MU21s' winning streak ended by Luton

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Two first half goals prove too much to overcome for Shannon Ruth's team.

Charlie Hanson

2024-11-08T21:02+00:00

Joe Knight. 📷 by James Boardman.

Our men’s under-21s' six-game winning streak was brought to an end as they lost 2-1 to Luton Town in the Premier League Cup on Friday night.

In a much changed line-up, under-18s captain Callum Mackley made his full under-21s debut, while Yussif Owusu and Lorenz Ferdinand made their second under-21s starts after debuts in the Sussex Senior Cup earlier this campaign.

Shannon Ruth’s young team were punished early on, when Tyrell Giwa played an excellent ball down the line for Benedict Benagr, who pulled it back across the edge of the box for Jacob Pinnington to slot into the bottom left corner.

Callum Mackley made his first start for the men's under-21s against Luton Town. 📷 by James Boardman.

The visitors’ lead was doubled after half an hour when Ferdinand was harshly adjudged to have fouled Benagr in the box as the two went for a ball in the air. Zack Nelson made no mistake from the spot though as he smashed it into the bottom left corner.

It was only a Joe Knight clearance off the line from a Nelson effort just before the half-time whistle that denied Luton a three-goal lead.

Ruth called in the cavalry with Jamie Mullins and Marcus Ifill brought on from the restart, but Town came closest to finding the next goal when Ferdinand batted away Pinnington’s drive at the near-post after 53 minutes.

Men's under-21s captain Jamie Mullins was introduced at the start of the second half. 📷 by James Boardman.

A break in play followed after that chance with referee Neil Hair unable to carry on due to injury, with fourth official Lisa Benn taking over proceedings.

Mullins’s free-kick from 22-yards after Ifill was upended flew over the crossbar, before Jack Lorentzen-Jones dragged a strike wide with 12 minutes to play.

Ifill had an effort deflected narrowly wide with the clock ticking down, before Albion snatched one back with two minutes to play. Harry Howell's deflected effort smacked the underside of the crossbar and in trying to wrestle Ifill away from the follow up, Luton defender Aidan Francis-Clarke deflected the ball over the line from close range.

The delay caused by the change in referee saw ten minutes time added on, which halfway through Ifill diverted a header wide of the Luton goal from close range when he looked certain to equalise.

Howell looked to provide again with two minutes to play when his brilliant cross from the right was sent over by Louis Flower, before the youngster picked out Harry Mills on the edge of the box, but the full-back fired straight into the arms of Luton stopper Liam Coyne.

The Albion team: Ferdinand, Mackley, McConville (Simmonds 66), J Vickers, Mills, Howell, Knight, Owusu (Mullins 46), Bashir (Ifill 46) Belmont (C Vickers 66), Moulton (Flower 66).