Wycombe revival in the red

GARETH AINSWORTH insisted the great escape is still on for Wycombe after their hopes of a third straight win were hit by a disputed red card.

Chairboys boss Ainsworth will appeal against Josh Knight’s 57th-minute dismissals for a reckless challenge on Jordan Clark which turned the game Luton’s way.

At the time Wycombe were deservedly ahead through Anis Mehmeti’s 37th-minute penalty.

The 10 men battled manfully but were undone by three cracking goals in the final 10 minutes from George Moncur, Kazenga LuaLua and Elijah Adebayo.

Ainsworth said:

“It was not a red card in my opinion. The referee’s gone for his pocket quicker than I have ever seen.

“We will appeal the red card because that was not a sending off for me.

“The dream is still alive. We just need to win five out of five now, which we can do.”

Wycombe scored first when Admiral Muskwe was fouled by Kal Naismith. Hatters’ keeper Simon Sluga got a hand to the spot-kick but could not stop Mehmeti’s shot.

The game swung Luton’s way when Knight’s lunge for the ball saw him catch Clark.

Moncur fired in a 25-yard free-kick on 80 minutes to level, then LuaLua curled in a screamer from the edge of the box five minutes later, before Adebayo headed home.

Hatters boss Nathan Jones said: “A lot will say the red card changed the game but I am not sure that it helped. I think the half-time changes helped us and we were excellent in the second half.”

WYCOMBE: Stockdale 7; Grimmer 7, Stewart 7, Knight 6; McCarthy 6, Thompson 6, Adeniran 6, Onyedinma 7; Mehmeti 6 (Wheeler 62, 6); Muskwe 6 (Akinfenwa 82), Ikpeazu 8 (Samuel 78).

LUTON TOWN: Sluga 6; Naismith 6, Bradley 6, Pearson 6 (Moncur 77); Bree 6 (LuaLua 54, 7), Mpanzu 7, Berry 6 (Cornick 46, 7), Tunnicliffe 6 (Dewsbury-Hall 46, 7), Clark 6; Collins 6 (Rea 90), Adebayo 7.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Uche Ikpeazu. Dominant player for Wycombe until the sending off changed the game.

REFEREE: Oliver Langford 7.