Which means we’re done here. Thanks for your company; peace out.
Here’s Nick Ames’ match report:
Morris says he’s learnt a lot how much stuff like this means to the club, saying he spoke to someone who’s been watching Luton for more than 60 years, so hopes he enjoyed tonight. He doesn’t think his team turned up at the weekend, and is glad they had a chance to put it right tonight. He loves coming to work every day, loves Lockyer, and can’t wait to get involved with the celebrations.
Lockyer, meanwhile, says he thought he’d throw his head at the corner from which he scored and see what happened. He doesn’t think any fans will care that Edwards came from Watford, he allows his players to express themselves and though they were dead on their feet at the end, they hung on. He’s the official player of the match, and earned it ion the grand style, not just for his goal but for his leadership and intensity.
And hold tight Rob Edwards, sacked by Watford, Luton’s rivals, and now going to Wembley. He’s done an incredible job and wasn’t too precious to impose a physical style he knew Sunderland couldn’t handle.
Lockyer, player of the match and then some, says they had to “mix it up” and "be dirty” to beat Sunderland, before the camera cuts out.
It’s all over at San Siro too, Inter winning 1-0 to complete a 3-0 aggregate win. They meet Man City or Real Madrid in the Champions League final.
In the stands, David Pleat and Mick Harford enjoy the moment; this is an incredible achievement by Luton, it really is.
Fans invade the pitch to dance with the players; it’s extremely wholesome. But a word for Sunderland, who’ve had a terrific season; tonight was a game too far, but good things are happening on Wearside, and it’s about time.
Updated
Full time: Luton Town (3) 2-0 (2) Sunderland
Less than a decade ago, Luton were in the Conference; in fewer than three weeks, they might be a Premier League club!
Updated
90+5 min Roberts mooches down the right, this is Sunderland’s last chance … and he pumps a cross right into Horvath’s arms. That is surely it?!
Updated
90+4 min Mpanzu is booked for something or other.
90+3 min But Osho heads away, Lockyer charges over to the line and slams it downfield almost from in the stand, and Drameh races away leading a four on one! all he needs to do is draw Johnson and tee-up whoever he fancies for a tap-in, but instead he shoots himself and a tame effort dribbles past the near post! That was the match right there!
90+3 min But ball down the line sees Huggins charging after it, sliding into a cross that Osho blocks behind for a corner. Up comes Patterson…
90+2 min Lockyer, who’s been an absolute giant, hauls his team up the park – he knows if they keep doing what they’ve been doing, they’re going to Wembley.
90+1 min Now Luton sit back and Roberts finds Clarke, who jinks inside, freeing up Alese on his outside … only to ignore him and look inside where he’s crowded out.
90 min Mchut finds Roberts 25 yards out, he dips inside Nakamba and lamps miles over the top. It’s been that kind of night for Sunderland, who have four minutes to save themselves.
88 min Ach, Clarke finds Diallo 30 yards from goal, but a heavy touch means he’s quickly unloaded. Sunderland have been so poor tonight, but their fans are still giving it plenty, performing footballing defiance in the traditional manner.
86 min Sunderland have had 605 of the ball – it doesn’t feel like that – and 37 v 11 touches in the opposing box, in favour of Luton, better explains what we’ve seen and why the score is as it is.
Updated
85 min This is sobering, and given the money sloshing about the game, totally unnecessary.
The latest winding up petition by HMRC against Southend United will be heard tomorrow, at some point after 11:30am
— Thomas Feaheny (@ThomasFeaheny) May 16, 2023
84 min A nice touch from Morris, flicking his foot to send the ball behind him for Mpanzu to run onto, but O’Nien is there to see away.
83 min Luton are seeing this out pretty comfortably – so far – and bring on Campbell for Clark.
Updated
81 min “Can the pitch size make that much of a difference?” wonders Joe Pearson. “I have the Milan Derby on another screen, and San Siro is 114 X 74. Kenilworth Road is 110 X 72. Frankly, that’s not that much different. The respective camera angles sure make it look smaller, but effectively that doesn’t really seem that material. But what do I know, I’ve never kicked a ball.”
I think it’s enough to make a difference, because Lurton’s wide centre-backs can stay narrow knowing they can get out if they have to, and the wing-backs are able to drop in if necessary . If they’re even a couple of metres further away, it’s much harder to do.
79 min “Can we please talk about club colours,” beseeches Julian Menz. “Luton’s ‘orange’ has become so red that it would take an out-of-work TV interior designer (Lawrence?) to spot the difference. Not to mention Wolves, whose ‘old gold’ seems to have become Watford yellow. Nitpicking I know, but still….”
I don’t think Wolves have played in old gold for decades, but Luton, once upon a time, played in white – and I agree, this is not very orange.
78 min Two more changes for Sunderland: Huggins and Ba on, Gooch and Neil off.
76 min Luton have been so physically dominant they’ve not sat back to protect their lead as I thought they might. If they keep doing what they’re doing, it’s hard to see them losing their lead.
75 min But they win a free-kick down the left, Neil to swerve in … except he scuffs into the wall then, as Sunderland try to sustain the attack, Amad beats his man only to slip immediately afterwards.
74 min Bit of Sunderland possession, but they can’t pick a pass through Luton who are, as we thought, blocking up the middle of the pitch. They’ve run out of ideas, and with 15 to go are already in Hail Mary territory.
Updated
73 min At San Siro, Lautaro Martinez has finished the tie and given us a proper climbing the terraces celebration. Inter will play in the Champions League final, against either Man City or Real Madrid.
71 min I hate to say it, but Sunderland might need to take a leaf out of Luton’s book, because doing it their way isn’t getting them close to close. It’s too late now, but it might’ve made sense to keep Gelhardt on, get Michut up with him, and get the ball forward quickly.
69 min Sunderland just can’t get any momentum, Luton pinning, crowding and hustling. And when Roberts sashays down the right, Osho upends him fairly, thrashing clear.
68 min I’m not sure Luton will be as effective if they make it to Wembley – Boro could easily pass around them if they see off Coventry and play properly – but I could see them winning enough home points to stay up if things went very very well .
66 min Luton are just too physical for Sunderland, especially on a tight pitch. Mpanzu bustles through a couple of challenges then wins a free-kick 40 yards out, so the big lads got forward. This time, though, O’Nien makes definitive contact and heads into touch.
64 min Sunderland try something different, Michut replacing Gelhardt – whose enticing ruckus with Lockyer never quite materialised.
63 min Now it’s Rpoberts in attack, skirting across Clark before Osho makes the challenge.
62 min Again, the delivery is excellent – Clark is a bad man – and Adebayo meets it well, but again Roberts does superbly to head away, this time from on the line! I keep saying it, but I can’t see how Sunderland score and don’t concede.
61 min Again, the delivery is excellent, and Roberts does superbly to head behind from under the bar.
60 min Mpanzu into Morris, who slides in Adebayo at inside-right and is he in?! No! Alese charges alongside and does just enough to make the tackle without conceding a penalty, but Luton do have a corner.
59 min Amad draws in Nakamba and spins him, only to pass directly to Doughty. Sunderland really need to find a way of getting him on the ball more often.
57 min Change for Sunderland, Pritchard – who’s carrying a knock from the first leg – replaced by Alese. Hell go to left-back with Gooch moving to right and Roberts into midfield.
56 min Sunderland again clear the corner only to concede another, and this time Mpanzu pins the keeper before Adebayo heads over the top. I get the feeling that Sunderland might need two to get penalties, because Luton look good for another set-piece goal.
54 min The away end are getting behind their team now, and Sunderland are starting to dominate possession. And provided Luton don’t score again, that may continue, as the home side opt to hold what they have … but in the meantime, they win a corner swarming Sunderland as they play out with Drameh making the key intervention.
53 min O’Nien carries forward but Clarke’s pass to Gooch, nashing on his outside, is needlessly heavy, so the eventuating cross is on the stretch and from the line, so easily cleared.
51 min Sunderland are already looking more likely, and let’s not forget that just last week, they devastated Preston 3-0 after going in goalless at half-time. Luton, though, will not offer them similar space, and they’ve still to create an open-play opportunity.
Updated
50 min “I like to think that Eric Morecambe is currently watching and being very happy at the moment,” tweets Chris Rowe. That’s a more comforting thought than considering some of Luton’s 80s types.
49 min Now Luton surge forward, Drameh crossing and Adebayo volleying into his own leg and into the ground. This has got some tempo about it, and I doubt it’s getting any less frantic.
Updated
48 min Sunderland win a corner and take it short along the by-line to Amad, who sways inside then wiggles outside Doughty, his cross deflected behind. So in comes another cross and it’s Big Amad up, heading wide of the near post.
46 min Goodness me! O’Nien totally misses his kick, Sunday League hungover-style, but Patterson is there ahead of Morris … only to kick straight at Clark … who shanks his shot wide of the near post! Absolutely dreadful behaviour all round.
46 min We go again. Sunderland must score, and there are no away goals.
Half-time viewing:
At San Siro it’s 0-0 on the night, 2-0 Inter on aggregate.
Half-time: Luton Town (3) 2-0 (2) Sunderland
A frantic, intense half, with the score reflecting the balance of play.
45+2 min Here’s Clarke down the left, he crosses, and from the edge, Amad miskicks a volley into the ground.
45+1 min I wonder if Sunderland will think about going into Gelhardt early, getting men around him, and going form there. They’re struggling to find the spaces, so perhaps they just need to get their better players on the ball and take it from there.
45 min We’ll have two additional minutes.
44 min I think it’s 31 games since Sunderland failed to score, so we can expect them to tonight; problem is, they just don’t look able to stop Luton winning set-pieces, never mind defend them.
GOAL! Luton (3) 2-0 (2) Sunderland
Sunderland get the first ball away, but only to the edge, and it quickly goes back to Doughty who, now with an angle, bends in a glorious flat, quick ball which Lockyer meets on the run, punishing a header beyond Patterson! My god he wanted that, and Luton are flying!
Updated
42 min Drameh, who’s been quiet, advances down the right, crosses, and O’Nien blocks behind. Another corner, Adebayo and Morris stood on Patterson…
40 min Morris overruns the ball and, as Neil slides in, tramples on his ankle and calf. Somehow, the ref appraises not even a yellow card and a free-kick to Luton – Neil is less than gruntled – meaning another chance for them to stick a ball into the box … but Roberts is there to head clear. That could easily have been a red, and not even of the seenemgiven variety.
Updated
38 min Clark feed a ball in behind for Adebayo, who cant make anything of it. Nonetheless, Luton look the more likely again, their rampaging style allowing them to get the ball into dangerous areas more often than Sunderland. I wonder if Mowbray will change something at half-time, because his side are struggling to create currently.
37 min Morris lays off nicely for Adebayo, but out of nowhere, Roberts slides in to make a fine recovery challenge just inside the box. That had to be perfect and it was.
Updated
35 min There’s almost something nostalgic about watching Luton – in a way they’re not unlike 80s Wimbledon, turning games into physical contests. I’d be interested to see how that worked in the Prem, because most defenders aren’t used to facing two strikers, never mind two like Morris and Adebayo.
31 min In comes another decent corner and Morris is up, glancing a header towards the far post … and it looks like Patterson sees it late! But have a look! He plunges to his right and prangs it away with a strong arm, then when Adebahyo recovers possession, Lockyer heads just past the for post! These set-pieces are causing Sunderland all sorts, and there’s not loads they can do to stop them from happening.
30 min Abebayo draws O’Nien out wide and after a scrap for the ball, forces by on the outside. So O’Nien hauls him back and is booked, while Luton have a free-kick down the right, not far outside the box…
29 min Sunderland haven’t really created anything yet, and ultimately, it’s easier for Luton to put them under by lamping it forward, than it for them to do the reverse, as it requires more successful passes.
27 min Doughty progresses down the left and flicks square to Ruddock, who lines up a shot only for Hume to hurl himself at the block. The alacrity with which players do that will never cease to amaze me.
26 min Amad taxes possession off Bell and bursts off then leathers a shot that Lockyer blocks at source. Everything good Sunderland are doing is coming through him – Pritchard and Clarke have been quiet so far.
24 min That’s the thing, really: Luton can cause havoc simply by sticking the ball into the box, and it’s very hard for Sunderland to stop them from doing just that.
22 min And as I clip that, here come Luton, pumping the ball into the box, and when Patterson flaps at the cross, Morris heads goalwards, forcing O’Nien then Hume to hump off the line.
[A previous post was removed on 16 May 2023 as it contained a link to potentially inappropriate material]
Updated
19 min Amad drills low and hard from the left, missing everyone in the box, then Roberts, backing up, drills back the other way. Sunderland have responded pretty well to conceding.
18 min Lockyer leaves one on Gelhardt and there’s minor shoving. It’s a great contest this, and if we’re lucky we might just get the kind of scenes that no wants to see.
18 min Gooch runs away from clark down the left, so cCark trips him, playground-style. He’s booked.
17 min Sunderland only got an allocation of 950 for this game, so a mate who’s gone could only take one of his sons. The seven-year-old was persuaded to stay at home with the offers of bolognese and cake, which sounds a decent win.
15 min This is lively now, Nakamba driving a lush pass out to Doughty down the right, catching Roberts out, but the volleyed cross is well held by Patterson.
13 min Almost! Roberts swings in and Ekwah is there at the near post, flashing a header that Horvath beats away superbly … but Ekwah seizes onto the loose ball, crossing, and it hits Bell on the hand! No penalty says the ref, and I think that’s right; there was no movement of arm to ball, and it wasn’t in an unnatural position.
Updated
12 min There’s no reason to think Luton won’t create a few more chances very similar to that one, but in the meantime Sunderland have a corner of their own down the right. Can they make it count?
GOAL! Luton (2) 1-0 (2) Sunderland (Osho 10)
A good, inswinging cross, Lockyer makes sure he gets first contact, craning downwards and knocking the ball into the path of Osho, who needs to bites at it but lashes home from three yards. We have lift off!
Updated
10 min Bit of Luton pressure, Morris into Adebayo. He can’t make anything happen but his team sustain the attack and win a corner down the left…
8 min Amad chases one and trips over Osho, who was facing the other way. Again, no foul, but he’s starting to cause minor problems.
7 min Sunderland are trying to play out from the back, brave given Luton will step onto them and, on a narrow pitch, have less space to cover. They get the ball into Diallo though, who appears on the left and flicks to no one.
6 min Backwards and forwards goes the ball, no one able to find time on it.
Updated
4 min Gooch clears weakly and Morris spreads, but when Doughty zips across the face of the box, Gelhardt muscles through him and Sunderland counter, Amad going down in the box when he runs at Nakamba and Bell, trying to nip between them like a man racing onto a Tube as the doors close. He forlornly appeals for a penalty, but the ref is having no such thing and rightly so.
3 min Clarke runs at Gooch but quickly runs out of pitch. The game hasn’t settled yet, a sequence of humps and skews – which probably isn’t far off what Luton are after.
2 min Gelhardt catches Lockyer waiting on a ball to drop and barges him out of it, but Lockyer does just enough to win the free-kick.
1 min Kenilworth Road is perhaps the most higgledy-piggledy in the country, but when you’re this close to the pitch you can forget about aesthetics because you’re there.
1 min Away we go!
Another little tussle going on tonight – join Michael Butler and follow that one.
“I’ve lived here all of my life and been a Sunderland season ticket holder for 30+ years of it,” tweets Jen O’Neill, “and I don’t know anyone who would talk like that that isn’t from the north of Newcastle or Northumberland! It’s a quite guttural Toe-knee. Love your work, just me & me fam were confused!”
Yes, it was pointed out to me by a Mackem mate (he’s there tonight) who grew up in Newcastle. I wondered if it was specific to there, but wasn’t sure so went with the general. I have learnt.
And here they come! Kenilworth Road is buzzing.
Our teams are tunnelled. It’s tight in there…
“The Football Weekly Derby!” hollers Joe Pearson. “OK, so Glendenning and Wilson are Sunderland supporters, but Faye Carruthers is a Luton fan. So 2-1 Sutherland, just like the current score. Let’s get it on!”
That was a dreadful game, but I was at an even worse one at the Stade de Lit in October 2004 on my way to watch Man United at Ibrox. That was against Rotherham, finished 0-0, and is either up there or down there with the most dreadful I’ve ever seen.
Just to be clear, I don’t know that kind of thing about everyone, more’s the pity; I was just there that night hanging about with a couple of mates one of whom supports Watford and the other Sunderland. I think Sunderland won 1-0.
Kevin Phillips is pitchside for Sky, which reminds me of a perfect usage for a footballing “ironically”, so here goes: Kevin Phillips made his full debut for Watford in 1995 – ironically, against Sunderland.
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“Interesting to see how Sunderland’s wide players get on with the lack of space tonight,” emails Alan Johnson in Sunderland. “Amad and Roberts especially link well. Whereas Clarke is used to running into space. Expect them to attack down the right more than the left.”
Yup, I think Sunderland will be wanting those two to gang up on Drameh, but as you say on a narrow pitch the space for that might be harder to arrange.
Tom Lockyer says Luton always bounce back after defeats and they will tonight; Rob Edwards concedes Sunderland have an advantage, but is confident his players can produce.
Mowbray knows his side will have to defend long balls and set-plays, but his team will look to get the ball down, play through midfield, and attack. He wants to get his wide attackers one-on-one, and to start fast.
Dan O’Neil, meanwhile, notes that you don’t get many chances to play in the Premier League, which reminds us, as if we needed any such thing, just what this means to those charged with our entertainment.
Both league games between the sides finished 1-1 while, this time last year, Luton were losing 2-1 on aggregate to Huddersfield in a tie they’ll think they should’ve won, while Sunderland were beating Wednesday by the same score before seeing off Wycombe at Wembley.
Funny thing is, Luton’s formation necessarily forces Sunderland to go wide by bottling up the middle of the pitch. Against most teams, that makes a lot of sense, because it takes the ball away from the goal. I’m not sure how well it’ll work tonight, though.
Luton will, I’m sure, be seeking to take advantage of Sunderland’s defensive situation. Their two up front could almost be designed to bully Hume and O’Nien, problem being their wing-back formation could leave them outnumbered out wide. In particular, Roberts and Amad down the Sunderland right could mean a lot of trouble for Cody Drameh and Gabriel Osho.
I say these arrangements of what they have available because Sunderland’s back four is makeshift to say the least. Patrick Roberts is a winger and Lynden Gooch is a winger or wing-back, while Luke O’Nien and Trai Hume aren’t exactly specialist centre-backs. However, in attack they can damage any team, so the role of Pierre Ekwah and Dan Neil in protecting the men behind them and feeding those in front will be crucial.
Both those sides are unchanged, which makes sense. Both managers are happy with these arrangements of what they have available.
Let's have some teams...
Luton Town (3-5-2): Horvath; Osho, Lockyer, Bell; Drameh, Ruddock, Nakamba, Clark, Doughty; Morris, Adebayo. Subs: Shea, Potts, Berry, Burke, Campbell, Onyedinma, Taylor.
Sunderland (4-2-3-1): Patterson; Roberts, Hume, O’Nien, Gooch; Neil, Ekwah; Diallo, Pritchard, Clarke; Gelhardt. Subs: Bass, Lihadji, Ba, Anderson, Michut, Alese, Huggins.
Preamble
Oh man, how not to love the playoffs. Games split by days not a week, a whole year’s work on the line, and wildness almost guaranteed. It doesn’t happen often, but the football authorities do, occasionally, make decent decisions – though, let’s be real, if the side finishing fourth-bottom of the Prem were in this fighting for survival, this would be even more exciting.
Luton are a ridiculous story, in the Conference as recently as 2013-14 following a 30 point deduction for financial irregularities – on the part of owners who should never have been allowed to buy the club – sent them down in 2008-09. Since then, though, they’ve got shot of bad owners and returned to the family ethos that served them so well in the 80s, steadily improving to arrive at this point and still playing in their division’s smallest, most archaic ground. They’re expecting to go up this season but if they don’t, they plan to soon..
Sunderland, meanwhile, a Premier League club in all but name, were only promoted into the Championship last season – ending a Wembley hoodoo in the process –and will be as surprised as they are delighted to find themselves in this position. And for that, credit must go to Terrknee Merrbrehy, who not only has the best name to say in a north-eastern accent but has cobbled together a team of youthful intensity and innocent enterprise that it’s impossible not to enjoy. If they don’t go up now, they could run away with it next season
Saturday’s first leg was an extremely enjoyable affair, Luton the better side early on and well worth their early lead, just as Sunderland more than earned their eventual 2-1 win. Given their lack of defenders, though, there’s every chance the home side overturn the deficit … but given their surfeit of attackers, it’s equally likely they put the tie away. This is going to be great.
Kick-off: 8pm BST
