Report and free match action from the Sky Bet Championship match between Luton Town and Stoke City at Kenilworth Road as Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu scored early on to seal victory for the Hatters on Saturday.
Saturday 4 February 2023 18:17, UK
Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu's first goal since August 2021 earned Luton a 1-0 win over Stoke at Kenilworth Road.
The hosts made a glorious start as the long-serving Mpanzu pounced on a loose ball in midfield and raced forward before driving a shot into the bottom corner from 22 yards with just six minutes gone.
Jordan Clark had claims for a penalty turned down as the Hatters continued their bright start.
Stoke's first effort of note took 20 minutes to arrive, Lewis Baker curling wide from distance with his left foot.
Luton responded with a rising effort of their own, Carlton Morris firing a left-footed shot over, before Amari'i Bell had a go from even further out, forcing Matija Sarkic to move well to his left and gather.
Josh Laurent tried to follow suit for the Potters, only to screw his effort well wide of the target as the visitors were hit by an injury to Josh Tymon just before half time, the defender replaced by Ki-Jana Hoever.
In the second period Clark's pot-shot was charged down by a Potters defender before Stoke thought they had levelled on the hour mark.
A rash clearance by the hosts was nodded into the net by Ben Wilmot through a crowd of players, but referee Dean Whitestone spotted a foul on goalkeeper Ethan Horvath which meant the equaliser was ruled out.
Town brought on deadline day signing from Aston Villa Marvelous Nakamba as they tried to regain some of the initiative, although it was Stoke who looked the more likely to score, Baker trying his luck with a powerful effort from distance that Horvath watched all the way into his gloves.
With Bersant Celina beginning to pull the strings for Stoke in midfield, he darted inside and dinked a clever pass over Luton's defence for substitute Tyrese Campbell to volley over while on the run.
With 10 minutes left Town had the best opportunity of the half when Cauley Woodrow was freed on the right hand side and his low ball was swept goalwards by Clark, but straight at Sarkic.
Woodrow could not get enough on his glancing header from Alfie Doughty's dangerous free-kick and, although the Potters pressed in the latter stages, Town were able to comfortably hold them out to make it three wins in a row and remain fourth in the Championship table.
Luton's Rob Edwards:
"A fantastic week, it's down to the players and I was trying to make that point when I was out there. It's down to the players, so it's brilliant, we've got a great rapport, brilliant relationship with the supporters, but the lads are the ones going out over the white line and doing it, working incredibly hard for each other and I thought we deserved it.
"We started really well, were very aggressive, started on the front foot, and the goal showed that. We won the second ball, Pelly latched on to it and we scored a really good goal, so that set us up well and then we couldn't quite get the second goal, but I didn't feel too troubled, even at 1-0. We've always got to be careful and respectful and we know they've got some good players and can have some good moments. There was a couple of hairy moments when the ball came in from set-pieces, but I didn't feel under too much threat and I thought we managed the game pretty well in seeing it out."
Stoke's Alex Neil:
"I think the game had very little in it. Luton started brighter than us, the goal's disappointing, as we knew what Luton are going to do. They're going to drop out, encourage you to go forward, knock it forward to the front two, win the second ball. We didn't compete well enough, didn't land on it in the middle of the pitch, the lad takes a really good touch out of his feet, gets a strike away and then from that point we end up chasing the game. They were the better side for 30 minutes, for 15 until half-time it evened itself out.
"Second half I thought we were better, we pinned them in, had some opportunities, had two different shouts for penalty. I thought it was harsh in terms of the goal that we scored, there was one in the first half where their lad backed into our goalkeeper and he lets play play on. Then that one happens in the second half and we end up scoring, I'd need to see it back. We had a few moments in the game, I didn't think any team did enough to win, but they got the goal that mattered and ultimately that cost us the game."
