Date: Saturday 26th September, 2009
Competition: Blue Square Premier
Weather at kick-off: sunny
Goals:
United: Pitt 20', Holroyd 33' (pen) and 65'
Luton: Gallen 48', Jarvis 60', Howells 61', Gallen (pen) 74'

In a true game of two halves, United started well and were leading 2-0 against ten men at half-time, but Luton scored four times after the break to take a hard-earned three points from a game that had seven goals, two penalties, a red card and everything apart from a win for the U's.

Martin Ling made his first changes to the line-up for eight games, handing starting places to Courtney Pitt and Tuesday goalscorer Mark Beesley in place of Andy Parkinson and Danny Crow.

Luton boss Mick Harford made one changes to the side beaten 3-0 at Wrexham on Tuesday, calling up Jake Howells in place of forward Tom Craddock. Former U's left-back Freddie Murray was included in the starting XI and makes another return to his former ground after playing here for Stevenage last season.

The game kicked off in an electric atmosphere and Courtney Pitt was welcomed into his first start of the season by a lunging challenge from Claude Gnakpa inside the first 30 seconds, while the first chance fell to Rossi Jarvis in the fourth minute when he turned onto a loose ball 20 yards out but fired straight at Danny Potter.

Pitt was causing lots of problems down the left, especially to his marker Gnakpa, and on 7 his great pass sent Holroyd through into the area, but instead of shooting the striker tried to pick out Beesley and the ball flicked off White and was smothered by Tyler.

Luton countered and Liam Hatch volleyed a 30-yarder shot over the top, and as both sets of fans roared their teams on United broke away through Pitt, who was hauled back by Gnakpa at the cost of an early booking.

United had most of the possession but the visitors were dangerous on the break. Kevin Gallen and Hatch both fired off target from outside the area before Gallen delivered a measured cross to Newton who sidefooted the ball wide, then Howells connected with a Brian Saah clearance and curled a shot over from the edge of the area.

Having weathered that early storm, United took the lead with a well-worked goal in the 20th minute. Mark Beesley made space on the right and rolled the ball to Courtney Pitt in a central position, and the comeback man dragged the ball away from a defender and struck a low left-footer past Tyler.

The goal took the sting out of Luton's attacking play for a while, although Hatch nodded a free kick comfortably wide on 23 and six minutes later Jarvis' 20-yard volley was watched over the bar by Danny Potter, wearing pink gloves today in aid of breast cancer awareness.

He was called upon to make a save from the veteran Gallen who met Hall's cross with a good header on 31, but two minutes later United had extended the lead.

Pitt released Anthony Tonkin on an overlapping run down the left, and although the fullback's cross was blocked he won the ball back and was brought down in the area by Gnakpa's clumsy challenge. Mr Madley had no hesitation in awarding a penalty but had to book Hatch for his protests before the kick could be taken.

Chris Holroyd stepped up to take it and drove the ball low down the middle, and although Tyler made contact he was unable to stop Holroyd's tenth goal and his third successful penalty of the season.

Gnakpa had a cross caught by Potter on 36 and a shot blocked by Carden on 38, but United were playing with confidence and verve and only a last-ditch interception prevented Beesley from sending Pitt clear after a flowing move through the middle.

Luton's fans were already incensed at the penalty but they were further dismayed in the 43rd minute when Hatch made a needless foul on Carden and received his second yellow card and his marching orders, leading to angry scenes among the visiting supporters.

As an increasingly tense first half drew to a close, Tonkin was booked for a stoppage time foul on Newton, and as the teams filed from the pitch it was a welcome opportunity for everyone to draw breath.

Half-time summary by match commentator Mark Johnson:
"A half with it all - a great comeback goal from Courtney Pitt, a penalty that the visitors will contest bitterly, and a red card to boot - United are very much in the ascendancy in a tinderbox atmosphere."

Second half:
Ten-man Luton came out with purpose and reduced the deficit with a goal just three minutes into the half. Wayne Hatswell cleared Murray's cross behind for a corner, which was crossed in by Jarvis, and although Danny Potter made a superb block from Alan White's header the ball fell to Gallen who stabbed it into the roof of the net from close-range.

Luton escaped a further sending-off four minutes later when Chris Holroyd twisted and turned past Gnakpa and was tripped by the defender as he threatened to get away. The former Peterborough man was called to the referee and was very fortunate to escape a second booking, and Luton boss Mick Harford responded immediately by withdrawing Gnakpa and sending on Callum Reynolds in his place.

Half-chances followed at both ends but the visitors looked the side most likely to force the next goal and on the hour the ten men were level through an excellent goal. They sliced United open with a well-worked one-two, Rossi Jarvis receiving the ball back from the influential Gallen and curling it deftly beyond Potter, who had no chance.

Backed by their jubilant fans, Luton were well on top now and incredibly they took the lead a minute later. 34-year-old Gallen was involved again, his shot well-parried by Potter but rebounding to Jake Howells on the right of the area for the simplest of tap-ins.

That was Howells' last kick of the game as he limped off straight afterwards to be replaced by Shane Blackett, but the twists and turns weren't over yet and on 65 Cambridge United were back on level terms.

Pitt and Carden both had crosses cleared before Dan Gleeson's great cross was met by Hatswell, his far post header was saved by Tyler but ran for Holroyd, who turned it in at close-range for a good poacher's finish.

United's relief was short-lived as moments after the restart Newton had a shot blocked and the ball ricocheted dangerously around the area before it was eventually hacked away by Gleeson, and on 68 Fred Murray was booked for hauling back Robbie Willmott.

The teams traded half-chances and free kicks at a frenetic pace as they both sought a winner, and the game turned again on 74 with the award of another penalty. Brian Saah was booked for pushing White at a Luton corner and Kevin Gallen sent Potter the wrong way with a cool spot kick to restore Luton's lead.

Martin Ling immediately freshened up the U's line-up and added an extra striker by sending on Danny Crow, Lee Phillips and Sam Ives for Robbie Willmott, Mark Beesley and Courtney Pitt.

The vastly-experienced Gallen attracted boos from the home crowd when he stayed down after an accidental collision with Saah and earned the already-booked defender a further talking-to, and a few minutes later the two-goal striker was replaced by Tom Craddock after helping to change the course of the game.

Tonkin was one of United's busiest attacking outlets in the closing stages, overlapping down the left to deliver several good crosses but the Luton defence protected their lead well and Tonkin, Crow and Ives all had crosses charged down or headed away.

United went close on 86 when Saah side-footed the ball from close-range but Tyler made a good stop and the ball was forced behind for the first of two corners. The first was cleared behind by White and the second sat up for Hatswell but his shot was saved by Tyler.

The five minutes of stoppage time were all United as they desperately sought another equaliser. Hatswell headed Gleeson's cross wide, Holroyd turned on the edge of the area but his shot was too close to Tyler, Phillips nodded a cross down for Hatswell but his shot was charged down, another Gleeson cross was too high for Tonkin and in the final action of the game Tonkin's cross was snatched by Tyler, leaving Luton to celebrate an unlikely win against the odds after an astounding second half comeback.

Cambridge United:
Danny Potter, Dan Gleeson, Brian Saah, Wayne Hatswell, Anthony Tonkin; Robbie Willmott (Danny Crow 75'), Paul Carden (c), Jai Reason, Courtney Pitt (Sam Ives 75'); Chris Holroyd, Mark Beesley (Lee Phillips 75').
Subs not used: Josh Coulson, Andy Parkinson.

Booked: Tonkin foul 45', Saah foul 74'

Luton Town:
Mark Tyler, Claude Gnakpa (Callum Reynolds 53'), Alan White, George Pilkington (c), Fred Murray; Adam Newton, Rossi Jarvis, Asa Hall, Jake Howells (Shane Blackett 63'); Kevin Gallen (Tom Craddock 81'), Liam Hatch.
Subs not used: Shane Gore, Ryan Charles.

Booked: Gnakpa foul 8', Hatch dissent 32', Murray foul 68'
Sent off: Hatch foul 43'

Referee: Mr Robert Madley

Attendance: 4,870 (away 1,728)

Post-match summary by commentator Mark Johnson:
"An extraordinary match at the Abbey saw Cambridge United squander a 2-0 half-time lead against ten-man Luton. United shaded the first half with Courtney Pitt and a Chris Holroyd penalty giving them a two-goal cushion at the break, a cushion padded when Liam Hatch saw red two minutes before the break. But the red card galvanised the visitors and Kevin Gallen struck within three minutes of the re-start, and two goals in as many minutes from Jarvis and Howells gave them an unlikely lead by the hour. United weren't finished and Holroyd made it 3-3 with 25 minutes to go, but Luton, who had dominated the second period, had the final word through Gallen with a penalty 15 minutes from the end of a breathless game."

Mark's Man of the Match:
"Chris Holroyd - ran himself into the ground and at times in the first half did the same to the Luton defence."

Ref: Mr Madley - had a lot of key decisions to make and probably only got one wrong when he gave Gnakpa a final warning rather than reducing the visitors to nine men. 7/10."

Now discuss the match on the Message Board with fellow U's

AT090926 web@cambridge-united.co.uk