Luton raise hat to Nat
NATHAN JONES led Luton to an incredible escape – with massive help from Blackburn’s defenders.
The Hatters had not been out of the bottom three since Boxing Day and were six points adrift when the Welshman returned for a second spell as boss at Kenilworth Road during lockdown.
Blackburn were in front after 10 minutes through Adam Armstrong. But Luton levelled after 28 minutes when Hayden Carter inexplicably headed into his own net.
The Hatters’ good fortune continued seven minutes later when Bradley Johnson followed suit and also scored an own goal.
On the hour, Rovers’ Jacob Davenport brought down Harry Cornick in the area and James Collins (above) fired home the penalty despite slipping.
Sam Gallagher made it a nervy last 15 minutes with Blackburn’s second.
WEST BROM: Johnstone 6, Furlong 6 (Townsend 80), Bartley 6, Ajayi 6, O’Shea 6, Sawyers 7 (Brunt 71), Livermore 7 (Phillips 90), Krovinovic 7, Pereira 8 (Grosicki 80), Diangana MOTM 9 (Austin 71), Robinson 8 QPR: Lumley 7, Kakay 6, Masterson 6 , Barbet 7 (Shodipo 80), Manning 7(Gubbins 90), Cameron 6 (Ramkilde 57, 5), Ball 6, Amoso 6, Chair 6, Eze 7 (Kane 78), AsoyoSamuel 6
REFEREE: Darren England
WEST BROM clinched promotion in dramatic style but, boy, did they make hard work of it.
The sight of Baggies boss Slaven Bilic screaming to his players that Brentford were losing was a sight to behold.
Bilic (below) was going wild on the touchline yelling at his men that Barnsley had taken the lead and not to all pile forward.
When the referee blew his final whistle, players waited out on the Hawthorns pitch for a couple of minutes for the results to come in from elsewhere.
Suddenly, the place erupted – as much as any mostly empty stadium can – as it filtered through that the Bees had lost, and the sign “We are Premier League” flashed on the big screen.
Promotion is worth £170million and Albion’s dream scenario of getting their noses in front and cruising to victory with the minimum of fuss took a jolt 10 minutes before half-time when they fell behind.
Ryan Manning seized on a square ball and chanced his arm, only to see his first effort blocked. But, when it rebounded back into his path, he made no mistake.
Shell-shocked Baggies players didn’t need telling the situation could not be allowed to go on too long and they dug deep to start dictating matters.
Rangers started to wobble and, a minute before the break, West Brom levelled when Callum Robinson shunted a beautifullyweighted through ball into the path of Grady Diangana.
It was a tricky angle, but he fired through keeper Joe Lumley’s legs into the bottom of the net from six yards.
And they looked to have made the big breakthrough five minutes into the second half, when Diangana finished a brilliant dribble and run with a ball right across the face of the six-yard box.
Robinson was waiting, and it fell straight into his path, giving him the easiest of conversions.
But Albion were then hit for a second time when Ebere Eze took a long ball from Yoann Barbet and lashed it into the top corner from the edge of the box.
CLARKE ODUOR grabbed a stoppage-time winner to keep alive Barnsley’s survival hopes – as Brentford fluffed their lines.
Victory in the last-ever league game at Griffin Park last night would have lifted the Bees into the Premier League for the first time.
But super-sub Odour’s late winner – which followed Callum Styles’ first-half strike for the Tykes – could yet keep Gerhard Struber’s side in the Championship – with Brentford now facing Swansea in the play-offs.
Barnsley celebrated wildly at the end and will stay up if Wigan’s appeal against their 12-point deduction for going into administration, which was imposed last night, fails.
The Bees were playing their last league game at Griffin Park after 116 years – before moving into their new Kew Bridge stadium.
Barnsley got the goal they deserved four minutes before half-time when Pontus Jansson’s poor clearance was picked up by Styles, who drilled his low shot home from 15 yards.
Brentford had to wait until the 73rd minute to level. A glorious run from Said Benrahma allowed Josh Dasilva to pick the ball up, beat a challenge and drive inside a post.
With West Brom drawing and Fulham not winning, the Bees had 18 minutes to get the goal that would send them up.
Brentford’s Ollie Watkins just missed Benrahma’s cross, but Oduor had the last word, turning the ball in from close range.
MATCH STATS
Swansea
Cardiff
Brentford
Brentford 18.30
Fulham 19.45
Swansea 19.45
Fulham v Cardiff 19.45