A Valiant Effort

After losing 50% of our normal players to help teams higher up in the club we had to borrow the 4s for players, to even put a team out (thanks Martin/Tee, I am very grateful).

Despite adding the new members to the team, Luton stuck with our 2-3-2-3 formation, and it was another strong display from the first 2 lines who had to weather the storm of Harpenden's attacks, although most of this was self-inflicted by the lack of composure at key moments on too many occasions which meant that our attacks ended prematurely.

Harpenden quickly worked out which was our formation, and their strategy was to upgrade their attacks in the D to a penalty corner and deep into the first half they won one, which their centre forward rifled past our runners and Joe to chalk up their first goal and go into halftime 1-0 up.

After a rather 'honest' team talk from the captain Luton started the 2nd half with a renewed vim & vigour and ten minutes in Luton believe that they had a goal disallowed when Alfie tipped in a Perri pass from a penalty corner into the top corner.

Luton did not allow their heads to drop and brushed the disappointment aside when just minutes later Faz burst down the right, beating several Harpenden players and fired the ball to the back post where Ricky volleyed it into the top corner – 1-1, game on!

The rest of the second half Luton started to slowly get on top, when passes were starting to have more purpose were finding red shirts instead of white, however against the run of play when the Luton midfield were nowhere to be seen Harpenden outnumbered the Luton defence playing a nice one two around the full backs and slotted the ball into the corner out of Joes reach.

With Charlie and Alfie linking up well down the right side Luton felt we were always in the game and both were unlucky to be pipped to the MOTM by Ricky whose industry (and goal) just beat them.

The game ended 2-1 to Harpenden and Luton must chalk this down as a missed opportunity for a point, but we did not deserve all three.

MOTM: Ricky Aldridge