Charlton end Luton’s 28-game unbeaten with thrilling second half

a Lyle Taylor double ended Luton Town’s 28-game unbeaten run in League One as Charlton Athletic downed them 3-1 with a scintillating second half display.

Igor Vetokele also added one for his side in an impressive match for the attacker as he assisted one of Taylor’s strikes. Before this though, the away side had taken the lead through Harry Cornick.

The win sees the Addicks remain in fifth but close down the gap on second placed Barnsley as they are now three points off an automatic promotion space. Town’s gap at the top was cut to five points.

Lee Bowyer made four changes to his matchday squad as Krystian Bielik and Jonny Williams returned to play for the Addicks while Jason Pearce dropped out handing the armband to Chris Solly.

Mick Harford was forced into making changes into his team after top scorer James Collins was suspended, Kazenga Lualua was also out through injury this meant Elliott Lee was forced into the striker role along with Cornick.

The game was end to end in the first 14 minutes as both sides had a crucial chance to take the lead, the hosts missed as Taylor was slipped through while Naby Sarr was forced to clear James Justin’s cross.

A minute later Luton took the lead against the run of play. The ball fell to Cornick the winger turned striker who hit it just inside the box following a ball from Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, to score his sixth league goal of the season.

It could have been a much worse situation for Charlton as keeper Dillion Phillips was forced into making two saves in a matter of minutes in the 17th minute, the first forced an acrobatic save from the academy player to deny Elliott Lee.

A whole ten minutes past before another big chance came this time it was the hosts that were unlucky not to fire back as striker Taylor got slipped through by Vetokele however the club top scorer only hit the crossbar.

Vetokele was the subject of drama two minutes later as he was fouled on the edge of the box by Luton keeper James Shea, though referee Gavin Ward bizarrely opted to show only a yellow to the Town keeper as the Addicks striker was sent flying.

The match continued with a constant trend as Charlton would make their way gradually up the pitch, try and cross the ball in for it to be headed out and start a hatters counter attack. This however led to nothing but a couple of pop shots from a close first half.

Town right-back Justin came the closest of all to scoring as he was played through but the right-back curled wide of the mark late in stoppage time.

A minute into the second half the hosts were denied a penalty as defensive midfielder Bielik won the ball back and burst into the box, he then passed it to Williams who was hacked down in the box.

Luton were seemingly getting the rub of the green as that was the second major decision that went their way.

Just moments later lady luck was on the Addicks side as Sonny Bradley brought down Charlton top scorer Taylor in the 53rd minute, the hosts would have felt that justice was served for the earlier incident.

After a long run up from the striker as he stepped up and coolly placed the ball past Shea after he sent the keeper the wrong way in the 54th minute, in doing so he scored his 17th league goal of the season.

That goal gave the hosts a serious confidence boost and they looked the much better of the two sides from that point.

Six minutes after Taylor’s goal their other striker Vetokele missed a sitter as Josh Cullen crossed a ball in perfectly only for the Angolan to miss from close out.

He would, however, make up for that terrible miss by putting Charlton 2-1 up as Bielik won the ball back not too dissimilar to the way he did just after the break. This time he would find the Angolan and he curled it past Shea in the Luton net in the 70th minute.

It would by 3-1 to the hosts two minutes later as Vetokele again was involved as he got the ball in the box and cross it to Taylor who controlled it before slamming it home, in doing so he doubled his tally for the match.

The blow for Luton worsened in the 88th minute as Andrew Shinnie was given his marching orders for a second yellow as the midfielder fouled Williams.

Charlton Team: Dillion Phillips; Ben Purrington; Patrick Bauer; Naby Sarr; Chris Solly ©; Krystian Bielik (OFF 88’); Joe Aribo; Josh Cullen; Jonny Williams (OFF 90’); Lyle Taylor and Igor Vetokele (OFF 76’.)

Subs Bench: Darren Pratley (ON 88’) George Lapslie (ON 76’) and Anfernee Dijksteel (90’.)
Unused Subs: Chris Maxwell; Jason Pearce; Josh Parker and Ben Reeves.

Yellow Cards: Lyle Taylor (31’); Igor Vetokele (63’.)

Luton Team: James Shea; James Justin; Sonny Bradely ©; Matty Pearson; Jack Stacey; Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu; Luke Berry; George Moncur; Andrew Shinnie; Elliott Lee and Harry Cornick (OFF 68’).

Subs Bench: Aaron Connolly (ON 68’); Jason Cummings (ON 81’); Alan Sheehan (ON 81’.)

Unused Subs: Harry Isted; Alex Baptiste; George Thorne and Corey Panter.
Yellow Cards: James Shea (30’); Andrew Shinnie (34’ & 88’); Luke Berry (57’.)

Red Card: Andrew Shinnie (88’.)

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