Adebayo leads rout as Luton hammer Brighton
LUTON Town thrashed Brighton & Hove Albion 4-0 to move out of the Premier League relegation zone with Elijah Adebayo scoring a hat-trick after the Hatters went two goals up inside the first three minutes at Kenilworth Road yesterday.
Adebayo opened his tally with a header from close range after 18 seconds before speedy winger Chiedozie Ogbene beat the offside trap to make it 2-0 after two minutes and 17 seconds.
Adebayo fired in his second of the night at the near post in the 42nd, off a pass from Ross Barkley, before completing his first top-flight treble by heading in an Alfie Doughty flicked-on corner in the 56th.
In the history of the Premier League only Leicester City, in the opening two minutes against Derby County in 1998, had reached 2-0 quicker than Luton, who started the season as favourites for a quick return to the second tier.
“It’s a wonderful feeling...we said we needed to start sharp and two goals in two minutes was the right way to start,” Adebayo, who came off in the 71st minute, told Sky Sports television.
“We just kept our foot on the gas. When you come here it’s tough, especially under the lights and the fans make it a fortress for us.”
The defeat left Brighton in eighth, level on 32 points with ninth-placed Manchester United, while Luton climbed one spot to 17th, a point clear of Everton who drew 0-0 at Fulham.
Happy Luton fans left the ground singing “the Hatters are staying up”.
The home side could have scored more with their highly physical game, with Jordan Clark ruled offside with the ball in the net early in the second half.
Brighton looked out of ideas, with no shot on target until late in the second half, as a rampant Luton ripped up the script.