Luton hero Adebayo is target for vile abuse
Hatters’ fine fightback at Forest is marred as... Nottm Forest 2 Wood 48, 76 Luton 2 Ogbene 83, Adebayo 90+2
ELIJAH ADEBAYO was the target for online racial abuse after his brilliant equaliser in the second minute of stoppage time clinched a precious point for Luton Town.
Adebayo came off the bench to complete a fine fight back by Luton at Nottingham Forest who were ahead 2-0 going into the 83rd minute thanks to Chris Wood’s double.
Steve Cooper’s team controlled the majority of the game and deserved their lead but lost their focus as the visitors summoned a spirited finish.
Chiedozie Ogbene gave the visitors hoped when he pounced on a defensive lapse by Forest as they defended a free-kick to score his first Premier League goal.
Then Adebayo produced the equaliser, pulling down a long pass from Tom Lockyer on his chest and holding off Joe Worrall before driving it low past Matt Turner.
Those in the away end erupted and left the City Ground singing songs about staying up but once the celebrations ended, Adebayo returned to the dressing room, turned on his phone and found another racist message on his social media.
He has suffered something similar on his last outing, when he missed a sitter in a 1-0 defeat against Tottenham, prompting both clubs to issue statements of support and promise to the fight back against discrimination. Luton will report the latest abuse to the police and the Premier League.
‘I’m really proud of the players,’ said Luton boss Rob Edwards. ‘The spirit, fight and determination they showed. We finish games strongly, we will never give up, we’ll always keep fighting.
‘The lads don’t give up. We have to emphasise that. What’s the point of being here if you give up and roll over at 2-0 down. We’ll stick our hand in the fire and pulling out a result. We can lean on this and use it going forwards.’
The home crowd, however, and Forest boss Steve Cooper were deflated as three points were turned into one. ‘It felt like a defeat, that’s definitely two points dropped,’ said Cooper. ‘Which is a real pity because we completely dominated the game and if we were sitting here on the back of a 2-0 win I’d say it was among our best performances of the season.’
Forest had the better of the first half’s slim pickings. Wood, continuing to the lead line again in the absence of Taiwo Awoniyi, had three efforts before the interval. The first saved by Thomas Kaminski, the second deflected over off Teden Mengi and the third, a header, was off target.
The Luton keeper foiled Harry Toffolo and Ibrahim Sangare really ought to have opened the scoring with the last kick of the first half but pulled his effort wide of the gaping goal.
Forest finally broke through early in the second half when Wood beat the advancing keeper Kaminski following a sweeping move. Jacob Brown missed a wonderful chance to level and Luton flickered after a triple change. Ross Barkley and Andros Townsend, on his debut, added some creative quality but Forest stretched their lead on the counterattack.
Anthony Elanga’s teasing cross from the left was glanced in by Wood’s header inside the far post.
That ought to have been that. But Cooper’s team failed to clear a freekick and Ogbene pounced to pull a goal back. Further encouragement came from eight minutes of added time and Adebayo made it 2-2.
Wood thought he had a winner for a hat- trick, a low finish on an angle but he was a yard offside.
NOTTINGHAM FOREST (4-3-3): Turner 6; Aurier 5.5 (Aina 88min), Boly 6 (Worrall 78), Murillo 6, Toffolo 6; Dominguez 6 (Yates 78), Mangala 6.5, Sangare 7 (Kouyate 78); Gibbs-White 7.5, Wood 8, Elanga 7 (Williams 88). Booked: Sangare, Gibbs-White, Murillo. Subs (not used): Vlachodimos, Santos, Niakhate, Aguilera. LUTON (4-4-2): Kaminski 7; Burke 6 (Kabore 55, 6), Lockyer 6.5, Mengi 6, Doughty 6.5; Ogbene 7, Nakamba 6.5, Mpanzu 5 (Barkley 72, 6), Chong 6.5 (Townsend 72, 6); Morris 6 (Woodrow 81), Brown 5 (Adebayo 72, 6.5). Booked: None. Subs (not used): Krul, Osho, Giles, Luker. Referee: S Barrott (Yorkshire) 6.