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VENUE Kenilworth Road ATTENDANCE 6,412 REFEREE Phil Joslin (Nottinghamshire) MATCH DATE 16 February 2008 KICK OFF TIME 15:00

LUTON TOWN Dean Brill   Lewis Emanuel George Beavan   Keith Keane   Sol Davis   David Bell   Paul Furlong 68   Steve Robinson Matthew Spring   Dean Morgan   Sam Parkin   Calvin Andrew   SUBS NOT USED Alan Goodall   Chris Perry   Drew Talbot   Marlon Beresford

LEYTON ORIENT Stuart Nelson   Stephen Purches   Sam Oji Brian Saah   Jason Demetriou Adam Chambers   Aiden Palmer   Paul Terry   Wayne Gray   Jabo Ibehre   Adam Boyd   Sean Thornton 81   SUBS NOT USED Wayne Corden   JJ Melligan   Tamika Mkandawire   Alton Thelwell

Match Report	16 February 2008
Luton Town 0 - 1 Leyton Orient

LUTON TOWN 0 N/A  LEYTON ORIENT 1 Jabo Ibehre '26

LUTON LOSE AGAIN AS RELEGATION LOOMS...

Shot-shy Luton Town were made to pay for their lack of creativity in a scrappy 0-1 home defeat against Leyton Orient at Kenilworth Road.

Jabo Ibehre took full advantage of a Sol Davis error midway through the first-half to score the game's only goal.

Manager Mick Harford made two changes to the side that capitulated 1-4 at home to Bournemouth last week. Harford preferred YTS defender George Beavan at centre-half to the fit again Chris Perry, while Calvin Andrew came in for the crocked Darren Currie.

Dean Morgan looked lively for the Hatters early on with a series of dangerous crosses, while Andrew slid just wide from a David Bell ball in on four minutes.

Luton looked on their mettle, but a good through ball from Paul Terry found Stephen Purches in acres of space outside the area, and his shot on the half volley went just wide.

Some poor Luton defending let Ibehre in, but an initially flat-footed Dean Brill flung himself at the Orient player's feet to save.

Morgan managed to roll his marker in the box on 13 minutes, but the Orient defence recovered well to block his close range shot.

Two minutes later and Luton were lucky not to be reduced to 10 men when Jason Demetriou prevented Lewis Emauel taking a quick throw.

The Luton right-back appeared to push his forehead again Demetriou who fell to the floor several seconds after the incident. The evidently unimpressed referee booked Demetriou, while Emanuel surprisingly got away with a warning.

It looked like a single incident could kick this game off as both sides slugged it out in a physical encounter.

Andrew was just unable to get on the end of Bell's 22nd minute cross, while Sam Parkin was penalised as he challenged Orient keeper Stuart Nelson.

"However, three minutes later Luton were behind"

However, three minutes later Luton were behind. Paul Terry's cross caused all kinds of problems in Luton's defence and Sol Davis’ weak clearance fell straight to Ibehre who smashed the ball in off the bar from just six-yards out.

Both sides found chances hard to come by and the only efforts of any note were a wild Morgan free-kick that went over and an Adam Boyd snap-shot for the O’s from the edge of the area straight at Brill.

The game suddenly burst into life midway through the first-half. Luton had appeals for a penalty turned down when Andrew was sent tumbling in the area and, a few seconds later, Andrew warmed Nelson's hands from 25-yards out.

The second-half was also slow to get going, and it was not until the 53rd minute that Brill was forced to save Demetriou's 25-yard curler.

The Hatters were having plenty of possession but seemed to lack any confidence in front of goal and when the ball did finally fall to Matthew Spring on the edge of the area of 59 minutes, he could only volley well over.

At the other end, Orient almost made it 2-0 two minutes later, but Samuel Oji's header was hacked off the line by Davis.

Luton then had further appeals for a penalty turned down with 15 minutes left when Keith Keane's shot seemed to rebound off an arm in a crowded box, but nothing was given.

"And with 12 minute left Furlong almost grabbed the equaliser"

And with 12 minute left Furlong almost grabbed the equaliser, but his diving near post header from Morgan's cross was scrambled away by Nelson.

A poor Steve Robinson tackle sparked a mass melee in the closing moments and, although the referee added five minutes of stoppage-time, the closest the Hatters could come to finding an equaliser was a weak Furlong header straight at Nelson.

Harford's Comments	16 February 2008
Luton Town 0-1 Leyton Orient "We had a lot of possession and got a lot of crosses into the box in the first half but not the quality. "We ended up with four strikers on, but we didn't get enough quality into the box. "The effort, the work rate and the commitment was first class. I couldn't ask anything more of them. Just things at the moment aren't going for us. One mistake cost us. "It was an improvement on last week in terms of commitment. "George (Beavan) made his debut and overall I thought he did well. "Furlong got a few good flick ons and he was unlucky not to score. "Hopefully the future will pan out into a good future. At the moment it's difficult for everyone working at the club. "It seems to happen that those results happen when the club is on a bit of a downer. "I've had some massive challenges in my short managerial career. Rotherham was similar to here, but this is probably the most difficult one. "At the end of the day no matter how long it takes it will be OK."

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