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 The Deva Stadium ATTENDANCE 1,652 REFEREE K G Evans MATCH DATE 13 January 2009 KICK OFF TIME 19:45

CHESTER CITY John Danby   James Vaughan Paul Linwood   Shaun Kelly Kevin Roberts   Ritchie Partridge   Anthony Barry 65   Damien Mozika   Mark Hughes   Laurence Wilson Ryan Lowe   Kevin Ellison   Jay Harris 81   SUBS NOT USED Paul McManus   Chris Platt   Paul Rutherford

LUTON TOWN Conrad Logan   Michael Spillane   Ian Roper   George Beavan   Lewis Emanuel   Jake Howells 45   Keith Keane   Rossi Jarvis   Kevin Gallen   Ian Henderson   Chris Martin   Tom Craddock   SUBS NOT USED Asa Hall   Claude Gnakpa   Dean Brill   Paul McVeigh

Match Report	13 January 2009
Chester City 2 - 2 Luton Town

CHESTER CITY 2 Ryan Lowe (pen) '37 Kevin Ellison '52  LUTON TOWN 2 Chris Martin '22 Lewis Emanuel '27

HATTERS THROW AWAY TWO GOAL LEAD AT CHESTER...

Luton Town chalked out their crippling 30-point deficit but will surely be kicking themselves after tossing away a 2-0 lead in a thrilling League Two clash at the Deva Stadium.

The Hatters were cruising just before the half-hour mark thanks to fine strikes from Chris Martin and Lewis Emanuel, but those were not enough ultimately to secure what would have been a vital three points.

The result did make it eight matches unbeaten for Luton, although the game was marred by a serious-looking injury to Lewis Emanuel in the latter stages of the first-half.

Manager Mick Harford made just one change to the side that started the 3-2 home win over Lincoln City on December 28, with new signing Ian Henderson being handed his Hatters bow in place of Drew Talbot, who dropped out of the squad altogether.

Loan striker Tom Craddock had the first shot of the evening in the second minute, but his weak effort from the right-hand side of the box was high and wide of the target.

Luton went close to taking the lead in the seventh minute and only a smart block from goalkeeper John Danby denied Craddock the opener after Henderson's neat back heel had given him a clear sight of goal.

Harford's side certainly started the brighter of the two sides and the lively front three combination were having a lot a joy in the final third and got in behind the Chester back four on numerous occasions.

And, on 11 minutes, only a late deflection diverted Rossi Jarvis' shot from the edge of the 18-yard box away from goal for a corner.

Less than a minute later though, Chester had their first real promising attack of the match and, with a two against one situation against the visitors, striker Kevin Ellison really should have done better than fire a weak shot straight at Conrad Logan.

The hosts then went close again almost immediately, when Laurence Wilson sent in a teasing low cross that flashed across the goalmouth but was just unable to find a team-mate to touch it home.

But it was Luton who continued to dominate the play and it was no surprise when they did take the lead on 22 minutes.

The goal arrived when veteran striker Kevin Gallen, playing in a midfield role, slipped a delightful ball out to Martin on the left-hand edge of the penalty area. And the on-loan Norwich City youngster made no mistake with the finish, firing a shot beyond Danby and into the top right-hand corner.

Chester, though, were agonisingly close to getting themselves back on level terms almost immediately, when striker Ryan Lowe spotted Logan off his line but his attempted lob from over on the right-hand touchline bounced just the wrong side of the post.

"The Hatters never looked rattled though and duly doubled their lead on 27 minutes"

The Hatters never looked rattled though and duly doubled their lead on 27 minutes, when left-back Emanuel crashed a free-kick from fully 30-yards through the wall and into the bottom right-hand corner of the net past the despairing dive of Danby.

However, Luton threw Chester a lifeline on 35 minutes when Michael Spillane hauled Ellison down in the box, giving the referee no option but to point to the spot. And Lowe made no mistake with the resultant penalty, halving his side's deficit.

Moments after the goal, play was halted when goal scorer Emanuel needed medical attention after going down with a serious-looking leg injury, after he went down underneath a challenge. Jake Howells was eventually brought on in his place, with the referee adding on nine minutes at the end of the first half following the stoppage in play.

"Having looked dead and buried at one stage, Chester then forced an equaliser six minutes into the second-half"

Having looked dead and buried at one stage, Chester then forced an equaliser six minutes into the second-half when, after Shaun Kelly's powerful header from a Lowe corner brought a reaction save out of Logan, Ellison was on hand to stab the loose ball into the net inside a crowded box to make it 2-2.

After a poor start, the hosts were starting to give a good account of themselves and, along with a lively Luton side, played their part in an entertaining end-to-end game.

Stand-in skipper Keith Keane was almost left to rue a mistake on 71 minutes when he allowed Ellison to steal the ball on the halfway line and surge forward with two men in support against only one Luton defender.

But, fortunately for Luton, Lowe's shot hit the last remaining defender and looped up easily for Logan, although it was certainly a let off for the visitors.

As the game entered the closing stages, the hosts began to launch some promising attacks as they searched for what would have been an unlikely winner considering Luton's earlier advantage.

A neat through ball split Luton's defence on 84 minutes, but the final ball into Damien Mozika had just a bit too much weight on it and Logan gathered, while Ian Roper needed to make a last-ditch tackle to prevent Lowe having a run on goal in the last minute.

Still there was time for one last chance when Spillane was agonisingly close to snatching a dramatic winner in stoppage-time when his flick from an in swinging Jarvis free-kick ended up inches wide of the post.

Harford's Comments	13 January 2009
Chester City 2-2 Luton Town "Lewis Emanuel has gone off to hospital, with I think a knee problem and is on his way back now. "It was a square ball, the pass was just under hit and I think he just tried to come infield to recover the poor pass and there was a coming together. It looks like he's either blocked tackled or twisted in the grass, it was difficult to see. "It was nothing malicious, there was no intent there. "It was just an unfortunate incident. If it is a bad one, I'm devastated for Lewis because he's worked tremendously hard to get himself back to fitness and it looks like he's got another injury. "I'm disappointed for him, he's a great lad, a good pro, he's worked hard in his rehab. He's just signed a new contract with us until the end of the season, which shows his loyalty and his commitment to the cause and he's a massive figure for us. I believe Lewis Emanuel is one of our key players. "We were 2-0 up and deservedly so, but it was a very dubious penalty that allowed them back into it from where I was standing. "If we had gone in 2-0 at half-time, it would have been a completely different game because I thought first-half we could have been three or four nil up and, when you're on top, you need to make it count. The disappointing thing for me is that again, we've conceded two goals from two set pieces."

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