That’s all from me. Here’s the match report again. Bye!
Luton came back from a goal down to take a point off Everton and keep their hopes of Premier League survival alive
Fri 3 May 2024 17.32 EDT
First published on Fri 3 May 2024 14.07 EDTLive feed
Here are Rob Edwards’ thoughts:
Right now I feel disappointed. We had to win this game. We’re still in this fight. But we gave everything to try and win it. I’m tinged with disappointment right now because the three points were huge tonight.
Certainly. It’s been that way for a while now. You can’t guarantee winning at any level, never mind the Premier League. Well done to Everton, I thought they played well. But we showed a lot of character, quality at times as well. It was almost, and we’ve had a lot of those this year.
It doesn’t look great for Luton, in terms of survival, but for them to even be in the conversation in May is unexpected. They’ve had everything against them this season, but they’ve approached it the right way and made plenty of friends. It won’t be much of a consolation if they do go down, but it’s something.
“I’ve always said this about holding shirts, you’ve got to know when to let go,” says Jamie Carragher of the penalty incident. Gary Neville then demonstrates the limits of acceptable interference by repeatedly barging Carragher.
Here’s Elijah Adebayo’s post-match thoughts:
Here’s Jacob Steinberg’s match report from Kenilworth Road:
Every point counts, but this one is unlikely to be enough for Luton Town. When the story of the 2023-24 Premier League season comes to be told, it is likely that they will look back with regret when they remember the night when they failed to find a way past a negative, limited Everton side.
Of course, nobody inside Kenilworth Road could quibble with the level of Luton’s spirit and desire. There was also a lovely equalising goal from Elijah Adebayo, whose strike cancelled out Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s early opener, and there were periods when Rob Edwards’s team looked capable of breaking Everton down. The pressure was relentless during the second half. Tahith Chong, who never stopped running, was outstanding.
Yet the awkward fact facing Luton is that this failure to beat Everton, whose safety is already assured, makes it one win from 15 games and meant they missed a chance to go out of the bottom three. They are level on points with Nottingham Forest, who have a superior goal difference, but it is hard to see a way out. Forest can go three points clear when they visit Sheffield United.
Much more here:
The key fixtures in the relegation scrap:
Luton Town
11 May: West Ham (a)
19 May: Fulham (h)
Nottingham Forest
4 May: Sheffield United (a)
11 May: Chelsea (h)
19 May: Burnley (a)
Burnley
4 May: Newcastle (h)
11 May: Tottenham (a)
19 May: Nottingham Forest (h)
The bottom of the table looks like this. It is ever so close, but Luton remain 18th.
Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|
16 | Brentford | 35 | -8 | 35 |
17 | Nottm Forest | 35 | -20 | 26 |
18 | Luton | 36 | -29 | 26 |
19 | Burnley | 35 | -32 | 24 |
20 | Sheff Utd | 35 | -63 | 16 |
Final score: Luton 1-1 Everton
90+8 mins: And nearly a last-second goal! The ball drops to Townsend, whose low shot from the edge of the area is on its way in, with Pickford nowhere, until Branthwaite throws out a leg to deflect it wide. And that’s the last kick of the game!
90+7 mins: That’s headed away too, but then Sambi Lokonga is fouled and Luton have what is surely now a final chance, from a left-wing free kick.
90+7 mins: Close! Berry’s overhead hit is on target, but hits a defender before the net. Another corner!
90+6 mins: Woodrow crosses, Berry flicks on, and Pickford turns wide. Another corner, and Kaminski is going up for it.
90+5 mins: A low, feeble 25-yarder from Mengi is picked up by Pickford. There’ll probably be a bonus minute of stoppage time because of those corner-based shenanigans.
90+4 mins: Luton win a free-kick, just inside their own half. Rob Edwards waves everyone up, and Kaminski takes it long. Everton win the header.
90+3 mins: The refere blows his whistle as the ball comes in and has a word with Sambi Lokonga. Then Andre Gomes is booked for complaining about something, a development which he complains about.
90+2 mins: The more desperate they have been to score, the less they have looked like scoring. They are currently extremely desperate, and Everton have a corner.
90+1 mins: There will be six minutes of stoppage time, of thereabouts.
87 mins: Another Luton sub: Chong goes off, and Luke Berry comes on.
85 mins: Woodrow hits a shot well over the bar from an unlikely distance. Time is running out, and those kinds of efforts are a sign of desperation rather than ambition.
84 mins: Everton break, they play the ball into space down the left and Beto gets to it, tries to run straight through Osho and falls over. At one point Osho did have a fistful of shirt, but he didn’t seem to tug it and the referee fails to find a foul.
83 mins: Now Barkley stings Pickford’s palms with a 25-yarder, which is firmly struck but too close to the keeper.
81 mins: Everton have played poorly in the second half, but for all Luton’s corners and greater attacking commitment Pickford hasn’t had to do much, while Kaminski has had to make two excellent saves.
79 mins: A substitutional pause, as both goalscorers leave the field. For Everton Calvert-Lewin and Gueye go off, Beto and Chermiti come on. Luton bring Andros Townsend on, and take Adebayo off.
77 mins: Super stop! Everton attack, and from a right-wing cross McNeil heads back to Calvert-Lewin, who leaps high above two defenders and thumps a header goalwards, but Kaminski turns it over the bar!
76 mins: Another Luton corner, their fifth of the half. It falls to Barkley, who thumps a shot into a defender’s legs.
74 mins: Chong has the ball on the right, with Woodrow running through the middle and Edebayo completely unmarked further left. He tries to find the former, overhits his pass, and Pickford collects.
71 mins: Luton bring Woodrow on for Onyedinma. They need to score at least once while not conceding, and they’ve got 20 minutes to do it.
69 mins: Everton go close now! Harrison’s shot deflects off Osho and loops towards the top corner, but Kaminski turns it past the post!
67 mins: Another Luton corner, this one conceded by Harrison, who throws out a boot just as Doughty appears to have escaped him. Everton bring Coleman on for Young before it’s taken.
66 mins: Tarkowski heads the corner away but it’s worked back to Doughty and this time he finds the head of Barkley, who heads over the bar. And probably a bit wide of it as well.
65 mins: Chong wins another corner. The law of averages might decide to get involved soon.
63 mins: Luton win a free-kick, but again their cross is cleared.
62 mins: Now the home side have a corner. The volume from the crowd goes up a notch. The corner is cleared, but Luton are having a moment.
60 mins: Luton work space well, but Onyedinma’s cross isn’t good enough and Everton clear.
57 mins: Everton appear to have been told at half-time that they should calm down a bit.
54 mins: Everton take Doucoure and Garner off, and bring Onana and Andre Gomes on.
54 mins: From the free-kick Doughty crosses, and Mengi heads over.
53 mins: Chong is tripped from behind by Gueye. Just before the contact Chong gave the ball away, but just after it Luton had a free-kick, and Gueye a yellow card.
51 mins: Osho nudges the ball onto his right foot and shoots wide, but close enough for Pickford to fling himself at it just to be sure.
49 mins: Luton eventually do get the ball into the penalty area, but the only thing seriously threatened is Ashley Young’s head, after Morris heads that rather than the ball.
47 mins: Neither penalty area has been threatened yet.
46 mins: Peeeeep! Everton start the second half.
The players are on their way back out already. Andros Townsend has been warming up at half-time, and if he isn’t being introduced quite yet it surely won’t be long.
I think the answer to this question is: not very, because the ball wasn’t going in, and if he’d missed it Everton would have had a goal kick.
Half time: Luton 1-1 Everton
45+6 mins: Just before the break Doughty sends in another good cross from the left, which is headed down and then cleared by Godfrey. Everton run down the other end, but the attempted pass to Calvert-Lewin is overhit, and runs out of play. And that’s the end of half one!
45+4 mins: Morris has a shot that zips narrowly wide of the far post. It’s been a very open game, this. Flashes of good play, but both teams wasting no time in getting the ball forward.
45+2 mins: Harrison’s cross is deflected headed by Mengi into the back of Osho, and deflects just wide of goal!
45+1 mins: The first of six minutes’ stoppage time, and Doughty’s shot is easily saved by Pickford. It’s the first shot on target that hasn’t gone in.
44 mins: The free-kick is pumped into the penalty area, headed down and Tarkowski sends it squirming across the six-yard area, from where it’s booted clear.