Luton Town 1 Stockport County 1 ( Football League 1) Saturday 21 March 2026

 

 

 

County showed real metal today, coming back from a goal down to share the spoils with Luton Town at their Kenilworth Road home.

To be accurate however ` coming back from ` hardly covers it, as County, 1-0 down at the break, totally dominated their upcoming Wembley opponents in front of a partisan home crowd of over 10000 in a one sided second half.

Key to County`s recovery was Ollie Norwood who scored the blue`s equaliser via a typically audacious free kick.

That County could, maybe should have got themselves more than one goal was evident to everyone there, but they again could not quite muster the quality finish on the end of numerous studiously put together moves that would have ended their opponent`s chances.

Still, we`ll take the point, and the team the plaudits for giving their travelling supporters a vouchsafe that their trip to Wembley to face the same opponents can be faced with confidence!

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Play was fairly even early on…..Olaofe seeing a header drift wide within a minute of the start for County- Palmer ruining some promising moves by Luton in response , with a foul thus easing any angst the blues felt.

County came under pressure for a while after that last action -relieved to see Saville lift his shot high over the bar.

For a time ,it began to get a touch concerning ,as Luton were allowed far too much time on the ball particularly out wide on their right, and a gilt edged chance blossomed from that region only for it to vanish in the afternoon sunshine when Clark frittered away a real chance from right in front of goal.

He looked anguished….he needed to!

But Luton showed no inclination to relax – winning a couple of corners forcing Addai into making a decent save to deny Richards 14 minutes in.

Richards was arguably Luton`s best option – again seeing Addai dive to keep a shot out 6 minutes later.

A corner resulted ,and some excitement in the ranks of the locals as Odoffin lined up a tilt at goal, but he leant back carelessly and lifted the ball high into the crowd.

County responded at last- a free kick by Norwood causing Luton issues at the back forcing their irritating keeper Josh Keeley to usher the ball out off the line.

Then, out of the blue we went one down as a seemingly routine raid by Town morphed into a major trauma for County when Emilio Lawrence ended a seemingly hopeful run with a thoroughly excellent finish.

County were one down and facing a familiar upward slope in a game with over an hour left to play!

County had defending to do with half time not far away- thankful that Richards` finishing wasn`t up to scratch late on as he failed to test Addai as County`s left flank came under concerted pressure.

That said, County defended what came their way in the half`s dying embers well enough, well enough to keep the score at 1-0 at half time.

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Sidibeh was on for Wootton who had taken a knock earlier in the first half , when the game resumed after half time, and County`s injury problems increased again as Brad Hills was forced off after crashing out trying to stop a break down our right by Luton.

Olowu replaced Hills ,and County started to exert pressure that had largely been absent earlier- Sidibeh winning a corner that came to nought.

Pressure mounted from County , but no matter how many green shirted blues queued  within the sight of the white`s of Keeley`s eyes, actual goal bound shots were few and far between.

It went on…pressure …more pressure from County…. few shots of note excepting from Norwood, but a nifty drive from him was cleared off the line on the hour.

As the game progressed, so did County`s apparent stranglehold on the home side`s game plan- but where were the goals?

it was inevitable that at some point the Southern Hatters would hit back and they did , with 20 minutes left- Addai doing well to tip a shot by substitute Devante Cole over the bar- a couple of Town corners followed but no further anxious moments for the blues as Osborn cleared the ball up the park.

Mothersille came on for Edun next, which I thought was well worth a try.

Jack Wilshire thought a welter of substitutions was similarly `worth a try` making 3 -bringing on fresh legs in his cause but doing what to his teams notional rhythm?

But then again perhaps he had a point- County were making light of any rhythm Jack`s lads could muster – it was just the absence of a goal that took some of the glaze of this element.

Then it all came together in familiar fashion, with 8 minutes of normal time left to play, as Luton`s indiscipline cost them dearly. The free kick that resulted was way out wide on the left -he wouldn`t have a go would he?

Well, he did…. and how ...silencing any doubters on the premises with a glorious gem of a kick that soared majestically into the  net with keeper Keeley doing his very best to get to it and keep it out, but failing with honours, but the main honours fell to Norwood and the large County following behind Addai`s goal told him so !

 

DC brought Bate and Stokes on for Bailey and Tanto with just 2 minutes left of normal time, following more pressure from County ……openings arriving but then drifting away in the soft afternoon sunshine.

Added time of 7 minutes was announced and I wondered whether that would be the signal for one of those famed late bursts of overwhelming power that Luton are apt to summon up to annihilate their latest visitors.

It was a thought worth keeping in the forefront of our minds as the added time ticked away- particularly when Luton gained a free kick as they did on 92 minutes, but I was heartened to see County defend that well- the whole Luton free kick thing ending almost in farce for the home side with Keeley scrambling back to thwart a County break!

On it went, County under pressure again from Luton, but breaking via Mothersille who saw his shot pushed around a post by Keeley.

The danger for Luton was not over as Olowu reached the incoming corner with his head – his effort blocked by a raft of home defenders.

Referee Bobby Madley came to Luton`s rescue at this point with a free kick, and further irritated the writer by seeing Sidibeh impeded on the break but indicating it was `50/ 50`

That was not good, but I needed to have feared not as County had their game management plan sorted – I said beforehand that anything taken by County from this game would be good  and it was better than good to watch them see the game out with a valuable point secured.

We can, as I said earlier, now face the encounter with the same adversary at Wembley with confidence, and then …as now….greater numbers in the stands will matter not, particularly if we find our shooting boots for then!

 

Luton Town line up :-

Keeley , Jones , Lonwuk , Odoffin , Naismith , Lawrence ( Kodua 82), Saville ( Walters 90) , Clark , Richards ( Morris 90)., Palmer ( Van Den Berg 82), Cole ( Ali-Hamadi 82) .

Unused subs : Shae , Sandae , Johnson.

 

Stockport County line up ;-

Addai , Dacres- Cogley , Hills ( Olowu 49), Pye , Edun ( Mothersille 71 ), Osborn , Norwood , Diamond, Wootton ( Sidibeh 47) , Olaofe ( Stokes 88), Bailey (Bate 88).

Unused subs : Hinchliffe , Dodgson.

Attendance 10791(1132)

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