Kevin Gallen fires in Luton's second against Kidderminster Harriers
LUTON TOWN 3 KIDDERMINSTER HARRIERS 1
Blue Square Premier
Kenilworth Road
Tuesday March 16, 2010
7.45pm
A Kevin Gallen brace saw the Hatters secure a third home win on the spin – a first for the season.
As for the notion that they struggled at Kenilworth Road – it’s now a moot point. If anything, they’ve played better on their home turf since the bad whether cut up the pitch.
Certainly with five of the remaining nine games here Luton’s promotion push is beginning to purr.
What’s more is that for 30 minutes of the first half this was as good as Luton have played this term. Crucially, when Kidderminster fired in an unlikely reminder not to be complacent in their two-goal comfort, Town simply dug in and shut up shop.
Of course, their headstart helped, with Jake Howells netting his second career goal on 24 minutes and Gallen grabbing his tenth soon after. His next 11 minutes into the second half emphasised the manner of their work all night – for once, no dramas, no scares, just solid professionalism with a cutting edge.
Barnsley loanee Simon Heslop provided a sense of calm in the middle and adventure in attack that has been missing in certain absent midfielders. His partnership with Keith Keane, after only two games, led Richard Money to say after the game that securing their signatures at the end of the season was, “Looking pretty vital at the moment.”
Luton were unchanged from the side that beat Wrexham on Saturday and the fluidity helped them in the first five minutes as they put Harriers under immediate pressure. The first telling sign though came in the tenth minute when Heslop found Craddock with acres of space to run into. You can’t blame the in-form striker for going alone but he skewed horribly wide, and despite fine work elsewhere this night was not his in front of goal.
The new midfielder then showed the forward-thinking facet to his game with a bullish run into the heart of Kiddie’s defence only to strike the ball on the stretch.
Likewise Craddock soon after, who was just too short for Gnakpa’s cross and his header looped harmlessly into keeper Ross Atkins’ arms.
There was nothing the visiting stopper could do to stop Howells’ sublime volley though. As soon as youngster connected from 20 yards out it was just a matter of waiting for the ball to nestle into the top corner, in off the post.
The goal boosted the crowd and the team as suddenly flicks, tricks and dummies were all coming off, most notably when Craddock left the ball to Gallen who would have been disappointed to scuff his shot wide.
There was nothing of the sort on the half hour mark when the veteran thumped a 25 yard free-kick home with inch perfection as Atkins brushed it with fingertips but couldn’t keep it out.
The champagne football kept flowing as Gnakpa almost pulled off the most audacious of long range lobs when he spied the keeper off his line, only for the fingertips of the Harrier to just about do the job this time.
The lack of anything to do for Town’s defender’s must have acted as a sedative as no sooner had they gone two behind than James Lawrie fired in the bottom corner from outside the box to halve the deficit against the run of play.
Robbie Matthews and the goalscorer both fizzed in shots that had Mark Tyler worrying and the Luton number one judged an awkward Chris McPhee volley to perfection, pushing around the post, as the Worcestershire side ended the half strongly.
A half time team talk must have redressed the balance as Town dominated the start of the second session.
Gallen – who’s been more of a link man in the orange of Luton – rolled back the years just before the hour mark, dropping the shoulder inside the penalty area and bursting the net with his 11th finish this season.
The striker nearly got his third after Gnakpa, who has grown and grown under Money on Luton’s right wing, got the better of Lee Baker to zip into the six yard area only for Martin Riley to poke to safety ahead of Gallen’s stretch.
Matthew Barnes-Homer came on as a late sub to play against his former team mates with the crowd giving him a warm reception. He looked good and Money praised him afterwards, but by then the game was won and thoughts could turn to revenge away to Ebbsfleet on Saturday.
LUTON TOWN
Tyler, Asafu-Adjaye, Keane(Hall, 87), Kovacs, Pilkington, Craddock, Howells, Gnakpa (Barnes-Homer, 84), Gallen, Murray, Heslop
Subs: Blackett, Gore, Jarvis,
Referee: D. Coote
Attendance: 5,908 (79)