Luton Town 2 Stockport County 0 ( Football League 1) Saturday 3 September 2026

 

 

 

County slumped to disappointing defeat tonight at Kenilworth Road where Jack Wilshere`s Luton Town side took all the points via 2 second half goals.

Defensive errors by County accounted for both goals – a bitter disappointment to a decent sized County away following who kept up a wall of supportive sound for the team as they struggled to fight back late on.

Despite concerted efforts, and the late insertion ( probably far too late) of a raft of substitutes by Jimmy Mac, County could not loosen the Southern Hatters grip on the game.

So ,the blues had faced a stiff test and failed to emerge victorious, but it`s perhaps not all that surprising for County`s embryonic unit to hit the buffers so early in a new season.

We pick ourselves up and go again starting Saturday at Wigan, and I hope that some of those late substitutes will get starts or at least more time on the park in upcoming games.

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County had much of the possession in the early minutes of the game, but without making much of it, despite continued attempts to lure Town into excess.

I thought that Luton were perhaps keeping their powder dry, waiting their moment, but not much evidence of this emerged as the half continued.

Kasey Palmer did look on to take advantage as County lost possession in midfield but having cut inside, then  made a wakes of his shot on goal.

Harrison Ashby promised to do better some time later, with a pacy run down the right from deep , but Ethan Pye stepped up with a brilliant bit of defending to plug what had looked to potentially be a gaping gap  in the blue defences.

It went on, much in the same vein- Luton attacking but achieving nothing- despite inadvertent help from County who persisted in playing themselves into trouble- a cross from Palmer sought to capitalise on the situation, but Whatmuff cut the cross out to cheers from behind his goal.

But Bate failed to make the most of an error by home keeper Josh Keeley, then Palmer coaxed a cheeky free kick from the Referee- which made me fear the worse until it became obvious that Luton`s attack was seemingly unable to take advantage.

Enter Harry Wood and the home defenders shrank before him as he surged forward at pace – first off picking Jack Diamond out with a neat pass. A goal looked on, but Diamond shot across goal to Tayo Edun who did get a shot in, but saw it saved on the line by the keeper.

Wood was a tyro, and Luton could not `suss him out ….. or quite work out how to cope with him.

So, when Wood surged through a forest of home defenders into the box it was left to Keeley to save the Town  bacon by rising to tip the ball over the bar as a shot on the turn by Wood headed goalward.

Corners came County`s way from all this, but no goal!

Wood was causing havoc ….winning a free kick which, at last, seemed to give real hope of a County opener, as the kick was fairly central and only just outside the box- a real chance, but Ollie Norwood`s kick hit the Luton wall. Woots went close from the resultant corner, but the score stayed 0-0.

From looking to be drifting early on, County had come back and taken hold of the game- largely through the efforts of Wood   but a ridiculous decision by Referee Craig Hicks to award Luton a free kick had the away end up in arms howling their outrage. It mattered not….the free kick stood and looked like gifting the home side a scarcely deserved opening goal as on form Nahki Wells latched onto the ball at pace in front of goal……1/0 to Luton then ?...but no….somehow Whatmuff managed to put himself twixt striker and goal and get enough contact on the ball as it headed goalward to see it fly over the bar!

Quite a save that, and quite an ovation followed from behind the goal in response, meanwhile Luton wasted the corner!

Wood continued to excel- just unable to nick one late on in the half – another chance falling to Bate just before the whistle for half time that he could not put away.

0-0        at the break was probably viewed as a fair score by locals, but I could not help but think we perhaps might have gone in ahead had we exhibited Woods zeal collectively.

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Alarm bells rang for County when the game re-started as Wells bore down on goal requiring an excellent save by Whatmuff to keep County afloat- the young County keeper pushing Wells` shot over the bar brilliantly.

That was great, but within 60 seconds County were behind as  Whatmuff , under the cosh saved again, but parried the ball into Wells path and he made no mistake taking advantage of the lack of County cover down our left flank, to give his side a 1-0 lead.

Credit to County though….they did try to reply via a Norwood free kick – the ball fizzing over before thudding into the far post- staying out!

They kept trying too- Diamond combining with Wootton and Wood but without any luck at all.

County started to ring the changes next…first Osborn and Glover on for Edun & Dacres-Cogley, then Mandron and Andresson for Bate & Wood and finally Adigun for Diamond.

By the time Adigun was on, County were 2-0 down as another defensive collapse on our left flank allowed Callum Marshall to nip in and score. 2-0 flattered Luton, but that was how it was.

County did try though- Wootton seeing a header fly inches wide….

Adigun meanwhile looked in his element totally at ease urging his colleagues on with determined work—a shot being deflected for a corner with 10 minutes left…..no takers in blue 3 minutes later as Adigun`s probing ball reached the far post with Luton stretched.

Andresson was busy too- winning a corner- but not a shred of good fortune came his way!

Norwood was in the mix too- firing one over with 4 minutes left that saw Woots on the end of it but heading wide.

Into added time and Luton came close to adding a third goal – Whatmuff saving County blushes by standing tall and pushing another goal bound shot over the top.

On it went…..Adigun kept running……Osborn continued to show his value with  a cross whilst Woots and Mandron persevered more in hope than expectation.

Soon the whistle ended the game, County had lost, and we could head off home on the Flyer!

Do not despair County supporters- see you at the Wigan game on Saturday- watch County fight back!

 

Luton Town line up:-

: Keeley, Odoffin, Andersen, Johnston, Benagr (Jones 46), Ashby, Gore (Richards 65), Walsh, Palmer ( Kodua 75), Donley, Wells ( Marshall 65).

Subs not used: Shea, Naismith, Mendel.

 

Stockport County lined up :-

 Whatmuff, Gordon, O’Connell, Pye, Dacres-Cogley (Glover 64), Bate (Mandron 74), Norwood , Edun (Osborn 64), Diamond (Adigun 77), Wood (Andrésson 74); Wootton.

Unused Subs: Wilson-Brown, Fiorini.

 

Attendance: 10,013 (538)

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