Ogbene scores but Luton blow 3-0 lead
THIS was a match to celebrate comebacks. First and most importantly, that of Tom Lockyer, the Luton captain who made his first return to the Vitality Stadium since that day in December when paramedics had to bring him back to life.
Then, that of Bournemouth, who were remarkable in coming back from trailing 3-0 at half-time to secure a 4-3 victory inspired by Antoine Semenyo.
Their fans were delirious by the end. Perhaps because they were so feeble in the first half that this comeback never looked possible.
Yet this turned into a highly entertaining encounter in what was an emotional evening on the south coast as this previously abandoned game was played.
Lockyer wished he could have been on the field with his teammates, though he knows how fortunate he is to be here at all. It was at the Vitality where he was ‘technically dead’ for two minutes and 40 seconds.
Bournemouth went above and beyond to welcome him back. It is not often an opposition player is chosen for the cover of the match programme but they made an exception for Lockyer. He was introduced to the crowd prior to kick-off alongside the four paramedics who saved his life, while Bournemouth’s supporters even raised more than £2,000 to pay for buses so that Luton fans could get to this rearranged game.
Those fans thought they had leapt out of the relegation zone at the expense of Nottingham Forest — their opponents this Saturday — as they went in at the break. But Bournemouth had other ideas, showing the fight they lacked in the first half.
It took Luton three minutes to take the lead in the original fixture in December when Elijah Adebayo headed home Alfie Doughty’s cross. This time they took nine, as Tahith Chong was left completely unmarked to head Jordan Clark’s cross past Neto.
Bournemouth could have equalised when Luis Sinisterra broke through, but he was denied by the legs of Thomas Kaminski.
Instead, Luton made it 2-0 before half-time as Chong played through Doughty, who played the ball perfectly to Chiedozie Ogbene for a tap-in.
Issa Kabore was instrumental in Luton making it 3-0 before the break. He led a counter-attack before teeing up Ross Barkley. Playing this match through the pain of a broken nose suffered at Crystal Palace, Barkley walloped the ball into the back of the net.
That kickstarted a series of songs from the Luton supporters. How they have Rob Edwards and he knows exactly what they need.
How they are going to stay up and now we will believe them.
From Bournemouth’s fans, there were only boos. Their team had been tormented by Chong, Kabore, Doughty and Barkley, who is living in hope more than expectation of an England call-up.
Another who had been hoping to impress Gareth Southgate was Dominic Solanke and he scored to make it 3-1 after skilfully nutmegging Daiki Hashioka with a backheel after 50 minutes.
When Illia Zabarnyi then made it 3-2 from a goalmouth scramble, Bournemouth were full of belief. They did not have to wait long for their third, Semenyo turning Hashioka into a pretzel as he twisted and turned before scoring beyond Kaminski for 3-3.
Fourteen minutes separated Bournemouth’s first and third goals, and now their fans were signing Andoni Iraola’s name.
In the 83rd minute, they completed the comeback in full. Semenyo collected Enes Unal’s through-ball and smashed it beyond Kaminski.
BOURNEMOUTH (4-2-3-1): Neto 5; Smith 5 (Adams 71min, 6), Zabarnyi 6, Mepham 5, Ouattara 5; Christie 6 (Hill 90), Cook 6.5; SEMENYO 8, Scott 6 (Unal 46, 6.5), Sinisterra 6.5 (Tavernier 46, 6); Solanke 7.5 (Billing 90). Scorers: Solanke 50, Zabarnyi 62, Semenyo 64, 83. Booked: Smith. Manager: Andoni Iraola 6.5. LUTON (3-4-2-1): Kaminski 5; Burke 5, Mengi 5, Hashioka 5 (Mpanzu 68, 6); Kabore 6.5, Clark 6, Barkley 6.5 (Berry 88), Doughty 6.5; Ogbene 6 (Townsend 88), Chong 7 (Woodrow 73, 6); Morris 6.5. Scorers: Chong 9, Ogbene 31, Barkley 45+1. Booked: Clark, Ogbene. Manager: Rob Edwards 6. Referee: Sam Allison 6. Attendance: Not provided.