Luton lose to Ledson stunner despite playing against 10-men Terriers for an hour

Luton’s season lurched from one disaster to another this evening as despite being up against 10-men for an hour, they fell to yet another defeat on the road courtesy of a truly sensational winner from inside his own half by Huddersfield midfielder Ryan Ledson.

The Hatters had been huge favourites to end their dismal run on the road when they were given a massive helping hand after Terriers striker Alfie May was sent off on 29 minutes for pulling Kasey Palmer’s hair as the midfielder looked to break forward. However, despite having the numerical advantage, Jack Wilshere’s side never seriously threatened scoring, ending up with just a paltry and quite frankly embarrassing single shot on target in what turned out to be almost 70-minutes including stoppage time.

The closing stages saw Town never really get the ball into the box either as they ended up falling to ninth in the table, also dropping nine points away from the play-offs which were set as their absolute minimum requirement by chief executive Gary Sweet this term, also losing for a fifth game from six on the road, the only positive result a last-gasp draw at Leyton Orient, failing to score in four of them.

Following a 1-0 reverse at Plymouth Argyle on Saturday, Wilshere made three changes to his side, as Teden Mengi was fit enough to come back into the defence, with Cohen Bramall and Jake Richards also starting, the latter starting for the first time in the league since scoring against Huddersfield at Kenilworth Road back on November 25.

With Nahki Wells, Emilio Lawrence and Kal Naismith dropping to the bench, where they were also joined by Ali Al-Hamadi, it meant the visitors began without a recognised striker, midfielder Jordan Clark playing in the number nine role, which is a sad indication of just how much the Hatters are lacking in that department, summer signing Jerry Yates not even in the squad.

Luton moved to a back three, Joe Johnson slipping in alongside Mengi and Mads Andersen, Bramall and Nigel Lonwijk operating in the wingback berths, as after Liam Walsh picked up an early yellow for hauling down May, Richards went on a wonderful mazy run on the right flank, his cross charged down for a corner. With Clark doing his best to keep the imposing centre halves occupied, something that was always going to be an uphill task given his hefty height disadvantage, there were few chances for those in the ground to get excited about, Joe Low heading the only significant one over for the Terriers.

Then came the moment of real controversy just before the half hour though, Palmer getting away from May who pulled him by his hair, which saw the Terriers striker shown a straight red by referee Matt Corlett and left incandescent with rage when angrily storming off down the tunnel. The hosts also had to make a change too, Bojan Radulovic suffering a muscle injury before the sending off, which saw Dion Charles come on, as Luton had all the possession around the box, but were unable really send the ball into it, especially with Clark, Kodua and Richards in there.

Eventually Clark did let fly, his shot charged behind for a corner, before Palmer, whose every touch was getting booed, earned huge cheers when he sent a hopeful attempt over from 20 yards. Town had huge appeals for a penalty on 40 minutes as Johnson’s cross was handled in the area by a sliding defender, but the officials clearly didn’t want to give another controversial decision against the hosts.

Palmer was clearly relishing the situation and his position of pantomime villain, effortlessly easing his way past two markers and nicking the ball to Bramall before finding Clark who should have left it for Richards, Lonwijk teed up, the defender unable to replicate his Reading heroics, well wide. Wilshere had further words with the fourth official just before the break for another handball inside the area that went unseen, but Town swapped ends having still struggled to create anything of note.

Luton then got off to the worst start possible in the second period as three minutes in, Andersen’s short pass to Walsh wasn’t the best, as it ran away from the midfielder and fell to Ledson, who from inside his own half, hit a quite unbelievable first time effort that had Keeley back-pedalling, only able to get fingertips on the shot as it hit the net for the goal of the midfielder’s life.

It made the Hatters’ task even harder as it didn’t look like they had the extra man for a while, and with Town not exactly prolific on the road, you had that sinking feeling that it was going to be another rotten day outside of Bedfordshire. Wilshere looked to his bench and brought on Shayden Morris and Wells for Richards and Andersen as he sacrificed a defender in a bid to try and pep up the Hatters’ attack, who had yet to test keeper Lee Nicholls, for the final half an hour.

Still they couldn’t as Morris scampered away on the right, having his shirt clearly pulled, before sending a cross in that saw Palmer try an ambitious and quite unwise overhead kick that was just nowhere near the target. The hosts should have then doubled their lead though Radinio Balker twice in quick succession from set-pieces, meeting a corner from the left and nodding over, then fluffing an even easier opportunity, but couldn’t keep his header down from close range.

With 71 minutes on the clock, Luton did finally have their first shot on target when Kodua nicked the ball into Clark who at least worked Nicholls, the stopper parrying away comfortably. Town then simply had to equalise on 74 minutes, Morris, who was one of the bright sparks on the night, sending a cross into the six yard box which was cleared against Wells and led to a spell of pinball that a stretching Palmer couldn’t turn in.

Al-Hamadi was thrown on for the final 15 minutes for the on-loan Hull midfielder, as Luton showed the odd sign of drawing level, Johnson’s ball into the box met by a hooked half volley from Clark that landed inches wide. The hosts continued to be a threat though as Town sent men forward, Bali Mumba lashing off target, with Al-Hamadi at least looking like a threat in behind.

Bramall put a free kick into the wall, as Wilshere threw on Lawrence and Lamine Fanne for the final four minutes, but even with seven minutes of stoppage time, it never looked like anything but the points were staying at the Accu Stadium, which with Town barely able to get the ball anywhere their opponents goal, they did.

Terriers: Lee Nicholls, Murray Wallace, Ryan Ledson ©, Joe Low, Lynden Gooch, Cameron Humphreys (Lasse Sorenson 70), Marcus Harness (David Kasumu 46) Radinio Balker, Bali Mumba, Bojan Radulovic (Dion Charles 30), Alfie May. Subs not used: Jak Alnwick, Mickel Miller, Josh Feeney, Will Alves.

Hatters: Josh Keeley, Nigel Lonwijk, Mads Andersen (Nahki Wells 61), Teden Mengi, Joe Johnson, Liam Walsh, Jordan Clark (C), Kasey Palmer (Ali Al-Hamadi 76), Gideon Kodua (Emilio Lawrence 86), Jake Richards (Shayden Morris 60), Cohen Bramall (Lamine Fanne 86). Subs not used: James Shea, Kal Naismith. Booked: Walsh 3, Andersen 44, Low 86. Sent off: May 29. Referee: Matt Corlett. Attendance: 15,637.