Luton Town Football Club

A terrific turnaround from the Hatters youth team saw them progress to the second round of the FA Youth Cup after going a goal down midway through the first half at the Hive.

Ephron Mason-Clark missed a penalty for the hosts just before Greg Adinna opened the scoring. A brace from George Murray and a late finish from Freddie Hinds put the game out of reach of the Bees as Paul Driver’s side got over their weekend defeat against Leyton Orient in style.

The Hatters had the better of the opening exchanges, as Hinds’ attempted bicycle-kick after five minutes didn’t quite come off, and his header from a Kavan Cotter free-kick a minute later flew just over the crossbar. 

Ciaren Jones brought a halt to what looked like a real chance for the hosts, as Daniel Cheema burst into the Hatters box from the right. His following strike from ten yards out was superbly blocked though by Jones as Barnet grew into the game after fifteen minutes.

That pressure showed as Tyreeq Bakinson was adjudged to have brought down Mason-Clark in the Hatters box after 23 minutes. 

It was the striker who lined it up from 12 yards, but he smashed it wide to the left of Lewis Todd’s goal to keep the game goalless. 

It was a let off for the Hatters, but Barnet struck moments later to take the lead, Adinna heading home from a cross on the right-hand side. It was made more impressive by the fact the ball was slightly behind him, but the hosts' striker managed to nod it past Todd from eight yards.

Murray thought his 20-yard effort had brought things level, but it cannoned back off the crossbar after 35 minutes. 

He made amends a minute later as home keeper Charlie Busby kept out Snelus’ drive from the edge of the box, but the keeper could only force it into the path of Murray five yards out and he smashed it in to draw the match level.

A Snelus free-kick should have yielded a second goal and the lead for the Hatters as it was perfectly struck into the Barnet box, but it just avoided the head of Mead and bounced over the onrushing Murray and out for a goal-kick.

The Hatters had all but turned their back on play in acceptance of taking the lead, as Read put Hinds through one-on-one with Busby, but the keeper denied the striker well from 12 yards just before the break.

Cotter whipped a free-kick into the Barnet box from the right three minutes into the second half, Bakinson met it and the ball struck the crossbar, but referee Christopher Wicks deemed the 18-year-old to be impeding his marker. 

Murray doubled his tally for the night just before the 70th minute with another blast from close range. After sustained pressure from the visitors, Jack James crossed from the left, the defender missed his header to clear and Murray was there to collect and fire into the net to give Town the lead for the first time in the match.  

Hinds continued to hassle the Barnet backline and on several occasions he troubled Busby. The man between the sticks’ effort was in vein though, as the striker eventually left his trademark on the game in the final minute of normal time, as he fired past Busby from just inside Barnet’s penalty area to seal the win.