Car crash HECK RAP AS BLADES STUMBLE
PAUL HECKINGBOTTOM urged his team to shake things up after the gap between Sheffield United and Middlesbrough was cut to four points.
Carlton Morris scored his 15th goal of the season when he swept home Elijah Adebayo’s low cross after he had all too easily shrugged off the Blades defence.
It was enough to fire Luton to fourth as they set a new club record of 10 away wins in a second-tier season.
But it was another stutter by the hosts who laboured throughout, although John Egan and Oli McBurnie threatened late on.
It was a fourth defeat in six league games for Sheffield United and boss Heckingbottom said: “In the next 10 games we’ve got to play with a freedom and risk the ball and be the ones forcing the issue because that’s what’s got us in this position.
“But we can control our performance and our intent.”
There was little in the way of attacking quality in the first half with Jayden Bogle and Anel Ahmedhodzic both comfortably thwarted by Luton keeper Ethan Horvath. It was no more than Luton deserved when they went ahead and Cauley Woodrow almost doubled the lead late on, only for his shot to flash beyond the far post.
They moved to within seven points of the Blades although boss Rob Edwards refused to be drawn on whether they were in the hunt for automatic promotion.
He said: “That’s not for me to say – that’s for you lot.
“We’re just working really hard every single day and we want to be in that mix with five games to go – whatever mix that is, we’ll see.
“We are doing well and we’re enjoying it but we’ve got another massive game on Wednesday now and that’s all I can think about.” SHEFFIELD UNITED: Foderingham 6; Ahmedhodzic 6, Egan 6, Robinson 6 (McAtee (70) 6); Bogle 6, Berge 6, Norwood 6 (Doyle (70) 6), Fleck 6 (Sharp (59) 6), Lowe 6; Ndiaye 6, McBurnie 6
LUTON: Horvath 7; Osho 7, Lockyer 7, Bell 7; Drameh 6, Nakamba 6, Campbell 7, Mpanzu 6 (Berry (26) 6); Onyedinma 7 (Bradley (85) 5); Morris 7 (Woodrow (76)
6), Adebayo 7
STAR MAN: Carlton Morris – took his solitary chance well to secure a vital win for the Hatters.
REFEREE: Leigh Doughty 7