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VENUE Kenilworth Road ATTENDANCE 9,797 REFEREE Richard Beeby (Northamptonshire) MATCH DATE 21 January 2006 KICK OFF TIME 15:00

LUTON TOWN Marlon Beresford   Kevin Foley   Chris Coyne   Markus Heikkinen   Paul Underwood   Carlos Edwards   Enoch Showunmi   Leon Barnett 64   Kevin Nicholls   Ahmet Brkovic   Dean Morgan 75   Steve Howard   Rowan Vine   Warren Feeney 65 SUBS NOT USED David Bell   Dean Brill

QUEEN'S PARK RANGERS Simon Royce   Matthew Rose   Danny Shittu Georges Santos   Marcus Bignot   Andy Taylor 83   Gareth Ainsworth   Stefan Moore 79   Steve Lomas   Richard Langley Lee Cook   Paul Furlong   Shabazz Baidoo   Marc Nygaard 45   SUBS NOT USED Mauro Milanese   Scott Donnelly

Match Report	21 January 2006
Luton Town 2 - 0 Queen's Park Rangers

LUTON TOWN 2 Markus Heikkinen '13 Steve Howard '85  QUEEN'S PARK RANGERS 0 N/A

HAPPY HATTERS BACK TO WINNING WAYS...

Steve Howard scored his 99th Luton Town career goal as he added to man-of-the-match Markus Heikkinen's first-half strike to get Luton back to winning ways against QPR.

Howard was unlucky not to have made it 100 goals during the same game as he saw an effort ruled out just before half-time, while substitute Warren Feeney also had an effort disallowed in the second period for offside.

Heikkinen put the Hatters ahead with a header in the 13th minute, but the R's more than made a game of it as they created opportunities during the match as Luton struggled to control the midfield.

But Howard's goal five minutes from time wrapped things up for the Hatters to make it just two wins in the last 10 League and Cup games for Mike Newell's men as QPR saw an end to their four match unbeaten run.

The result saw Luton leapfrog Rangers and go up to ninth in the table.

The Hatters started with the same team that lost 1-2 in their last encounter; a live Sky defeat at Wolves nine days ago.

That meant Enoch Showunmi continuing in midfield alongside skipper Kevin Nicholls in the absence of the injured Steve Robinson and Peter Holmes.

The Hatters began sharply enough and could have opened the scoring after just three minutes when Kevin Foley saw his angled shot from the right-hand side of the penalty area deflect off Matthew Rose and on to the post before Marcus Bignot cleared away.

QPR soon came back into it though as they took control of the centre of the park and Gareth Ainsworth struck a 20-yard shot wide in the sixth minute after a wayward Nicholls header before Richard Langley struck a free-kick from the edge of the area that was held by Marlon Beresford two minutes later following a Showunmi foul.

Ainsworth threatened again, firing over from 15-yards in the tenth minute after Bignot had beaten Paul Underwood and pulled back from the QPR right.

"But it was Luton who took the lead in the 13th minute"

But it was Luton who took the lead in the 13th minute after a spot of head tennis in the visitors' penalty area after Nicholls corner.

Chris Coyne firstly headed the ball back across goal from the far post, Showunmi then contested an aerial challenge with Danny Shittu before Underwood nodded on for Markus Heikkinen to glance the ball home from close range for his second goal of the season.

Rangers were still finding space through the middle and Lee Cook ghosted past Carlos Edwards and Showunmi in the 21st minute before hitting a bobbling left-footed shot past the post from 25-yards.

Showunmi, who had been finding it difficult to impose himself on the game up until this point, then reminded everyone of his presence as he rose to nod an Underwood corner just wide five minutes later.

The game then passed through in uneventful period with Coyne's shove on the ineffective Shabazz Baidoo, which also took out the referee's assistant being the only highlight.

A minute before half-time, however, Luton thought they had made it 2-0 when Howard rose above ex-Luton loanee Simon Royce in the QPR goal to head home Rowan Vine's hanging cross, but the effort was disallowed for a foul.

There had seemed nothing illegal about the big centre forward's challenge and referee Richard Beeby’s decision saw him leave the field at half-time to a chorus of boos.

The second-half saw QPR gradually take control without really threatening until Georges Santos saw the sting taken out of his shot on the hour as the ball deflected into Beresford's arms after a Cook corner.

Vine almost ran through two minutes later as he ran on to Howard's flick on from Foley's long ball, but dragged his shot tamely wide from 12-yards.

QPR's resulting goal kick saw the visitors attack down the right and Ainsworth reached the by-line and pulled back for Furlong to turn and shoot from six yards only for Beresford to produce an instinctive block.

The Hatters reshuffled as Leon Barnett came on for Showunmi and Feeney replaced Vine.

And Feeney had the ball in the back of the net in the 69th minute after Royce had firstly saved Edwards' 20-yard shot and then Howard's follow up, but the effort was disallowed for offside.

"The introduction of Feeney certainly gave Luton an extra spark up front"

The introduction of Feeney certainly gave Luton an extra spark up front and the Irishman glanced wide from Edwards' 73rd minute cross, then just failed to connect to Howard's 77th minute nod back before unluckily striking wide from close in two minutes later after Edwards' clever quick throw-in.

Newell's Comments	21 January 2006
Luton Town 2-0 Queen's Park Rangers "It might have been more than two decent goals. It was a decent performance but I thought the foul by Steve Howard was a bit harsh to be honest. It has gone out of the game now where you can't compete for the ball when it is up in the air. "As for the second goal which was ruled out, I thought it was because Warren was standing behind the goalkeeper but the referee's assistant said that it was Howie who was offside. It looked like a decent goal but there is nothing you can do. "QPR had a lot of the ball but I though we stood up well. At the end of the day it was a decent result from the lads. "I think the lads have earned a break if you look at the results they have achieved during the first part of the season. It will be the last chance we get to go for a break between now and the end of the season so we are off to Portugal for a few days. "There is no group bonding needed within the squad but I think the lads have earned themselves a break for a few days and hopefully they can relax and recharge the batteries."

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