This match report was kindly provided courtesy of the superb Luton Town news Website www.lutontoday.co.uk.  Lutontoday.co.uk kindly allow us to use their match reports, and, as Hatters fans, we'd urge you to check out their excellent Website, which always contains up-to-date Luton Town news, views and match reports.  The photos are also with the kind permission of Luton Town Football Club and their excellent photographer Gareth Owen.

VENUE Pride Park ATTENDANCE 28,499 REFEREE Richard Beeby (Northamptonshire) MATCH DATE 20 April 2007 KICK OFF TIME 19:45

DERBY COUNTY Stephen Bywater   Marc Edworthy   Dean Leacock   Lewin Nyatanga   James McEveley   Gary Teale   Stephen Pearson 73   Matthew Oakley   David Jones   Darren Currie   Arturo Lupoli 65   Steve Howard   Giles Barnes   Craig Fagan 80   SUBS NOT USED Tyrone Mears   Lee Grant

LUTON TOWN Dean Brill   Kevin Foley   Chris Coyne   Leon Barnett   Lewis Emanuel   Stephen O'Leary   Richard Langley 73   Markus Heikkinen   Matthew Spring   David Bell   Calvin Andrew   Drew Talbot   Besian Idrizaj 65 SUBS NOT USED Adam Boyd   Keith Keane   Russell Perrett

Match Report	20 April 2007
Derby County 1 - 0 Luton Town

DERBY COUNTY 1 Lewin Nyatanga '37  LUTON TOWN 0 N/A

NYATNGA GOAL CONDEMNS LUTON TO THE DROP...

Lewin Nyatanga's first-half goal condemned Luton Town to relegation despite a gutsy show at promotion seeking Derby County.

The defender, back at the Rams after a loan period at Barnsley, converted from close range in the 37th minute to push the home side up to second in the table and leave the Hatters facing League One football next term.

Luton were always going to be up against it at Billy Davies' high-flyers, but they played well in spells at Pride Park without ever really looking likely to score.

A highlight of the game was an absorbing physical battle between Chris Coyne and ex-Hatter Steve Howard, with Coyne more than holding his own.

Late pressure from Luton made the home fans endure a nervy finale, but the end result was a tenth defeat in 11 games for rock-bottom Luton.

Stephen O'Leary, last week's scoring substitute in the 2-1 Plymouth defeat, made his first start since October and Markus Heikkinen was also recalled after being dropped for the Pilgrims reverse.

Keith Keane and Steve Robinson were the two players to make way meaning Kevin Foley operated at right back and Heikkinen in midfield alongside Matthew Spring, who shrugged off a dead-leg to make the 11.

Derby, meanwhile, made three changes to the side that lost 2-1 to Ipswich in their last match as Darren Currie, Nyatanga and Gary Teale came into the team.

With so much at stake for both sides, the game kicked-off amid a rousing atmosphere as the home fans got behind their side.

It was the Hatters though, who started the better, knocking the ball around nicely in midfield until the hosts earned a free-kick out on the left flank which led to Teale nodding harmlessly wide from ten yards after David Jones' eighth minute centre.

Another set-piece for Derby six minutes later saw Jones and Teale again involved as a free-kick was touched to skipper Matt Oakley to unleash a superb 30-yard effort that arrowed towards the top corner only to bounce behind of the top of the crossbar.

Luton stuck to their football, however, and David Bell, looking lively on the left-flank, beat Marc Edworthy in the 18th minute before finding Spring, who could only slice his 25-yard effort off target.

More slick play from the visitors saw Talbot dummy Spring's 21st minute pass allowing Bell to get to the left-hand by-line and whip in a cross that only just failed to find the on-rushing O'Leary at the far post.

The Rams weathered the storm and hit back just before the half-hour mark when Jones' swift tackle on O'Leary released Currie, who crossed from the left for Howard to beat Leon Barnett in the air only to see his goalbound eight yard header cleared off the line by Coyne.

From the follow up, Jones could only miss-kick his 15-yard effort wide.

More Derby pressure followed and in the 35th minute a Jones corner on the Rams right saw Barnett and Dean Leacock rise to compete for a ball sending the ball spinning narrowly past Dean Brill's left-hand post.

"Two minutes later the hosts were ahead"

Two minutes later the hosts were ahead as, from their sixth flag kick of the half, Leacock this time saw his 10-yard bullet header from Jones' cross brilliantly saved by Brill only for Nyatanga to follow up and net from the rebound.

Derby stayed in the ascendency after the break as Howard, peeling off to the left flank, layed off to Jones to step just inside the penalty area and drag a left-foot shot wide of the far post in the 50th minute.

The Rams then came within a whisker of doubling their advantage two minutes later as yet another dangerous Jones set-piece, this time from the right flank, saw the ball deflect off Coyne against the crossbar and from the rebound Howard stretched to smash in a half-volley which Brill smartly blocked.

Luton finally registered a shot on target in the 58th minute when Andrew, who had been quiet up until this point, collected a pass on the edge of the area and after a neat turn hit a low drive at Stephen Bywater.

Dead-ball specialist Jones threatened again on the hour when his curling 25-yard effort only just beat the post, but Luton, showing spirit, worked another opening a minute later when Heikkinen fed Emanuel, whose low teasing cross from the left only just failed to find Talbot.

Barnett nodded a Bell corner off target in the 65th minute before the impressive Jones beat Heikkinen in midfield five minutes later and let rip with a dipping 30-yard left-footed effort that landed on the roof of the net.

Another Heikkinen mistake seconds later should have seen the Rams net when Oakley dispossessed the Finn and played in Arturo Lupoli, only for the substitute's shot to be saved by the feet of Brill.

From the follow up, Howard could only blaze over with his left foot from 18-yards.

"Luton's own substitute Besian Idrizaj then created a moment of panic in the home defence"

Luton's own substitute Besian Idrizaj then created a moment of panic in the home defence in the 82nd minute as he collected a Bell throw in on the left touchline, cut inside and curled in a 20-yard strike that Bywater clawed away at full stretch.

With Derby nerves jangling and just five minutes left on the clock, Emanuel crossed from the left for another Luton substitute Richard Langley to head towards goal, but without any power, allowing Bywater to easily hold the 10-yard effort.

Langley then tested Bywater again in the final minute before Brill was forced into another top save at the death to deny Lupoli.

Click Here to search for other reports for matches involving Derby County.