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VENUE Kenilworth Road ATTENDANCE 7,025 REFEREE James Linington MATCH DATE 25 April 2009 KICK OFF TIME 15:00

LUTON TOWN Dean Brill   Michael Spillane   Keith Keane   George Pilkington   Jake Howells   Ian Henderson   David Livermore Sam Parkin 77   Asa Hall   Kevin Gallen   Chris Martin   Tom Craddock   SUBS NOT USED Ian Roper   Paul McVeigh   Rossi Jarvis   Sol Davis

ROCHDALE Frank Fileding   Simon Ramsden   Nathan Stanton   Rory McArdle   Tom Kennedy   Clark Keltie   Adam Rundle 45   Gary Jones   Ciaran Toner   Chris Dagnall Joe Thompson 45   Lee Thorpe William Buckley 83   Adam Le Fondre   SUBS NOT USED Tom Newey   Sam Russell

Match Report	25 April 2009
Luton Town 1 - 1 Rochdale

LUTON TOWN 1 Tom Craddock (pen) '33  ROCHDALE 1 Adam Rundle '56

HATTERS HELD TO DRAW BY DALE...

Valiant Luton Town dominated Rochdale for 50 minutes before wilting in the spring sunshine.

A soft first-half penalty had handed Tom Craddock the chance to give Luton a well-deserved lead.

But having bossed the first 45 minutes, Luton faded after the break as Dale's double half-time substitution paid dividends with an equaliser courtesy of Adam Rundle.

Flag day at Kenilworth Road and a late conga in the Main Stand may have helped give the day a carnival feel, but sadly Luton couldn't find a winner as their home campaign ended like so many other games this season in stalemate.

The Hatters made two changes from the team that lost 0-1 at home in a drab defeat to Wycombe Wanderers on Tuesday night.

Sol Davis and Rossi Jarvis dropped to the bench, while Kevin Gallen and Jake Howells came into the stating 11.

Manager Mick Harford kept his promise of trying out some new things in the last few games as Luton lined up 4-4-2, with Craddock and Chris Martin forming Luton's strike partnership and Gallen dropping into midfield.

Luton made a lively opening and carved out a decent chance after just four minutes. Michael Spillane's low cross from the right picked out Martin in the box and, although he was unable to control it, the ball ran to Asa Hall, whose close-range drive was well blocked by Ciaran Toner.

With relegation already confirmed carefree Luton played some nice stuff and a flowing move almost resulted in a goal on eight minutes. Howells did well to intercept and thread a great pass through to Craddock who drove on before feeding Ian Henderson, but Nathan Stanton deflected the winger’s shot over the bar.

Having already been booked for an untidy challenge, burly striker Lee Thorpe briefly threatened, but his 10th-minute header was straight at Dean Brill.

Martin had a shot blocked as the Hatters continued to press, while Gallen flashed an effort just wide of the left-hand up upright midway through the half.

Luton were launching some great long passes and, after Craddock had failed to control a lovely ball from George Pilkington, Martin's first touch then let him down when David Livermore's through ball had put him clean away.

Dale, though, looked dangerous when they got the ball forward and Chris Dagnall only just failed to make anything of Thorpe's threaded pass on 27 minutes.

Seconds later Hall drove straight at Frank Fielding, before Luton were gifted a penalty on 32 minutes. Gallen's attempted volley into the ground looped the ball into the box where Rory McArdle inexplicably shoved Martin in the back as he competed for the ball.

"Craddock gleefully smashed home his 12th goal of the season into the roof of the net"

Hampshire referee James Linington had little option but to point to the spot and Craddock gleefully smashed home his 12th goal of the season into the roof of the net.

The Hatters continued to dominate and play the better football as the half entered the final stages. Martin again failed to make the most of a Livemore pass, while Spillane thumped a defender in the box with a stinging effort five minutes before the break.

Livermore, Howells and Craddock combined nicely in the closing moments of the half, but Martin could only spiral his header well over, while Craddock's ball was just too strong for Henderson after more good work by Howells.

Luton started the second-half as they left off the first and, after some neat interplay, Martin sent a sizzling effort well over.

Adam Le Fondre's flick header from Rundle's cross sneaked just wide, but it was Luton who continued to play all of the football.

Some brilliant combination play between Howells, Martin and Craddock, eventually saw the on-loan Norwich man have his effort deflected behind, with Hall heading the subsequent corner over the bar.

"However Dale, who had rarely threatened, levelled out of the blue on 56 minutes"

However Dale, who had rarely threatened, levelled out of the blue on 56 minutes. A cross was allowed to run all the way through to substitute Rundle at the far post, who got the better of Spillane before firing past the exposed Brill.

Suddenly the game exploded open. Martin's ball across the face of goal yelled out for someone to score, but no-one was on hand to accept the invitation, while Dale should have made it 2-1 on 58 minutes.

Left two-against-one, Rundle teed up Le Fondre in acres of space, but the striker hesitated too long before lashing wastefully over.

The visitors seemed suddenly much more interested and Thorpe should possible have done better when he streaked over from six-yards out on 66 minutes.

With Dale on top the Hatters stopped playing completely and struggled to put two passes together as the League Two high-flyers took control.

Hall forced his way through with 11 minutes left but thrashed well off target, while Martin had a decent long range effort deflected into Fielding's arms with three minutes left.

Le Fondre fired a snapshot straight at Brill in the closing moments, but somewhat appropriately the last game of the season ended in a frustrating draw.

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