Terrific Town go six mad

Luton Town 6 (2) Southport 0 (0)

A FORTHRIGHT first half performance coupled with a late flurry of goals saw the Hatters romp to an emphatic 6-0 win against Southport at Kenilworth Road this afternoon, writes Mark Wood.

Town put in their worst performance of the season at Haig Avenue two weeks ago as the struggling Sandygrounders came from a goal down to beat them 2-1.

And while Crawley may have today sealed the Blue Square Bet Premier title with a 3-0 victory at Tamworth, Town put in an impressive performance to avenge that defeat as they edged closer to cementing a play-off place – recording a first win for new manager Gary Brabin in the process.

Luton dominated the first half, taking the lead through Amari Morgan-Smith’s free-kick and deservedly doubling their advantage before the break through Robbie Willmott.

Southport put in a much better performance for much of the second half before capitulating at the death as Town scored four more goals in the last six minutes with Freddie Murray registering his first professional goal, Jason Walker finding the net, Zdenek Kroca forcing home from close range and Claude Gnakpa firing in a late penalty.

Town made just one change from the side that were held to a 2-2 home draw by Kettering on Tuesday night with Gnakpa dropping to the bench and Murray coming in at left-back.

The Hatters made a bright start at a sun-drenched Kenilworth Road and went close on five minutes when Morgan-Smith and Alex Lawless combined well with the former curling just wide.

The game promised to burst into life in the opening minutes when Kroca’s fine long pass released Willmott but, having cut inside his man, he could only drag his shot wide of the near post.

A wonderful free-flowing Luton move should have put the hosts ahead four minutes later. Adam Newton’s accurate pass into the feet of Walker was expertly laid into the path of Lawless whose first-time pass found Kroca unmarked on the edge of the box, but the lanky Czech defender spooned wastefully over with just Tony McMillan left to beat.

Walker’s brilliant first time pass almost sent Morgan-Smith clean through seconds later, but McMillan just won the foot race to clear, while Walker was then the offender when he sent a free header over from Willmott’s corner.

Town’s pressure was gradually building and Willmott was inches away from giving Town the lead with a venomous free-kick that dipped inches over, but eagle-eyed referee L Collins spotted a handball from Aaron Turner and duly booked him and marched the wall 10 yards further back.

This time Luton mixed it up and Morgan-Smith cutely curled a right-footed effort round the wall and inside McMillan’s near post to give Luton a well-deserved lead.

Walker rolled a tame effort straight at McMillan on 25 minutes, before Luton had a goal ruled out for offside four minutes later when Jake Howells prodded home Willmott’s clever pass.

George Pilkington could only glance Morgan-Smith’s teasing cross over on 32 minutes while Matty McGinn sent a well-placed free-kick deep into the Kenny end as Southport looked a shadow of the side that dominated Luton at Haig Avenue a couple of weeks before.

Town did deservedly double their lead with another sumptuous move six minutes before the break. Howells threaded the ball through to Lawless and he timed his through ball perfectly for Willmott to dart through and deftly dink the ball over McMillan for a perfect counter-attack goal.

Willmott was thwarted by McMillan, Pilkington jabbed just wide and Morgan-Smith rolled an effort at the keeper in the closing stages as Town took a thoroughly deserved two-goal lead into the break.

The Sandygrounders made two changes at the break and looked far more purposeful at the start of the second half.

Much of the second half was a drab affair compared with the first and a mistake from Kroca almost let Steve Daly in on 65 minutes, but Mark Tyler saved well at his feet.

Substitute Gnakpa opened up Southport seconds later but Walker’s fierce effort flew just over, while Tony Gray almost made an instant impact when he fired in an opportunistic effort straight at Tyler.

Tyler then had to be aware to turn a John Paul Kissock’s free-kick past the post before the Hatters wasted another great chance on 71 minutes. Gnakpa’s marauding run down the middle created the chance and Lawless’ reverse pass left Walker with just McMillan to beat, but he could only lift his effort over the bar.

Gray sent a header straight at Tyler from McGinn’s inviting cross before Murray scored his first goal for the club with six minutes to go. The full-back lobbed the ball over his man on the left and his drive across goal took a massive deflection on its way into the net.

And it got even better two minutes from time when Luton grabbed their fourth. Lawless drove through the middle and his mishit shot fell kindly for Walker. A poor first touch allowed McMillan to save his first effort before he squeezed the follow-up past the covering defender.

Gnakpa sent a late drive straight at McMillan and in the third minute of stoppage time Keith Keane whipped a deep fee-kick to the far post where Pilkington headed back across goal for Kroca to force home from close range and register his first competitive goal at the Kenny end.

And there was still time for yet more drama as Earl Davis was let off a second booking by a lenient Collins before Town completed the rout deep into stoppage time. Gnakpa charged through the middle and was felled by a clumsy challenge on the edge of the box by McMillan. The referee pointed to the spot and the Frenchman grabbed the ball and kept his cool to fire home from the spot.

A buoyant Kenilworth Road was bouncing at the final whistle and the Sandygrounders’ day went from bad to worse when substitute Adam Flynn was shown a straight red card after confronting the referee on his way off the pitch.

Hatters: Mark Tyler, Freddie Murray, Keith Keane, George Pilkington (C), Adam Newton, Amari Morgan-Smith (Matthew Barnes-Homer 72), Robbie Willmott (Claude Gnakpa 56), Zdenek Kroca, Alex Lawless, Jake Howells, Jason Walker. Substitutes not used: Luke Graham, Paul Carden, Kevin Pilkington.

Sandygrounders: Tony McMillan, Earl Davis, Shaun Whalley, Alan Moogan (C), Steve Daly (Tony Gray 68), Matty McGinn, Rob Marsh-Evans (Adam Flynn 46), Paul Barrett (Matty McNeil 46), Robbie Williams, Aaron Turner, John Paul Kissock. Substitutes not used: Liam Blakeman, Steve Dickinson.

Bookings: McGinn 18; Turner 21; Davis 31; Pilkington 69; Williams 80; Flynn 82.

Sent off: Flynn, full time.

Referee: L Collins.

Assistant referees: D Robathan and S Leaf.

Fourth official: A Degnarain.

Attendance: 5,844 (Southport 84).

Star Hatter: Alex Lawless. Town are a much better side with the classy midfield in their ranks.