MATCH PREVIEW | FULHAM v LUTON TOWN

Craven Cottage - 7:45pm - Pay on the night - Live on iFollow Hatters

23 October 2019

The Hatters face Scott Parker’s Fulham under the lights at Craven Cottage this evening aiming to win their second game in a row - and a third in five Sky Bet Championship matches.

After an impressive 3-0 home win against Bristol City on Saturday, Town travel to south-west London full of confidence after ending the Robins' ten league game unbeaten run.

With four Championship wins, the Hatters currently occupy 17th position (dropping a place following Millwall's 2-2 draw with Cardiff last night) and are seven places and five points adrift of their counterparts this evening.

Fulham suffered their third loss of the season with defeat at Stoke on Saturday, but remain just two points away from the play-off places.

International supporters will be able to stream and follow the game at Craven Cottage live on iFollow Hatters. Subscribers can also tune into Simon Pitts’ full match commentary as well.

GRAEME JONES SAID:

On Fulham’s chances this season: “There is no way I’m sitting here underestimating Fulham, absolutely no chance. They are a top team, I expect them to get promoted. This is one of the most difficult games of the season going to Craven Cottage.

“I’ve been there with Everton, been there with Wigan and I know from experience as a player, me and Brabs (Gary Brabin) played there together at Craven Cottage years ago, I’ve got total respect for the football club and I’ve got total respect for the manager. The staff and their players are Premier League quality and we need to be ready.”

On Aleksandar Mitrovic and other Fulham threats: “He’s probably the one with the most pedigree. An international, scored Premier League goals, a lot of Premier League goals, and he’s a handful. Cairney the same, the two Reids - you could go on and on. They’ve got some really good players, but so have we. We will go there looking forward to the challenge and we will see what happens."

On manager Scott Parker: “He played with a good friend we share – Stuart Balmer – who was at Charlton a long time and I played with him at Wigan and a few other clubs. Stu always speaks really, really well about Scott. You can see his principles in his teams, how he wants to play. With the ball he wants possession and I’ve got great respect for that. To see somebody want to get on the front foot, score goals and win games, especially a British coach, is refreshing."

WHO?

Relegated from the Premier League last season after beating Aston Villa in the play-off final at Wembley Stadium the campaign prior, Fulham have been FA Cup and Europa League finalists, as well as Football League Division One, Two and Three Champions a total of four times.

WHEN & WHERE?

Kick-off is 7:45pm at Craven Cottage on Wednesday 23rd October.

MAN IN THE MIDDLE

The referee for tonight's game is John Brooks – who has taken charge of ten games this season, dishing out 36 yellow cards in the process.

TICKET INFORMATION

Tickets for this match are sold out.

PLAYED BEFORE?

This match will be the first meeting in almost 20 years between the two teams but the 58th in total.

Luton have won 22 of those, whilst Fulham have the superior record with 28 wins. The two sides have shared seven draws since their first game against each other in 1908.

FOLLOW THE ACTION

The main blow-by-blow action 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:

Twitter – @LutonTown

Facebook – www.facebook.com/LutonTown/

Instagram – www.instagram.com/ltfc_official/

WATCH LIVE ON IFOLLOW HATTERS

As ever, Simon 'Statto' Pitts will be on hand to provide commentary for iFollow Hatters which you can subscribe to by clicking here.

For midweek matches, supporters in the UK and Ireland can watch the live stream along with overseas viewers. To do so, click here to purchase a £10 match pass so you don't miss a kick!

Match Reports

REPORT | FULHAM 3 LUTON TOWN 2

Potts and LuaLua net first of the season, but Town lose out

23 October 2019

The Hatters fell to a narrow 3-2 defeat against Fulham at Craven Cottage despite a promising second half showing.

Aleksandar Mitrovic put the hosts two goals to the good by the 53rd minute, but Dan Potts did get one back for the Hatters on the hour mark to increase the pressure on Fulham during an impressive start to the second half.

Despite gaining momentum, the Serbian forward completed his hat-trick in the 67th minute to make the score 3-1, before Kazenga LuaLua scored his first goal of the season late in added time, to give the Cottagers a nervy end to the game.

After Ivan Cavaleiro had a comfortable effort saved by James Shea in the opening exchanges, the Hatters were next to trouble as Potts got his head to Izzy Brown’s corner, but Marek Rodak saved comfortably.

James Collins came closer to scoring the opening goal as Brown slid the ball through to him, but his stretched effort went just wide of the post.

In the 16th minute after a good spell of Town pressure, Mitrovic gave Fulham the lead with a thumping finish. Cavaleiro found space inside, played the ball to the number nine and he emphatically finished past Shea.

The goalkeeper did his best to keep the Hatters in the game as he made two fine saves from Cavaleiro and Mitrovic just after the 20 minute mark, first with his legs and then a strong parry away from goal.

Brown led the charge to try and get the Hatters back into the contest just after the half-hour mark. He drove forward with pace, set the ball to Collins on the left-hand-side, but uncharacteristically, his first-time effort went over the bar.

The Hatters started the second half brilliantly and had two good chances within the space of five minutes.

Forty seconds after the restart, Cornick hit the side netting after Brown laid the ball off to him. Brown then went close himself, but his deflected effort went just wide of the post.

Similar to their opening goal, Fulham flurried forward after a wave of Luton attacks to go two-nil up.

Knockaert sent the ball down the line to Bobby Decordova-Reid and his quick, first time delivery was tapped home by Mitrovic.

On the hour mark, Luton got a deserved goal back through Potts, his first in just over a year since heading in the injury-time winner at Oxford.

Brown delivered a fantastic free-kick into the box and Potts glanced his header off the surface and into the top corner.

It took seven minutes for the hosts to restore their two-goal advantage as Mitrovic completed his hat-trick, heading home from Joe Bryan’s cross into the box.

The Serbian’s third of the game increased his total for the season to 11 goals, a tally that makes him the Championship’s top goalscorer.

Shea was forced into a good low save to deny Cavaleiro with eight minutes left, before Hatters substitute LuaLua scored a late consolation in added time.

Fellow sub Luke Bolton put a tantalising ball across the box which evaded everyone apart from LuaLua, who stabbed home at the back post.

After trying desperately to get the ball back into the box after the restart, referee John Brooks blew for full-time as Town couldn’t manage successive wins in the Sky Bet Championship despite their excellent efforts to try and do so.

FULHAM: Rodak, Odoi, Mawson, Ream, Bryan, Cairney, Reed (McDonald 85), Decordova-Reid (Johansen 81), Cavaleiro, Knockaert (Onomah 70), Mitrovic. Subs not used: Bettinelli, Le Marchand, Sessegnon, Kamara.

Goals: Mitrovic (16, 53, 67)

Yellows: Cairney

TOWN: Shea, Bree (Bolton 70), Pearson, Cranie, Bradley, Potts, Tunnicliffe, Mpanzu, Brown, Cornick (LuaLua 78), Collins (McManaman 78). Subs not used: Sluga, Shinnie, Jones, Butterfield.

Goals: Potts (60) LuaLua (90)

Referee: John Brooks

Attendance: 18,082 (1,970 Hatters)

Match Reports

Ticket News

AWAY TICKET NEWS | FULHAM

26 September 2019

The Hatters have received a full allocation of 1,970 tickets in the Putney End for their Sky Bet Championship fixture at Fulham on Wednesday 23rd October.

AWAY SEASON TICKET HOLDERS

Supporters who have taken an away season ticket will automatically receive one ticket. These will be processed on Thursday 3rd October. If you are an away season ticket holder and don’t require a ticket, please advise to ticketoffice@lutontown.co.uk before this date.

DIAMOND SEASON TICKET HOLDERS

Tickets will be available to Diamond season ticket holders and executive members at one-per-person from Tuesday 1st October until close of business on Saturday 5^th October. These will need to be ordered from the Ticket Office either in person or via phone on 01582 416976.

SEASON TICKET HOLDERS

Season ticket holders will be able to obtain one ticket per person from Monday 7^th October until close of business on Saturday 12th October – online using your individual client reference numbers and also via phone or in person from the Ticket Office.

GENERAL SALE

Any remaining tickets will be available on general sale from Monday 14^th October online, by phone and in person. They will remain on sale, subject to availability until 3pm on Monday 21^st October.

Prices:

Standard Seating

Adult: £25

Senior (65+): £20

18-21: £20

17 and under: £15

Restricted View

Adult: £23

Senior (65+): £18

18-21: £18

17 and under: £13

Disabled Price (Higher or Middle Rate)

Adult: £12

Senior (65+): £10

18-21: £10

17 and under: £7.50

Carer free of charge.

Luton Town Football Club

Standings

MATCH PREVIEW | FULHAM v LUTON TOWN

REPORT | FULHAM 3 LUTON TOWN 2

AWAY TICKET NEWS | FULHAM