THE VERDICT: TOWN 2 LUTON 0 Town tough it out to go third after Luton battle
JON Russell and Naby Sarr came up with the goods for Huddersfield Town as they claimed a massive victory over fellow playoff contenders Luton Town.
The game was not a classic, with both sides defending superbly, but the hosts were able to come up with the two decisive moments to claim the full three points against a side who started the evening just a point behind them in the table.
Carlos Corberan made four changes to his Terriers line-up for the occasion, with Ollie Turton, Duane Holmes, Josh Koroma and Jordan Rhodes dropped to the bench in favour of Pipa, Jonathan Hogg, Danel Sinani and Danny Ward.
That meant Sorba Thomas moving across to the left wing in a 4-3-3 that turned into a 3-4-3 off the ball, with Hogg dropping in between centre-back pairing Tom Lees and Levi Colwill to help give Town the numerical advantage over dangerous Luton forwards Harry Cornick and Elijah Adebayo.
With both sides playing a back three, real clear-cut opportunities were at a premium.
Lewis O’Brien curled a presentable early effort over the bar from the edge of the box when he really should have hit the target with perhaps the best chance of the first half.
The hosts also threatened to do something from set pieces, with Fred Onyedinma relieved to see his headed clearance off a dead ball fly narrowly wide of his own goal under pressure from Tom Lees.
Thomas subsequently had a shot from the edge of the box doubledeflected on its way through to goalkeeper
James Shea, who laughed as the ball bounced off his outstretched legs and into his hands when it really could have gone anywhere.
In response Luton got themselves into decent attacking positions but were constantly thwarted by a well-organised Terriers back line, with a speculative Harry Cornick effort that forced a routine save out of Lee Nicholls all they had to speak of in terms of shots on target before the break.
Town were slightly fortunate not to go behind off a great James Bree cross shortly after the restart. The right-backs’s ball in looked inviting for either Allan Campbell or Adebayo,
(89)
Russell (59), Sarr
None 45% 55%
15 8
6 3
Thomas, Nicholls, Toffolo
Onyedinma, Naismith
Geoff
18, 379
APRIL 15 QPR (H) LEAGUE 5.30PM
Shea, Bree, Brtadley, Naismith, Onyedinma, Mpanzu, Lansbu r y, Bell, Campbell, Cornick, Adebayo
Potts, Berry, Hlyton, Snod g rass , Kioso, Isted, Muskwe
but neither of them were able to get a touch to it and the ball ran out for a goal kick.
Town’s best chance of the game led indirectly to their goal, but only in quite a roundabout way.
A well-crossed free kick from near the left corner flag was halfcleared as far as Sinani, whose fierce half volley was deflected out for a corner.
The Luxembourger’s delivery was poor but produced a throwin that Pipa eventually took after a lengthy stoppage to allow Luton to make a substitution.
On the restart, the right-back found the unmarked Russell just inside the opposition box, and he lifted the ball over the keeper