Morris spot on as Luton battle back to earn first point
LUTON claimed their first point of the Premier League season when drawing with 10-men Wolves at Kenilworth Road.
Carlton Morris’ penalty cancelled out Pedro Neto’s earlier strike to share the spoils in a positive Hatters performance.
Rob Edwards will be proud of his side’s display but will leave thinking his side should have used the extra-man more effectively after Jean-Ricner Bellegarde was sent off in the 39th minute.
Edwards experimented with a 4-4-2 and the change in shape worked in the early stages as the Hatters enjoyed possession and space out wide through Ireland’s Chiedozie Ogbene and Jacob Brown, who nearly got on the end of a dangerous cross in the fifth minute.
Edwards would have wanted a response after a poor second half against Fulham last week and he got that through midfield duo Marvelous Nakamba and Albert Sambi Lokonga who ramped up the pressure on the visitors.
Wolves began to work their way into the game after 30 minutes and strung neat passages together before the creative Bellegarde produced a stunning through ball in behind, but there was no one there to get on the end of it.
But the Frenchman undid his positive work when he was shown a straight red card. The midfielder was dispossessed by Tom Lockyer and he kicked out at the Luton captain before he was given his marching orders.
Wolves held on during added time but the home side were hot out the traps in the second half when Morris got on the end of strike partner’s Ogbene’s cross in the 48th minute but his effort was saved by Sa.
Luton were on top but it was Wolves who took a 1-0 lead against the run of play in the 50th minute.
Neto gambled on a long ball and beat Lockyer in a foot race before he shrugged the defender off, cut in on his left foot and produced a thumping strike past Thomas Kaminski.
Kenilworth Road cried out for a response and in the 65th minute Luton levelled the contest.
Joao Gomes handled the ball in the box and after a VAR check Morris stepped up, stuttered in his run up and finished calmy past Jose Sa.
Target man Elijah Adebayo was brought on by Edwards and orange shirts marauded down the flanks and whipped in crosses in search of the striker but they were denied by Wolves’ tight defence while Ogbene finished to the net late on but his effort was ruled offside.
LUTON: Kaminski, Burke, Lockyer, Bell, Kabore (Adebayo 85), Sambi Lokonga (Mpanzu 57), Nakamba, Doughty (Giles 72), Brown (Woodrow 72), Morris, Ogbene. SCORER: Morris 65 (pen).
WOLVERHAMPTON: Jose Sa, Nelson Semedo (Hugo Bueno 84), Dawson, Kilman, Ait Nouri (Doherty 46), Lemina, Joao Gomes (Doyle 90), Pedro Neto, Bellegarde, Hwang (Gomes 46), Matheus Cunha (Traore 71).
SENT OFF: Bellegarde (39). SCORER: Neto 50.
REFEREE: Josh Smith (Lincolnshire).