It’s a mad Hatters Lee party as Tomlin nets his third in four
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CHRIS WILDER has praised Sheffield United captain Billy Sharp for his key role in maintaining the club’s unwavering morale. The striker has made only three Premier League appearances this season but boss Wilder said: “He’s always taken his duties very seriously and selflessly. Competition for places is fierce but he is still pushing for a shirt.”
STEVE FLETCHER’S reward for saving Bournemouth from oblivion in his playing days was to have a stand named after him.
Now Eddie Howe is banking on the Cherries legend-turned-coach to help pull off another relegation Great Escape.
Fletcher, 47 (below) was a key man as Bournemouth recovered from being docked 17 points to avoid dropping out of the Football League in 2009.
After last weekend’s crunch win over drop rivals Aston Villa, Howe tasked his former team-mate with giving a motivational speech to his players.
The Cherries boss said: “Fletch was always the speaker in huddles at the end of the game.
“This was something we did in our Great Escape season when he was brought back to the club.
“He was a catalyst behind the feeling we had to stay in the league.
“He knew the importance of that situation.
“I thought it would be nice to go back in time a little bit and get him to speak to the players in a very similar situation when we are fighting relegation.
“I sprung it on him and he only had a couple of seconds to compose himself but he spoke very well.
“I think it is good you have got people that care so much about the club.
“Fletch and other staff members are absolutely crucial in these moments.”
If Fletcher is the Cherries’ leader off the pitch, Howe says goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale has emerged as one of his key men on it.
Ramsdale, 21 returns to Bramall Lane today for the first time since joining ournemouth from the Blades for a bargain £800,000 in January 2017.
Howe said: “Aaron has been hugely important and is growing week by week.
“It was a big challenge for a young player at the start of the season to become our No.1.
“I have seen a real leader developing.”
ALEX CROOK
CARDIFF ace Lee Tomlin contributed very little until he scored the only goal of the game – and boss Neil Harris could not be happier.
The playmaker struck in the 73rd minute, his third goal in four games, to move the Bluebirds to within four points of the play-offs.
Harris said: “Lee couldn’t get in the game for the first 45 minutes, or even for the first hour.
“He was starved of the ball until the goal.
“We talked at half-time about getting the ball to him in deeper areas and that moment changed the game thanks to his quality around the box.”
Cardiff began with a barrage of corners as
Luton gave debutant
Albert Adomah, the on-loan Nottingham Forest winger, and full-back Jazz Richards too much space on the right.
Matty Pearson nodded Marlon Pack’s header off the line before Luton at last got going through forward Izzy Brown.
He fired two free-kicks into the wall and then won possession outside the Cardiff box to slip in Harry Cornick.
But the striker, who had previously been guilty of failing to connect with Ryan Tunnicliffe’s inviting cross, fired across goal and wide.
The Hatters’ play was urgent rather than sophisticated, a result of their shocking league position.
But they continued to create chances before the break.
Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu volleyed just wide after
Cardiff failed to clear and the half ended with Pack deflecting Brown’s drive over the bar.
Callum Paterson had been waiting more than an hour for a decent chance and Pearson eventually presented him with just that through his botched efforts to get the ball back to his goalkeeper.
The striker nipped in and tried to loft the ball over Simon Sluga, who stuck up a hand to deny him.
Tomlin had hardly had a touch either but showed his class with a 73rd-minute winner.
Adomah set him up for a curling effort from just outside the box that Sluga couldn’t get a glove to. Luton toiled in search of an equaliser but when Smithies fumbled in stoppage time, James Collins couldn’t capitalise.
It was a 21st league reverse of a painful Championship return for the rock-bottom Hatters, who are now nine points adrift of safety.
Manager Graeme Jones said: “The difference was that we didn’t take our chances and they took their one.
“The performance was good enough to get something out of the game – it’s the story of the season.”