Luton 1-1 Everton: Hosts miss probability to maneuver out of backside three

Luton’s dissatisfaction with this draw was emphasised in the eighth minute of stoppage time when goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski was sent up front in the hope of heading home a corner.

Rarely will you see such a risk being taken in the Premier League when the scoreline is locked at 1-1, but this was one Rob Edwards and his players felt was necessary at Kenilworth Road.

Unfortunately for Edwards, that magic moment never arrived. The cross came in, Everton cleared as they so often did in this contest, the draw was confirmed, and that dreaded dotted line will continue to hang over Luton after this.

Every point counts, but picking up the odd one here and there is unlikely to be enough once this relegation race is at its end. Luton can now only hope that neither Nottingham Forest nor Burnley will make them pay for their failure to win here.

Luton hardly helped themselves when Teden Mengi confused football for wrestling, gifting Everton a penalty which Dominic Calvert-Lewin dispatched with ease.

Elijah Adebayo equalised, bullying Ashley Young to score on his first start since February, but overall, this was an evening enjoyed far more by those of an Everton persuasion.

While Jurgen Klopp seized the chance to hurl yet another stick of dynamite at TNT Sports yesterday, carping about the timing of Liverpool’s fixtures this season, Everton saved their explosiveness for the three Premier League games they had contested in the last seven days.

Three victories, zero goals conceded, safety secured, and with this Friday night trip to Luton arranged by Sky Sports when it was thought it might resemble a relegation six-pointer.

Sean Dyche’s team wrecked that narrative by confirming survival with a 1-0 win over Brentford on Saturday. That left the travelling supporters with a strange sensation on this away day – one of relief, rapture and intrigue at how they might perform minus the pressure of potential doom.

While they sang about the Premier Leaving shoving their points deductions where the sun doth not shine, this match was soon eclipsed by penalty shouts, only one of which was given.

First, Tahith Chong dropped down when he burst by Jordan Pickford. Then, Dwight McNeil was tripped in a tangle of legs with Mengi. Referee Tim Robinson was not having either claim.

However, when Everton won a corner in the 20th minute, Luton knew only Arsenal had scored more set-piece goals this season. 

In his desperation to deny Jarrad Branthwaite, Mengi wrestled his man to the ground away from the ball. 

VAR David Coote sent Robinson to his pitch-side monitor where the spot-kick was awarded, rightfully according to the replays.

Luton fans feared the worst when they saw Young, the former Watford graduate targeted by the boo-boys here, stood over the penalty spot with the ball. 

That was all for show. Calvert-Lewin took it, scoring straight down the middle for his seventh Premier League strike this season.

Luton took less than 10 minutes to equalise when Sambi Lokonga’s ball into the box found Adebayo, who out-muscled Young to bring it down before beating Pickford.

In first-half stoppage time, a header from Carlton Morris needed clearing off the line from Ben Godfrey, prompting roars as the players headed in for the half-time break.

It could be argued that Luton are among the Premier League’s most entertaining teams. 

They have now both scored and conceded in 29 of their 36 matches this season, a record equalled only by Swindon in 1994 and Southampton in 1995.

The supporters’ targeting of Young continued in the second half, some even chanting ‘let him die’ when the Everton left back felt the full force of a head clash with Morris.

Everton came close to taking the lead when a shot from Jack Harrison spun towards the top corner, but Kaminski acrobatically ensured it stayed all square. Kaminski then denied Calvert-Lewin from heading home his second goal of the night.

The statistics said Luton had scored 42 per cent of their Premier League goals in the final 15 minutes, the highest share of any side this season. They lived in hope of a chance falling to Adebayo, Morris, Ross Barkley, even Kaminski – anybody who could seize the opportunity to take them out of the relegation zone.

It was not to be, with Edwards clearly crestfallen at full-time. Luton will remain in the Premier League’s bottom three as a result, and this could be a night they look back on with regret if and when relegation is ultimately confirmed.

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