Hatters suffer FA Cup exit after penalty shoot-out woe at Cod Army

Luton Town crashed out of the FA Cup at the second round stage after a penalty shoot-out defeat at League Two Fleetwood Town this afternoon.

The Hatters had come from behind twice in the 120 minutes of football in a wet and windy Highbury Stadium, before spotkicks were required to separate the sides, Jacob Brown and Liam Walsh seeing their attempts saved by home keeper David Harrington as the Cod Army went through.

Town boss Jack Wilshere made four changes from the side who beat Exeter City in the Vertu Trophy on Tuesday night, with Teden Mengi, George Saville, Liam Walsh and Lamine Fanne coming into the team, as Shayden Morris dropped to the bench against the club where he came through as a youngster, joined by Gideon Kodua and Christ Makosso, Marvelous Nakamba missing completely.

The hosts had the better of things early on, Zack Nelson with a brave block as Elliot Bonds had a crack from outside the box, with Reuell Walters making a fine clearance at the back post. Lasse Nordas almost had an opening on six minutes when played in by Joe Johnson, as he nicked the ball beyond Harrington but then lost his footing on the greasy surface allowing the home defender and the stopper to get back and smother the danger.

Mark Helm curled narrowly over at the other end, as Milli Alli might have done better when breaking the offside trap, but he couldn't pick out a team-mate in the box as the chance went begging. Some good attacking play from Luton saw Walters look like he was fouled but play was allowed to continue, Saville finding the run of Zack Nelson who slammed a fierce shot narrowly over.

Alli looked like he had the beating of his man on the left, going close on 12 minutes when he danced past one marker and then saw his deflected cross parried over by a back-pedalling Harrington. Fleetwood did threaten too though, Andersen missing his clearance and top scorer Ryan Graydon with a snapshot that saw James Shea cling on to the wet ball.

Alli drifted one way and another on the left again on 17 minutes, his ball in was met on the volley by Nordas, who couldn’t keep it down, as the Norwegian then demonstrated some good hold-up play midway through the half which saw him play Alli in on the left, but the attacker dragged harmlessly across goal.

Nordas was looking Luton’s most likely method of breaking the deadlock in the first half as a good passing move saw Lamine Fanne slip a clever pass into him as he stretched to shoot goalwards, but keeper Harrington was equal to his prod. Some defensive hesitancy from Walters then allowed Manchester United loanee Ethan Ennis to ghost past Mengi and his cross was well cleared by Andersen from inside his own six yard box.

The Cod Army should have done better on 41 minutes, Ennis picking out the completely unmarked Ched Evans who was only able to sidefoot out for a throw-in. After the break, Luton looked to get at their hosts, Alli getting down the left twice, his first shot well handled by Harrington the second seeing Nordas’s effort charged down and away, although not with the hand that the visitors were appealing for.

Alli was proving to be the out-ball as he was found by Johnson and set off again, but once more his end product was lacking, dragging wide of the near post and also dispossessed when he had another opportunity to create something. Fleetwood didn’t quite have the quality to make them pay though, Graydon pouncing on a ball over the top to cut in and shoot straight at Shea from 20 yards.

Midway through the half, Wilshere made a triple sub, Jacob Brown, Jerry Yates and Gideon Kodua all coming on for Alli, Nordas and Richards, but before they could have any kind of impact, the hosts went ahead on 65 minutes as a deep cross saw the unmarked Ennis volley goalwards at the back post, his shot squirming under the body of Shea.

Kodua tried a massively ambitious attempt from range, only to then see Harrington, who was well off his line, fumble, but get to the loose ball before Yates could nip in. The two did combine for Luton's leveller on 73 minutes though as Walters’ excellently drilled long pass from the back was perfect for Kodua to take in his stride and then send a low cross for Yates to tap over the line from a few yards out.

Matty Virtue put his header at Shea, as Luton continued to look the more likely, Liam Walsh’s free kick met by Andersen whose header cleared the bar. Nelson was booked for diving as the ball to the back post was causing problems for Luton, another headed back across for James Bolton to nod against the crossbar.

The hosts were back in front on 83 minutes though when a poor clearance by Johnson saw the ball come back out for Ennis who curled a brilliant shot past a stationary Shea with the outside of his right boot. Town didn’t let their heads drop though, Fanne starting to really come into the game during the closing stages, with Morris finally coming on too.

With injury time almost up, it looked like Luton’s best chance had gone when a home defender booted off the line, they did have their leveller, the ball cleared to Teden Mengi just outside the box and he took a touch before hammering a superb sidefoot effort beyond the flying Harrington. Kal Naismith came on for Johnson during extra time, as the game was played predominantly in the hosts’ half, as a cross from the right was headed wide by Fanne, Kodua rifling over, with Fanne dispossessed inside the box by a terrific sliding tackle.

The Luton skipper, who was making his 100th appearance for the club, was part of a good break by Town as he went for goal, sending a daisycutter narrowly wide from 22 yards. He also drilled a superb pass out to the wing where Walters displayed great tenacity to find Morris, his low shot brilliantly tipped away by Harrington.

There was far less goalmouth action in the second period of extra time, Morris’s effort on his left foot straight at the keeper, with Kodua having another go from outside the box when he needed to try and find someone inside the area instead. That was that though, which then led to rather anticlimactic of a penalty shoot-out as although Kodua and Naismith both found the net impressively, the Cod Army clinically scored all four as Town’s FA Cup adventure was over for another year.

Cod Army: David Harrington, James Bolton (Toby Mullarkey 99). Elliot Bonds (C), Ryan Graydon (Will Davies 80), Mark Helm (Matty Virtue 71), Lewis McCann (Zach Medley 105), Ethan Ennis, Ched Evans (Finley Potter 87), Harrison Holgate, Harrison Neal, Kayden Hughes (Ronan Coughlan 90). Subs not used: Jay Lynch, James Norwood, Jordan Davies.

Hatters: James Shea, Reuell Walters, Mads Andersen, Teden Mengi, Joe Johnson (Kal Naismith 90), George Saville (Liam Walsh 46), Jake Richards (Jacob Brown 63), Lamine Fanne, Zack Nelson (Shayden Morris 85), Lasse Nordas (Jerry Yates 64), Milli Alli (Gideon Kodua 63). Subs not used: Josh Keeley, Nigel Lonwijk, Christ Makosso. Booked: Graydon 66, Johnson 74, Nelson 78. Referee: Ollie Yates. Attendance: 1,180 (663 Hatters).