Report: Luton Town 2-1 Iron

The Iron were defeated 2-1 by Luton Town in their last pre-season friendly.

Scunthorpe took the lead at Kenilworth Road through Paddy Madden during the first-half, but Luton quickly responded with an equaliser courtesy of James Collins’ penalty kick.

Towards the end of the game, the Hatters found their winner from right-back Jack Stacey, who slotted the ball into the back of the net from outside of the box.

New loan signing Devonte Redmond came on during the second-half for his first appearance for the Iron since joining from Manchester United on Friday evening.

The first sighting of goal fell to the Iron inside four minutes when Kevin van Veen found some space, but he sent his curling right-footed shot over the bar from the left corner of the box.

In the 14th minute, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu showed strength to get past Funso Ojo and continued to drive forward for Luton, before sending his effort high and wide from 25 yards out.

Luton then had another long-range shot fly over the bar minutes later from Andrew Shinnie, after he received a pass from the left-hand side.

However, it was Scunthorpe who broke the deadlock through striker Madden in the 18th minute. A pass forward from Cameron Burgess found Hakeeb Adelakun who beat his man in the area and forced a save from Marek Stech, but the rebound fell to the Irishman who was ready to tap it home and make it 1-0.

Three minutes later and the Hatters drew level from the penalty spot to make it 1-1. Collins stroked the ball into the left-hand corner, sending Matt Gilks the wrong way.

The penalty was won after Isaac Vassell was played through and tripped by Burgess. However, there was confusion before the referee awarded the spot-kick, with him unsure if the foul was committed inside the Iron’s area or outside.

In the 27th minute, United won themselves a free-kick after Neal Bishop was brought down. Full-back Conor Townsend took it, but his curled effort went wide of the right post.

The hosts had the next chance of the game when Alan Sheehan played a ball forward along the ground, which was dummied by Mpzanu and found its way to Shinnie, yet his weak effort was dragged wide from the edge of the box.

Moments later, Gilks made a great stop with his feet to deny Vassell. The Luton forward got on the end of Alan McCormack’s fantastic throughball, but was unable to put his side ahead.

On the 40th minute, Scunthorpe counter-attacked with Adelakun, after Vassell cheaply gave the ball away on the halfway line, and he fed through van Veen on the left but his strike was comfortably saved by Stech.

One minute later, McCormack sent a powerful driven shot into the hands of Gilks. The defensive midfielder was given the opportunity after Mpanzu laid it off to him, but his effort was too central to be of real concern to the visitor’s goalkeeper.

Within the first couple of minutes of the second-half starting, the Iron had an early chance. Jordan Clarke played through van Veen on the right wing, who got in a cross for Madden, but his header went wide.

In the 53rd minute, Luton had a free-kick in a fairly dangerous position. Sheehan took it and got it over the wall, but Gilks dived to his right to make a simple save.

Luton then had another chance this time from open play. Shinnie wriggled through and gave the ball to Vassell on the left side, but his low, powerful strike was brilliantly stopped by the legs of Gilks.

Scunthorpe were nearly gifted a goal in the 63rd minute after Stech came racing out of his box to clear Josh Morris’ lifted pass through, but the goalkeeper scuffed his clearance with the ball falling to Madden, however his lobbed effort bounced over the empty goal.

In the 74th minute, the hosts had a golden opportunity excellently saved by Gilks’ legs. The ball got through to Stacey and from the six yard box he couldn’t give them the lead.

The Iron then had a chance for themselves up the other end. Jonathon Margetts struck a shot towards the front post but Stech got down quickly to strongly save, pushing it out for a corner.

On the 78th minute, Olly Lee delicately played through Mpzanu, but his shot was parried away by Gilks to Stacey, who couldn’t get a clean connection on his volley.

However, Stacey did manage to find the back of the net not long after to put Luton 2-1 up. His left-footed effort was smashed into the bottom right corner from 20 yards.

That proved to be the last real action of the game with United losing their last pre-season friendly.

TEAM LINE-UPS
Luton Town: Stech, Stacey, Cuthbert, Sheehan, Potts, McCormack (Olly Lee, 65), Mpanzu, D’Ath (Rea, 85), Shinnie (Cook, 71), Collins, Vassell (Elliot Lee, 71).
Substitutes not used: Shea, Rea, Gambin, Mullins, Senior.

Scunthorpe United: Gilks, Clarke (Sutton, 89), Townsend (Morris, 46), Wallace, Ojo, Madden, van Veen (Margetts, 65), Bishop (Redmond 65), Adelakun (Holmes, 65), Burgess (Goode, 46) , McArdle.
Substitutes not used: Watson, Hopper, Wootton.

Attendance: 1,735 (93 away).