Late blast from Lawless sends Hatters through

FA Trophy first round

Welling United (1) 1

A MAGNIFICENT late strike from Alex Lawless saw Luton Town earn an FA Trophy second round tie at home to Uxbridge as they edged past Welling United, writes Mike Simmonds.

With extra-time looming, Lawless blasted home a peach of an effort from outside the box to finally kill off the challenge of their dogged Blue Square Bet South opponents on Tuesday evening.

In front of just 404 people, a record low crowd for a competitive Hatters game, beating the 469 versus Thames in the early 1930s, manager Richard Money kept his promise to send the same side for the replay with JJ O’Donnell making his full debut in place of Jake Howells.

The boss made a number of positional changes though with Ed Asafu-Adjaye left back, Alex Lawless right back and O’Donnell stationed on the left wing.

The bench had an extremely youthful look to it too, with the likes of Cauley Woodrow, Jordan Patrick, Christian Tavernier and Newman Carney all involved.

In a quiet opening, only two shots were fired in anger and both Wings player-manager Jamie Day and Hatters striker Jason Walker were well off target.

The forward had another sight of goal on 20 minutes, when he rose highest to meet Alex Lacey’s cross, but his angled header bounced wide.

O’Donnell was desperately unlucky not to win a penalty after a darting run midway through the half. Riding two challenges, he was eventually cleaned out in the area, but referee Rob Whitton blew for an earlier infringement and his free kick was headed clear.

The visitors only real efforts came from distance as Godfrey Poku was next to take aim as his shot thudded into the advertising hoardings, while O’Donnell tried his luck from even further out, but drove straight at keeper Gareth Stewart.

Both Dan Walker and Jason Walker combined well on 35 minutes as the winger’s deep delivery was headed by the Town frontman into the gloves of Stewart.

Visiting keeper Mark Tyler was a spectator for the majority of the half though he had to backpedal smartly to claim Loick Pires’ intended cross.

Pires tried to break the deadlock on his own just before the break, chesting a long ball down and powering forward, only to drag a left-footed shot wide of the mark.

Welling took the lead on the stroke of half time in the softest of fashions when Jack Oberstellar sent over a high cross and Tyler went up with Luis Cumbers only for the ball to slither out of his hands and over the line via the back of the Wings midfielder.

After the break, Hatters looked to pull a goal back straight away, but Dan Walker’s header was wayward.

The Wings had the best chance of the match on 53 minutes as Joe Healy played the ball down the line for Cumbers to advance into the area, but Tyler was out quickly to block his outside of the boot effort.

Moments later, Carney was introduced for his first Hatters appearance, replacing Pavel Besta and slotted into the left back berth as Asafu-Adjaye moved to right back and Lawless moved into central midfield.

If anything, Welling looked the side likelier to add to their one-goal advantage, as the lanky Pires skewed another shot wide.

In the main, Hatters tried to use the height of Atieno to force their way through, but was well marshalled by both Graeme Andrews and Jack Parkinson, barely winning a header all evening.

Money decided to give another one of his exciting youth products their debut on 68 minutes as 16-year-old Woodrow replaced O’Donnell, while Patrick, the club’s youngest every play, also took to the field soon after as Dan Walker was withdrawn

Town finally seriously tested Stewart in the wings goal as Lawless’ lofted through ball was tapped back by Jason Walker and Atieno’s volley was clawed away by the keeper.

The closing stages saw Hatters finally make their class tell as they eventually breached the Wings defence on 82 minutes when Jason Walker took the ball to the edge of the area before beating Stewart with a low drive that the keeper got a hand to but couldn’t keep out.

The equaliser bucked up Town’s ideas straight away and Atieno was millimetres away with a deflected shot, Poku’s header from the corner was turned over the bar and then Atieno drove across goal and behind.

It was left to Lawless to provide the gloss on the evening, thundering home in the last minute as Town’s FA Trophy journey continues.

Luton: Mark Tyler, Craig Hinton, Taiwo Atieno, Ed Asafu-Adjaye, Pavel Besta (Newman Carney 55), Jason Walker, Alex Lacey, Godfrey Poku, JJ O’Donnell (Cauley Woodrow 68), Dan Walker (Jordan Patrick 76).

Substitutes not used: Lewis Kidd, Christian Tavernier.