Goals from Gabriel Osho and Tom Lockyer helped Luton Town produce one of the narrow football results of the weekend. They will compete for a spot in the Premier League against either Middlesbrough or Coventry, who will play one another in the other second leg on Wednesday night at Wembley.
The Hatters, managed by Rob Edwards, were down 2-1 after the first leg on Saturday and immediately made it obvious that they intended to equal the score. After 10 minutes, Gabriel Osho assisted the ball over the goal line from one of the several set-pieces that proved difficult for the visitors to handle throughout the evening. The intensity of Kenilworth Road combined with that goal made Sunderland, who had the division’s fourth-best away record during the regular season, uneasy. However, Tom Lockyer’s header just before halftime changed the momentum in favor of Luton, and the Black Cats were unable to recover at a time when they most needed a performance on the road.
This had all the makings of a classic from the beginning. The scene was one of the most distinctive stadiums in the second tier, and the mood was equal parts fervour and dread. Amad Diallo, a pantomime villain who rapidly irritated the home supporters, also appeared early on. Luton struck first, just as they had on Wearside four days previously. Osho pounced to score the opening goal to restore parity on the overall score after Sunderland failed to cope with an inswinging corner and custodian Anthony Patterson was unable to collect it.
Pierre Ekwah was denied an equalizer by two crucial stops from Ethan Horvath in short succession. Diallo continued to search for spaces from which to unleash one of his signatures long-range attempts, but Luton was unwilling to give him the room he needed to work. Midway through the first half, Luke O’Nien blocked Carlton Morris’ attempt to give the Hatters a second goal. Nevertheless, the Hatters persisted in applying pressure to the Black Cats, and they were rewarded when Lockyer worked tirelessly to head in Alfie Doughty’s delicious cross.
Just a few seconds after the interval, Luton had the opportunity to completely eliminate their opponents. After O’Nien erred, Patterson swept up, but he messed up his own pass, which dropped right to Morris. Unable to maintain his calm, Morris skied his attempt. Most of the second half went by without any major incidents, but as the game’s end drew closer, Luton was compelled to put up a strong defensive effort since they knew one goal from Sunderland would have forced extra time. They dug hard, with each tackle or block being applauded in the bleachers as if it were a goal. And after the game, Luton, who had kept a clean sheet, climbed to within one game of the Premier League, 14 years after being kicked out.
“It’s amazing. I’m ecstatic for this football team, its supporters, and everyone associated with it. I’m extremely proud of the guys. It is amazing to make it to Wembley and a final. I understand that there is still work to be done because once you reach the finals, it all comes down to winning. But it’s a wonderful sensation,” Luton Town boss Rob Edwards said. “As planned, we got off to a strong start and were immediately competitive. Although you can’t plan to score at the correct times, you can only pray that it will. We jumped out in front and applied a lot of pressure to them. It was fantastic to score a few goals, and it was even wonderful to see it through. They haven’t got a tonne of opportunities throughout the two matches. This evening, we had a lot. I considered the victory to be very deserving. I’m happy for the guys.”
“We were aware of their advantages and any possible flaws we may have, and they actually did materialize. I merely expressed my pride in them all to them. I’m proud of the fans and of Sunderland as a whole. Amazing what they’ve accomplished this year, but sadly, we ran out of football team-specific equipment,” Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray said. “Football teams are built up of speed, quality, size, physicality, and talent, I’ve always maintained. Our crew was lacking a few essential components. They deserve a lot of praise. Of course, they were really dedicated, as you could anticipate. They scored on set plays, which we were aware were our weak point. My pride in the group is the major message.”
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