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 Wembley ATTENDANCE 55,378 REFEREE P Crossley (Kent) MATCH DATE 5 April 2009 KICK OFF TIME 13:15

SCUNTHORPE UNITED Joe Murphy   Cliff Byrne   Krystian Pearce   Andrew Wright 85   David Mirfin   Marcus Williams   Matt Sparrow   Martyn Woolford 77   Grant McCann   Kevin Hurst   Sam Togwell 63   Henri Lansbury   Gary Hooper   Paul Hayes   SUBS NOT USED Ben May   Josh Lillis

LUTON TOWN Dean Brill   Michael Spillane   Ed Asafu-Adjaye   Michael Spillane   Lewis Emanuel   Rossi Jarvis   Sam Parkin 117   Asa Hall   Kevin Nicholls Keith Keane   Chris Martin Tom Craddock   Claude Gnakpa 85   SUBS NOT USED David Button   Ian Roper   Sol Davis

Match Report	5 April 2009
Scunthorpe United 2 - 3 Luton Town

SCUNTHORPE UNITED 2 Gary Hooper '14 Grant McCann '88  LUTON TOWN 3 Chris Martin '32 Tom Craddock '70 Claude Gnakpa '95

SUPER LUTON WIN THE JOHNSTONE'S PAINT TROPHY...

Steely Luton Town came back from a goal down to blunt the Iron and lift the Johnstone's Paint Trophy after a spectacular extra-time victory at Wembley over Scunthorpe United.

In a topsy-turvy encounter, free-scoring Gary Hooper had given Scunthorpe an early lead, only for the Hatters to level through Chris Martin.

The ever-dangerous Tom Craddock looked to have grabbed victory for Luton midway through the second-half, only for Grant McCann to take the game into extra-time with a sensational equaliser two minutes from time.

Never-say-die Luton, though, came again and claimed a memorable victory when substitute Claude Gnakpa stole in early in the second period of extra-time to score the winner and send Hatters' travelling army of 40,000 fans into wonderland.

Luton made three changes to the team that lost disappointingly 2-4 at home to Rotherham United on Tuesday night.

The cup-tied quartet of Mark Bower, Kevin Gallen, David Livermore and Ian Henderson were all missing from the Hatters' squad, so into the starting XI came Rossi Jarvis, Ed Asafu-Adjaye and Michael Spillane, with Sam Parkin being left, somewhat surprisingly, on the bench.

Football League chairman Lord Brian Mawhinney walked out to a torrent of boos from Hatters' massed ranks of supporters as he was introduced to both sets of players before kick-off, but not even he could detract from the brilliant spectacle and fabulous weather.

The lively Iron made the far better start and only some desperate Luton defending kept them at bay early on. McCann's third-minute effort almost deflected straight into the path of Hooper in the box, but Luton were just able to scramble the ball away.

Scunthorpe continued to push and Matt Sparrow's low effort forced a good save out of Dean Brill two minutes later.

After a nervy opening, the Hatters began to settle and started to enjoy more of the ball. Kevin Nicholls' brilliant first time pass put Martin into space, but he dallied to long and Iron's splayed defence was able to regroup.

Luton were an inches away from taking the lead on 10 minutes. Nicholls' corner was touched on at the front post and a giant scramble in the Iron goalmouth ensued. Some brave keeping from Joe Murphy just kept out Martin's close-range effort and neither George Pilkington or Asa Hall were able to force the ball home.

Grant McCann warmed Brill's glove with a long-range free-kick before the Iron snatched the lead on 14 minutes, courtesy of their deadly duo of Paul Hayes and Hooper. A long ball forward was flicked on by Hayes and Hooper proved just too good as he skipped past Pilkington and stroked home across the face of goal and into the bottom left-hand corner.

And the two almost combined again to great effect on 20 minutes, but Pilkington was just able to get his foot in before Hooper could pull the trigger.

The northerners then almost doubled their lead from the resulting corner. The ball ran all the way to Henri Lansbury who let fly with a belter from just inside the box, but Nicholls somehow sprung up on the line to head the ball, destined for the top left-hand corner, over the bar.

Luton then twice went close in the matter of a minute as they began to turn the screw. First Rossi Jarvis won a brave tackle against Marcus Williams, before slipping through a lovely ball for Craddock. The former Middlesbrough man looked to have got the better of David Mirfin before he was felled in the box but, despite a close look, Kent referee Phil Crossley gave nothing.

Martin's fine run and shot almost created an opening seconds later when Jarvis' clever touch put in Hall, but his shot was deflected over the bar.

The pace of the game was unrelenting and, on 26 minutes, Williams was allowed far too much room to shoot from 25 yards out, and Brill was forced to turn his effort around the post.

Undaunted, the gallant Hatters levelled with a fine move on 32 minutes. Jarvis' superb cross field pass picked out Tom Craddock on the left, and he showed great vision to dink his pass into the path of the onrushing Chris Martin, who did wonderfully to shrug off Iron captain Cliff Byrne, and roll the ball home, much to the delight of 40,000 Hatters.

After a brief lull, a quick Nicholls free-kick picked out Spillane with two minute of the half left, but his flick header was easily saved by Murphy.

Controversy ensued in the final moments of the half when Byrne collapsed in a pile on the halfway line after Craddock appeared to slap him as he ran past. The Iron captain claimed the Luton striker had elbowed him, but thankfully for the Hatters none of the match day officials saw the incident as the teams went in all-square at the break.

Having started the second-half slowly the Hatters spurned a great chance in front of their own supporters on 49 minutes. Emanuel's deep cross found Jarvis at the far post, who headed back across goal for Martin, but he misjudged his spectacular bicycle-kick and his effort trickled wide.

The Iron were enjoying more of the play again in the early stages of the second-half, with Krystian Pearce stabbing a good chance just wide on 54 minutes.

With the game becoming stretched the Iron started to take control with Craddock looking increasingly isolated up front.

"Luton caught the Iron with a cracking sucker punch with 20 minutes left"

Having soaked up Scunthorpe's pressure, though, Luton caught the Iron with a cracking sucker punch with 20 minutes left. Martin's cross from the left was cleared only as far as Craddock on the edge of the area who somehow squeezed home a pinpoint shot past Murphy and just inside the right-hand post.

In the box seat, Luton were happy to soak up the Iron pressure and hit them on the break whenever possible.

Luton got a huge let off with 10 minutes left. McCann found space on the left and whipped a great ball into the box, but Lansbury was desperately unlucky to see his shot cannon off the bar and breathed a sigh of relief when a free-kick relieved the pressure.

However, just when it looked like Luton would hold on for victory the Iron equalised with a screamer two minutes from time. Michael Spillane's tackle ran to McCann 25-yards out and he let fly with an incredible effort that whizzed over Brill and dipped under the bar.

Nicholls curled a late free-kick straight at Murphy, but it was to no avail as the Wembley showpiece went into extra-time.

Substitute Claude Gnakpa wasted a glorious opportunity to give Luton the lead two minutes into extra-time. Nicholls' first-time ball put the Frenchman into acres of space, but he got the ball stuck under his feet and hesitated too long as Mirfin raced back to clear behind.

Scunthorpe, though, were equally wasteful at the other end. A long ball over the top put Hooper clear but, having shrugged off Emanuel, he could only roll a tame effort at Brill.

"Having been profligate moments earlier, Gnakpa made amends in style on 95 minutes"

Yet there were still more twists and turns in this humdinger. Having been profligate moments earlier, Gnakpa made amends in style on 95 minutes. Keith Keane's great long pass dissected the Iron defence and Gnakpa just beat Williams to the ball on the edge of the area to lob over the stranded Murphy and into the back of the net.

Mirfin's back-pass put Murphy into trouble late in the first period of extra-time and, although, Martin got a leg to it he could only deflect it out for a throw.

As the clock ticked down Luton seemed to be on the wrong end of some harsh decision, none more so than when Pilkington was penalised for a great tackle on Martyn Woolford on the edge of his own box. Thankfully justice was done as McCann curled wildly over.

The action was coming six to the dozen, with Keane and Gnakpa combining to cut open the Iron defence on 112 minutes. However, with so much space Luton panicked and Keane was eventually caught offside as the chance went begging.

Scunthorpe always looked dangerous in attack and continued to put the Luton goal under pressure. Lansbury whipped a shot between Brill and his near post that fizzed across the face of goal with seven minutes left, while only a great block from Ed Asafu-Adjaye prevented Hooper from hitting the target seconds later.

The game swung in Luton's favour with five minutes left when, with United having already used all their substitutes, Mirfin was stretchered off after a clash with Gnakpa.

With superior numbers the Hatters managed to boss the last few moments. Murphy pushed a late Keane effort round the post, while Gnakpa shot was carried behind by the United keeper.

The referee signalled four minutes of injury-time, but this time Luton Town’s determined stars held their nerve to claim a memorable victory.

Harford's Comments	5 April 2009
Scunthorpe United 2-3 Luton Town “We've got the best fans in the country – fact proved. They were magnificent. There was a new generation of Luton Town fans here today with their parents. After the atmosphere we generated hopefully it will get in their blood forever. “We've had it tough and we've had it hard. Without the investors, the fans and 2020 we wouldn't be here today. Mick Harford lifts the Johnstone's Paint Trophy. “This is a great day in the history of Luton Town Football Club. Some of our play was exceptional and this is up there with anything I've achieved in football. "I did promise to shave my hair if we won the game, but thankfully the clippers weren't working. "I said if we won I will have mine done and obviously someone heard me. "They will have to pin me down. I wouldn't like to be the first one who came in to do it. We will do a number four or five. "We will go to celebrate at Luton Hoo tonight and have a celebratory evening. It's a fantastic achievement in my opinion for the club and the team. "Lord Mawhinney won't be invited. We have to be bigger than that, but I applaud the way the fans protested. “Claude Gnakpa's normally a right-back but he's got pace when he breaks forward. We asked our wide men to cut inside and he finished well. I don't want to single anybody out but our midfield were terrific, scrapping against a team that could be in the Championship next season. “Today you saw two teams that like to pass it. People think that in the lower leagues it's all long ball but it's not as Scunthorpe and Luton have showed. “You can separate the two competitions. At the moment, in the Football League, it's out of our hands. We know even if we win all our remaining games it might not be enough. All we can do is enjoy today, enjoy this moment. Then next week we'll prepare for Lincoln away. “The players put their careers on the line for Luton Town. They knew, coming here, they could be Conference players next season. But they've given everything to the cause and they should be proud of today. “We'd like to defend the trophy. Even if we lose our League status or not. “We thought it could go 120 minutes and it did. I felt we looked the better team after we got the equaliser. I did think of '88 on the touchline – especially with the score. "What does it mean to the club is the most important question. Hopefully this is the start of a new era for Luton Town, though we have had it hard and tough."

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