Pure curl power as Mpanzu steps up
PELLY-RUDDOCK MPANZU struck a second-half stunner to send Wycombe heading into the international break pointless.
Back in 2018, the Luton midfielder hit a goal of the season contender against Crewe.
And he conjured up an early nomination for this year’s awards with a 25-yard curler to open the scoring in the 59th minute.
The visitors thought they had their first-ever Championship goal when sub Scott Kashket smashed the ball home three minutes from time.
But the linesman’s flag was already up, to boss Gareth Ainsworth’s dismay, and his side’s fate was sealed by sub Elliott Lee’s strike two minutes later.
Ainsworth later revealed the officials told him Fred Onyedinma was ruled millimetres offside.
The Chairboys boss said: “The referee has adjudged it to be offside and as the smallest club in the Championship we seem to be getting the rough end of the calls.
“I’m gutted for the players. They gave me everything but it is a big step up.”
Hatters boss Nathan Jones was delighted with his side’s performance.
He said: “It should have been more but it could have been different as well. It would have been a travesty if they had got the goal back.
“Pelly often scores bangers, he often hits the car park too. We try to keep him level-headed and he showed great control for the goal.”
LUTON: Sluga 6; Cranie 7, Bradley 6, Pearson 6, Norrington-Davies 6; Berry 6, Rea 6, Mpanzu 7; Cornick 7 (Lee 80th), Collins 8 (Hylton 88th), Clark 6 (LuaLua
(73rd) 6)
WYCOMBE: Allsop 7; Grimmer 6, Stewart
6, Charles 6, Jacobson 6; Thompson 6, Adeniran 7; Wheeler 6 (Onyedinma 61st)
6), Thompson 7, Horgan 7 (Parker (69th)
6); Samuel 7 (Kashket (64th) 6)
STAR MAN: James Collins
REF: G Scott