HATTERS WIN SW CHALLENGE CUP
FULL TIME:
Luton Town 3 (Tom Craddock 21, own goal 50, Hall 75)
RRFC Montegnee 1 (Williams 61)
POST MATCH: Tom Craddock has picked up the man-of-the-match award for his goal that put the Hatters ahead on 21 minutes. The striker is then awarded the player of the tournament for his performances during in the week where he notched four goals in three games, including two against Bideford.
90 mins - And now it is over as referee Huxstable calls time on an entertaining 90 minutes of action which ends with the Hatters the proud winners of the South West Challenge Cup.
90 mins - It's almost over here at the Sports Ground as Burgess sees his right-wing corner well held by the goalkeeper.
86 mins - A right-footed shot by Burgess from just outside the box is comfortably gathered by the Montegnee keeper.
85 mins - Hall nearly finishes off a fine move for the Hatters but sees his shot from close range well saved by the goalkeeper. Moments later Gnakpa gets above his marker at the back-post but the ball glances wide.
81 mins - Hall wants another one to add to his tally and following Nicholls' short corner, he gets a head to Burgess' cross but the can only guide the ball narrowly over the crossbar.
77 mins - A vicicious shot from outside the penalty area from Gosling is straight at Edwards and comfortable for the Town keeper.
75 mins - GOAL!
HATTERS 3-1 Montegnee - A simple goal gives the Hatters a 3-1 advantage. Burgess sends across a corner from the right and there's Hall to head unchallenged past the Montegnee keeper from close range. It's the fourth match running in pre-season the Town have notched three goals in a match.
71 mins - Cool and calm defending from Newton, who is playing at right-back out there, averts the danger with a chest back to Edwards after Jamie Gosling whipped in a dangerous right-wing cross.
69 mins - Change from Mick Harford: Adam Watkins is on for Gallen.
68 mins - Talbot's been in good form during this tournament and after hitting the bar in the first half he wants a goal. He takes a pass from Gallen and runs at the Montegnee defence before attempting to curl the ball home but can only see his shot sail well wide of the target.
61 mins - GOAL!
Hatters 2-1 Montegnee - Adam Newton is adjudged to have been leaning on the Montegnee defender and Referee Huxstable awards the Belgian side a free-kick right on the edge of the Town penalty area. Danny Williams, one of the four Englishman on show for the tourists, steps up and curls the resulting set-piece beyond Edwards into the top left-hand corner of the net.
57 mins - Double change for the Town as Asa Hall and Claude Gnakpa are on for Jake Howells and Tom Craddock.
56 mins - The attendance here at the Sports Ground on a sunny evening in Bideford is 331.
55 mins - Great chance for 3-0 but the Hatters are denied by a vital near-post deflection as Burgess flashes a cross for Talbot who sends his shot into the side netting.
50 mins - GOAL!
Hatters 2-0 Montegnee - The Town have doubled their advantage and are now well on their way to lifting the South West Challenge Cup as a Montegnee defender inadvertly slices Ryan Charles right-wing cross past Vreiner from six yards.
46 mins - Newton, Edwards, Burgess and Pilkington are on at the break for the Hatters.
HALF TIME: It's half-time here at the Sports Ground and Tom Craddock's blockbuster is the difference. 45 minutes seperates the Hatters and South West Challenge Cup
45 mins - Tyler does well to hold on to Taylor's inswinging free-kick from the left with plenty of bodies in front of him in the penalty box.
41 mins - The Hatters are indebted to another clearance off the line to keep their lead intact. It's George Beavan to the rescue this time as he clears Taylor's goalbound effort away to safety.
40 mins - Well that would have topped the first effort! Talbot strikes the Montegnee crossbar as he gets a toe to the ball first before his marker. The ball is sent high into the air and whistles down onto the top of the bar. Unluckly.
34 mins - Kevin Gallen's said something to referee Brett Huxstable which warrents the Town man a stern telling off by the official. Seconds later Taylor drives a free-kick from 20 yards straight into the Hatters wall.
30 mins - It's been a quiet 10 minutes or so but the Hatters come ever-so close to doubling their lead. Craddock lofts a pass to Talbot who gets the better of two defenders before rounding the on-rushing goalkeeper. The angle is tight to get a shot away but Talbot does and he sees his low cleared off-the-line by a latch ditch diving clearance by Montegnee's Cypriot left-back Dimitri Stratus.
21 mins - GOAL!
HATTERS 1-0 Montegnee - It's that man Tom Craddock again, that's his fourth goal of the tournament and they don't come more comprehensive that one. Talbot runs down the Town right and spots the striker all alone 12 yards from goal. He swings a boot at it first time and catches it sweetly and it's past the Montegnee keeper before he has a chance to see it. Great goal.
17 mins - Lucky escape for the Town as Montegnee have another chance cleared off the line.
16 mins - The first meaningful effort from the Hatters. The ball runs loose 20 yards from goal which Jake Howells latches on to. The youngster sees a route to goal open up and he goes for goal. His shot looks good but it's deflected taking all the pace off the ball which rolls safely through to Canadian goalkeeper Jordan Vriener.
15 mins - Montegnee are still on top and look lively. They have plenty of pace and skill and that helps Paul Taylor sprint clear of the Hatters defence. However the Englishman can only drag his shot wide of Tyler's right-hand post.
8 mins - Still the Belgians attack and a combination of Mark Tyler and Keith Keane prevent the Hatters from going behind. It's Englishman Jamie Gosling who is twice denied. Firstly he draws a sprawling save the Town keeper before he sees his follow-up hacked off the line by Keane. That was close to 1-0.
4 mins - More brave defending from the Hatters and this time it's the returning Ed Asafu-Adjaye, who gets in front of Heath Creager's shot from 20 yards.
3 mins - Montegnee have started the brighter and a surging run from his own half by right-back Edwin Twesigowne is brought to halt by Alan White's tackle, who was dismissed here on Wednesday.
1 min - It's the Belgian's who get the action underway at a sunny Sports Ground.
17:54 - The two sides are out on the pitch ready to be introduced to members of the Devon FA. The Town are in all white and Montegnee are playing in their traditional red and black striped shirts. We're all set. So sit back and keep visiting lutontown.co.uk for updates from the Sports Ground.
MONTEGNEE TEAM NEWS:
The Montegnee side is a cosmopolitan XI featuring four Englishman in their line-up and only one Belgian.
RRFC Montegnee: Vreiner, Stratus, Wheeldon, Creager, Twesigowne, Calvo, Persad, Gosling, Taylor, Crespin, Williams.
Substitutes: Laurendi, Spivack, Acero Castano, Ampleford, Araujo, Harpur, Martinez Sanchez.
TOWN TEAM NEWS:
Hatters manager Mick Harford makes six changes to the side that started the match at Barnstaple yesterday. In come George Beavan, Ed Asafu-Adjaye, Alan White, Kevin Gallen, Ryan Charles and Drew Talbot.
Luton Town: Tyler, Keane, Beavan, Asafu-Adjaye, White, Gallen, Charles, Nicholls, Talbot, Craddock, Howells.
Substitutes: Roper, Watkins, Edwards, Hall, Burgess, Pilkington, Gnakpa, Newton.
So it's all come down to this...eventually!
Two sides competing for the South West Challenge Cup at Bideford's sports ground and it's the Hatters who take on Royal Racing Montegnee of Belgium.
The Belgian side lost both of their group matches in Group B. An opening 5-0 defeat to League 1 side Yeovil Town was followed by a narrow 1-0 reverse against Grimsby Town.
The side ply their trade in the Belgian Promotion D division which is the fourth tier of the Belgian league system.















