HATTERS MAD AT RULED-OUT GOAL
LUTON manager Graeme Jones felt his side were let down by the officials as they lost to Charlton at The Valley.
A second-half effort from James Collins was ruled offside, with the Championship strugglers still level.
After going behind 10 minutes after the disallowed effort – and conceding a third late on – Luton are at the foot of the table, still four points off safety.
Jones said the Collins goal would have changed the game had it stood.
He said “I’ve got no complaints with the lads. The big moment in the game was our ruled out goal, which we’ve looked at and it wasn’t offside.
“They’re huge decisions and they were given against little Luton again, which I don’t like because at 2-1 up you’re in the ascendancy.
“If there was ever a game that swung on a big decision that was it.
“We were in a really good moment – if we had gone 2-1 up we understand how to control football matches, and I would have been very confident. Then we give a silly penalty away and we’re chasing the game.”
Charlton had the first real opportunity, when Naby Sarr turned and shot in the area – but saw his effort rifle off the crossbar. Alfie Doughty then shot from just inside the area, which forced keeper Simon Sluga to tip over.
Lyle Taylor broke the deadlock when he was able to turn and shoot past the outstretched arms of Sluga, for his 10th goal of the season.
Charlton boss Lee Bowyer said: “Lyle’s first goal was very good. I see him do that every day in training. He scores from nothing.”
The lead was short-lived. Two minutes later Luton equalised when the home defence failed to clear the ball properly, allowing Harry Cornick to fire home.
Collins then had the ball in the back of the net after 51 minutes, when he put the final touch on a shot by Cornick, but he was flagged offside.
With Luton denied, they contributed to their own downfall when Collins handled a shot by George Lapslie. Taylor converted the resulting penalty.
Luton struggled to get a foothold back in the contest, but almost forced an equaliser when an effort by George Moncur was well saved by Dillon Phillips.
Lapslie netted his first league goal for Charlton three minutes from time, converting from close range after a onetwo with Macauley Bonne.
Victory puts the south London side five points above the drop zone.
Bowyer added: “We created enough chances in the second half to win the game comfortably. We moved the ball quicker, our movement off the ball was better. We deserved to win.
“It was a big three points, they all are now.
“Every point is valuable – nothing is given to you in this league, you have to earn it.
“Today we earned the three points. There’s a lot to play for. There are a lot more teams in this scrap than I think people realise – it’s the teams above us that are going to get drawn into this.”