw Josh Keeley have to rush out of his area and boot the ball away, Luton looked good in the final third, Clark having a go from range, Mason gathering comfortably.

The on-loan Stags stopper did far better on 12 minutes as Clark showed brilliant chest control to bring down Walsh’s pass that was fired into him, and adjust his body to almost scissor kick goalwards, the keeper able to stretch and paw away. Town kept the pressure on, as Benagr and Clark were able to win the ball back in opposition territory, the youngster setting off on a foray forward that saw him use his team-mates as decoys, transferring on to his right foot, unleashing a tame effort didn’t test the increasingly overworked Mason.

Following a World Cup-style hydration break, Gills then became that bit more compact, Luton unable to enjoy the same kind of attacking intent they had done prior to drinks, Luker turning down one chance to shoot that led to a break from the Gills that came to nothing. Slowly but surely, Luton began to dominate territory once more and had what they no more than they deserved with two minutes of the half remaining.

Johnston found Luker in front of him as the midfielder looked up and delivered a brilliant through ball perfectly into the stride of Wells who had stayed onside and didn’t need to take a touch, expertly sidefooting beyond Mason and into the bottom corner. There was anything but a sedate start to the second period, as Luker looked to be away on the right hand side, but sadly pulled up and hit the deck when the ball reached him, as it was clear he was unable to continue, forced to hobble off gingerly to the tunnel with Palmer replacing him.

Not even a minute later and it looked Town might be forced into another change as an out-of-control Zane Albarbus lunged into a sliding challenge on Jones that saw him connect with the visiting defender rather than the ball, but despite an incensed bench calling for a red, referee Stephen Parkinson opted for the lesser punishment.

Thankfully, Jones didn’t follow Luker off the field, as the Hatters tried to put the result beyond doubt, Benagr getting away twice on the left, once seeing his cross go through the area as no-one gambled, while he then sent a cross-shot in that was nervously tipped over by Mason. A lovely curving ball in by Kal Naismith led to Palmer unable to hit the target when stretching at the far post, as it quickly became the Benagr show, racing away to reach Keeley’s long ball forward but hammered over from a tight angle.

He did have his moment on the hour mark, Clark finding the run of Wells to fire off a low drive that was parried away by Mason, as the teenager reacted quickest to hunt the rebound down and tap into the net to double the lead. Having got the congratulations from his clearly delighted team-mates, he was pushed over to the near 900 travelling fans who were quick to salute their new hero as well.

Gills then had their best spell, Kadeem Harris’s low crack repelled by Keeley’s legs, but Luton still attacked, Wells’ snapshot straight at Mason. Benagr then made way as one of four changes, Jones, Richards and Walsh also coming on for Sverre Sandal, Shayden Morris, Gideon Kodua and Ashby, the latter for his first Town outings.

The changes didn’t halt the Hatters’ attacking intent, Naismith seeing his penalty appeals waved away as he came flying in at the far post, while on 72 minutes, it should have been 3-0, Clark freed by Kodua to send in a low cross that Wells powered over the top. Still the visitors pushed, Odoffin shrugging off one tackle to break forward and ignore the screams of ‘shoot’ from those in the stands, finding Morris to his right whose first-time left footer was blocked by the legs of Mason.

That saw Luton win four successive corners, and the final one was taken by Ashby on the left, cleared as far as Clark, who found the on-loan full back who broke a tackle to get into the area. His low shot wasn’t gathered by Mason, who blotted an otherwise excellent copybook, Kodua reacting quickest to nod over the line and score his first goal since January 17, ending a run of 20 matches without finding the net.

One sloppy bit of defending from the Hatters with six minutes left was almost pounced upon by Will Goodwin but his shot took a nick off the covering Johnston, allowing Keeley to dive to his right and gather. Ashby also threw himself in the way of another fierce drive, while Town almost grabbed a fourth in stoppage time as Ashby's terrific cross from the right was met by a lunging Kodua, whose toepoke hit the outside of the post and bounced away.

Gills: Owen Mason, Andy Smith, Kadeem Harris (Sheldon Kendall 67), Ronan Hale (Sully Booth 67), Seb Palmer-Houlden (Will Goodwin 67), Robbie McKenzie, Zane Albarus (Harry Waldock 67), James Brophy, Omar Beckles (C), Nick Freeman, Logan Dobbs (Conor McManus 68). Subs not used: Taite Holtam, Michael Luxton, Damien Theodore, Harry Webster.

Hatters: Josh Keeley, Izzy Jones (Harrison Ashby 69), Kal Naismith ©, Hakeem Odoffin, George Johnston, Liam Walsh (Sverre Sandal 69), Jordan Clark, Jayden Luker (Kasey Palmer 47), Benny Benagr (Gideon Kodua 69), Jake Richards (Shayden Morris 69), Nahki Wells. Subs not used: James Shea, Mads Andersen, Joe Johnson, Devante Cole. Referee: Stephen Parkinson. Booked: Albarus 49, Morris 89. Attendance: 4,015 (842 Hatters).