THE VERDICT: TOWN 0 LUTON 2 Town really do face a climb up Everest now
TOWN RATED ABYSMAL DISPLAY LEAVES TERRIERS BACK IN TROUBLE
DANNY Cowley has compared trying to keep Huddersfield Town in the Championship with climbing Everest.
He reasons that the nearer you get to the top, the harder it gets to reach the summit.
And in this case, Town found Luton already encamped and ready to stamp on their fingers.
The painful blow was delivered by Luton captain Sonny Bradley, four minutes into the second half, wrestling his way free at a corner to head firmly home.
It stung even more because it was a soft goal to give away no-one muscling in a challenge in the six-yard box
Matters became worse 18 minutes from time when Elliot Lee added to Town’s woes, and they looked a frustrated bunch after that.
Events were harder to stomach because Cowley’s troops had had by far the better of the opening 45 minutes, turgid though it was.
Unfortunately, they finished looking shambolic.
A mass of orange shirts faced any Town player who found an opportunity in the final third.
And for all the best efforts of Emile Smith Rowe, Karlan Grant, Chris Willock and the niggling
Fraizer Campbell, the Terriers couldn’t find the killer touch.
Perhaps that shouldn’t be a surprise against a team beaten now just twice in 12 matches and who the Championship leaders, Leeds United, couldn’t dispose of on their own patch just last week.
And the lack of cutting edge has become a recurring theme for Town, who have netted just once in six matches apart from the three they grabbed at Birmingham.
After one point in the first eight games perhaps some would settle for that scenario, but this was a big opportunity missed for valuable breathing space above the drop zone.
Sluga, Bree, Carter-Vickers, Bradley, Potts, Mpanzu, Shinnie (Cranie, 90), Berry, Lee (LuaLua, 80), Collins (Hylton, 80), Cornick (McManaman, 68). Subs: Tunnicliffe, Moncur, Butterfield, Kioso, Shea.
The upshot is that Town remain very much in the relegation mire - and they still have a mountain to climb.
Cowley rang the changes in the second half, sending on Mounie for Campbell 10 minutes in and, a further 10 minutes into the piece, made the key decision to introduce Juninho Bacuna and Andy King for Lewis O’Brien and Jonathan Hogg.
It was Bacuna’s slip when trying to play a crossfield ball which led to Luton going 2-0 up on 72 minutes.
James Collins was unlucky to see his rocket shot rebound off the woodwork after being put through, but Elliot Lee was alive to smash home the scraps.
It was that sort of urgency and quality which eluded Town throughout the game.
Perhaps Smith Rowe had the best chance when wriggling free in the box on 65 minutes, but he dragged his shot across goal and wide.
That summed up Town’s match, really, because an equaliser then would have put a whole different complexion on it. But the chance was missed.
By the time Bacuna had a late header over the top and fellow sub Alex Pritchard fired into the empty stands, the writing was already on the wall.