MATCH PREVIEW | LUTON TOWN v WIGAN ATHLETIC

The Hatters host 22nd-placed Latics at Kenilworth Road tomorrow

6 December 2019

The Hatters face Wigan Athletic tomorrow afternoon in our matchday dedicated to Stonewall's Rainbow Laces campaign, as Graeme Jones’ side look to win successive home games for the first time this season.

After suffering defeat against Brentford on Saturday, Town remain in 21^st position – one place above the Latics.

Wigan are looking to end a run of seven games without a win and get back to winning ways for the first time since October, when they beat Nottingham Forest 1-0.

Three points could take the Hatters up to 19th place, likewise Wigan, the side the Town boss helped win the FA Cup in 2013.

International supporters can stream and follow the game from Kenilworth Road live on iFollow Hatters. Domestic subscribers can tune into Simon Pitts’ full match commentary.

GRAEME JONES SAID

On his Wigan history: “I love Wigan Athletic, I had eight years there as a player and assistant manager. We won League Two there, I won golden boot personally, won an Auto Windscreen Shield there, won an FA Cup there, so I’ve got great history with the football club.

“With the greatest respect to anybody though, I really don’t care who we are playing at the weekend. Luton Town is my football club now and we need a reaction and that’s where all the work has been this week.”

On the game’s importance: “These moments were always going to come, maybe not seven-nil, but we are going to have difficult moments and really we are probably measured on Saturday.

“If we can be together, after everybody is trying to fraction all the groups, and put in a big Luton Town performance, these are the days that keep you in the Championship. We need everybody pulling in the same direction at three o’clock on Saturday, which I have no doubt they will.

“Honestly I don’t care who we are playing next. We need to forget the team and we need a reaction. It’s irrelevant if it was Man United, we need to react, we need to perform and we need to give the supporters something to get behind. So, actually forgetting it’s Wigan and concentrating on our performances is where we are right now.”

WHO?

Currently in their second successive Championship campaign, Wigan spent from 2005 until 2013 in the Premier League. Despite getting relegated in 2013, the Latics beat Manchester City 1-0 to win the FA Cup that season.

The following campaign they finished 4^th in the group stage of the Europa League and reached the FA Cup semi-final, knocked out on penalties by Arsenal.

WHEN & WHERE

Kick-off is 3pm at Kenilworth Road on Saturday 7^th December.

MAN IN THE MIDDLE

The referee for Saturday’s game is Andy Madley – who has taken charge of nine games this season, dishing out 30 yellows and 4 red cards.

TICKETS

Tickets for this match are still available. You can buy them over the phone by calling 01582 416976, in person from the Kenilworth Road ticket office, or online by clicking here

PLAYED BEFORE

The last meeting between the two teams was in 2003 which ended in a 1-1 draw. Wigan narrowly have the better all-time record with five wins compared to Luton’s four, as well as five draws.

FOLLOW THE ACTION

The main blow-by-blow account of the action from Kenilworth Road will be provided via the Match Centre on the club website, which you can access by clicking here.

The main moments from the game will appear on the Hatters’ social media feeds:

RAINBOW LACES

Tomorrow’s fixture is the Hatters’ dedicated matchday in support of Stonewall’s Rainbow Laces campaign, aiming to show that LGBT people are welcome at every level of sport and especially, in our case, here at Kenilworth Road.

The ‘Make Sport Everyone’s Game’ campaign has generated huge support in recent years, and over the past fortnight supporters will have seen various elements of Stonewall’s activity to encourage LGBT equality.

There will be players on the pitch wearing the rainbow laces in their boots tomorrow, the two captains will be sporting the rainbow armbands and the corner flags and substitutes’ board will be changed for the game to depict the colours of the rainbow.

The two captains and match officials will hold a special pennant and several pairs of the laces tied together, as they pose for the traditional pre-match handshake pictures on the centre spot, to show unity in the campaign for LGBTQ equality.

You will have seen that the cover of Our Town, our matchday graphics on social media and the club crest on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram has been altered to depict Luton Town Football Club’s support.

We know that many LGBT people live and breathe football, and that the game should be for everyone. Whether we’re cheering or competing, we are all at our best when we feel part of the team and we can all lead the way by doing little things to be more inclusive.

Together we can make sport everyone’s game.

Anyone who wants to find out more about the Rainbow Laces and Come Out Active campaign should visit www.stonewall.org.uk/rainbowlaces.

You can also find information on social media by searching for #RainbowLaces and #ComeOutActive and @stonewalluk on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Match Previews

Match Reports

MATCH REPORT | LUTON TOWN 2-1 WIGAN ATHLETIC

Moncur returns with last-gasp goal as Town come from behind to win

7 December 2019

The Hatters completed a come-from-behind win in outstanding fashion as substitute George Moncur fired home late on to secure all three points at Kenilworth Road.

Callum McManaman - who also made his appearance coming off the bench - equalised for the hosts with three minutes of normal time, after Kieffer Moore had given the Latics the lead in the first half with a thumping header.

Moncur, who hadn't featured since the Carabao Cup defeat to Leicester in September, was to have the final say though as his close range finish in the dying seconds saw the Town snatch all three points when staring defeat in the face just minutes earlier.

Luke Berry came into the starting XI for his first Championship start in place of the injured Izzy Brown, with Graeme Jones opting to keep the same team from the defeat to Brentford – except for the Chelsea loanee.

The Hatters had two great opportunities in the opening eight minutes with Harry Cornick – making his 100^th appearance for the club – at the heart of both moves. Firstly, playing in Andrew Shinnie who skied an effort from close range, before Ryan Tunnicliffe’s goal-bound effort was cleared off the line by Dujon Sterling, having been picked out by the forward.

After a period of control from the Town, Wigan mustered their first real chance of the game as Chey Dunkley’s header from Lewis Macleod’s cross flew just wide of the bottom left corner.

Matty Pearson went close to grabbing his first goal since nodding in the winner at Blackburn Rovers, as he got on the end of Luke Berry’s free-kick, but sent it over when he really should have hit the target from six yards out with 26 minutes gone.

Kieffer Moore was to put the visitors in the lead after 35 minutes though, as he rose highest to nod into the top left corner in expert fashion from Sterling’s cross against the run of play.

The striker had the opportunity to double the lead and his tally when he again got on the end of Sterling’s low cross, but this time bent his effort narrowly wide of the bottom right corner.

Town had a great opportunity to equalise just six minutes after the restart when Berry brought down goalkeeper Jamie Jones’ poor clearance 25 yards from goal, he shaped to shoot but instead played it to Collins, but the striker fired right at the visiting stopper, who palmed it behind for a corner.

Three minutes later and Tunnicliffe should have opened his goalscoring account for Luton as Cornick picked the midfielder out on the edge of the box, he bent it towards goal, but again it was straight at Jones who was able to make the save.

Substitute Callum McManaman nearly made the perfect impact just two minutes after he came on as he burst through the Wigan midfield, cut it onto his left and bent an effort from 20 yards just wide of the bottom left corner – but the 28-year-old would certainly leave his mark on the game with three minutes to go.

Having completely miss-hit his initial effort, McManaman made no mistake with his second, rolling the ball into the bottom right corner.

Moncur had been brought on with an hour gone and had seen two free-kicks fly straight into the wall, but grabbed the all important winner, as Tunnicliffe’s expert cross fell kindly for the ex-Barnsley man, and he fired into the bottom left corner which sent Kenilworth Road into absolute pandemonium.

The result lifts the Hatters up to 20^th in the table, with 20 points, moving them four points clear of the bottom three.

Town are next in action on Tuesday evening, as they take on Stoke City at the Bet365 Stadium.

Town: Shea, Bree, Pearson, Bradley, Potts (Bolton 20), Tunnicliffe, Mpanzu, Shinnie (Moncur 60), Berry (McManaman 71), Cornick, Collins.

Unused subs: Sluga, LuaLua, Jones, Butterfield.

Yellow: Moncur

Goals: McManaman 87, Moncur 90+3

Wigan: Jones, Robinson, Macleod, Morsy, Pilkington (Massey), Lowe, Garner (Gelhardt 64), Sterling, Mulgrew (Kipre), Moore, Dunkley.

Unused subs: Evans, Windass, Massey, Roberts, Kipre, Gyollai, Gelhardt.

Yellow: Dunkley, Pilkington, Garner

Red: Dunkley

Goal: Moore 35

Referee: Andrew Madley.

Match Reports

Standings