Pelly turns into Pele to finally end goal drought
LUTON STOKE
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PELLY-RUDDOCK MPANZU grabbed his first goal in 18 months to keep Luton’s promotion march firmly on course.
Rob Edwards’ side registered their sixth win in their last seven league games to close to within 10 points off the automatic promotion places and stay in fourth spot in the Championship.
Edwards said: “We know how difficult the challenge is in the Championship, but we want to be in the mix by the last five games.
“The fans feel it. I’m not shy about talking about it. Let’s commit to it and have a go. If we don’t make it, let’s have another go next year. But I believe in these players.
“If we have to wait another 18 months for a goal from Pelly I’ll take it.
“He was brilliant for us today. He runs and runs and fights for the team.
“The fans love to see people who give everything for the badge and Pelly does that.”
It took the Hatters less than six minutes to break through at Kenilworth Road.
Elijah Adebayo was brought down but referee Dean Whitestone played advantage and Mpanzu, on his 352nd appearance, picked up the loose ball to rattle home his shot from 25 yards.
Edwards’ side ran Stoke ragged for most of the opening period and Luton appealed unsucessfully for a penalty when Jordan Clark was brought down.
Stoke’s only effort saw Lewis Baker curl his shot just wide but then Hatters frontman Carlton Morris rode a tackle and drove just over, while Potters debutant goalkeeper Matija Sarkic did well to hold Amari’i Bell’s 30-yard piledriver.
Alex Neil’s side had their moments and Ben Wilmot saw his effort disallowed.
Then substitute Tyrese Campbell shot over when he should have done better.
But Luton came close to adding a second, as Clark shot straight at Sarkic, Cauley Woodrow flicked a header just wide and Mpanzu almost netted again.
Neil, whose side are now just six points above the drop zone, said: “Luton started better than us and I was disappointed with the goal. But after that I didn’t think there was much in it.”
LUTON: Horvath 7; Drameh 6 (Onyedinma (62) 6), Lockyer 7, Bell 7; Burke 7; Campbell 6 (Nakamba (62) 6), Clark 7, Mpanzu 8, Doughty 7; Morris 7 (Woodrow (70) 6), Adebayo 7
STOKE: Sarkic 6; Wilmot 6, Jagielka 6, Fox 6; Laurent 6, Baker 6 (Smallbone (70) 5), Celina 7 (Thompson (83) 6), Tymon 5 (Hoever (46) 6); Brown 6 Gayle 5 (Campbell (70) 5), Sterling 6
STAR MAN: Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu – Took his goal sweetly and simply didn’t stop working for 90 minutes.
REF: Dean Whitestone 7