ALL THAT KAZ! Supersub strikes perfect note as winner boosts Luton survival bid
HULL 0 LUTON 1
LUTON are on the verge of a stunning great escape thanks to Kazenga LuaLua’s dramatic late strike.
Town’s supersub grabbed a priceless 85th-minute winner to haul Nathan Jones’ heroes towards safety and may have sent Hull down to the third tier for the first time in 15 years.
LuaLua was given time and space to drive forward and find the bottom corner from 20 yards to reward Luton’s second-half dominance in a tight, tense and tetchy basement battle.
It’s just one defeat in 11 games for a side written off as certainties for the drop before the Covid-19 break, and victory at home to Blackburn on Wednesday will secure another season of Championship football at Kenilworth Road.
Jones has led the escape since returning to Kenilworth Road in May, and the delighted boss said: “It’s a brilliant victory for us, and well deserved for the way the lads dug in. We’ve come this far now but we know there’s still a lot of work to do to get over the line. We need one final big push.”
Hull can still save
HULL LUTON 0 ........ Shots on Target ......... 4 4 ........ Shots off Target ......... 8 3 ................ Corners ................. 6 25 ................ Fouls ................... 11 2 ............... Offsides ................ 0 53.4..Passing Success % .. 76.3 223 ....... Total Passes ........ 384 37.5 ..... Possession % ..... 62.5 57 ..... Territorial Adv % ..... 43 themselves on the final day – but need to win at Cardiff and hope other results go their way, along with the potential points deduction for Wigan being upheld.
After one victory in their last 19 league games, boss Grant McCann admits it’s a long shot, and with the Tigers facing a second relegation in four seasons, the Irishman said: “We’re on the brink of League One, there’s no hiding from the fact.
“It’s still mathematically possible for us to stay up, and while that’s the case we’ll keep fighting.”
To the backdrop of fan protests outside the KCOM Stadium against the club’s owners, the Allam family, McCann wielded the axe in making six changes to the side humiliated 8-0 by Paul Cook’s Latics in midweek.
That included dropping skipper Jordy de Wijs, in addition to a first league start for almost two years for keeper Matt Ingram.
It had the desired effect as the Tigers at least put in a display to restore a measure of pride.
Hull carved out the best early chances, and could have gone into the interval with a two-goal lead, but for a pair of crucial interventions from Simon Sluga.
The Luton keeper had to be alert to tip George Honeyman’s in-swinging free-kick over inside three minutes, before the Croatia ace pulled off an even better save to keep out a pointblank header from Mallik Wilks as the Tigers pressed. McCann’s men also had penalty appeals waved away when claiming handball as James Collins blocked a Kevin Stewart shot as Luton reached the break level, before the second-half saw a role reversal.
Collins was lucky to receive just a caution for headbutting Angus MacDonald in retaliation to being fouled by the defender, and almost celebrated his reprieve with a goal when the striker was inches from connecting with a diving header.
Glen Rea was unable to direct a close-range header on target from a corner, and Elliot Lee went close with a long-range free-kick.
It looked to be heading for a stalemate until Hull stood off in the closing moments, allowing LuaLua the opportunity to bang a nail in their survival hopes.