Paul Doyle was at the game! Here is his report:
Luton reaction ...
Bradley: “I would much rather win 1-0. It’s a good goal. We showed great character tonight.”
Collins: “I am really disappointed I didn’t score the second one. Randolph is a guy I know really well and a top class goalkeeper and he did really well.”
James Collins seems like a nice fella.
Savage stuff. Hopefully every game will be like that this season.
Full-time: Luton 3-3 Middlesbrough
What a game! I am not sure the quality was particularly impressive but there was so much action I do not know where to start. From missed penalties to goalkeeping cock ups. It was probably a fair result in the end.
90+2 mins: WHAT A SAVE! Luton work the ball into the box as Moncur finds Collins six yards from goal, allowing the striker swizzle and whack what looks like a winner but Randolph reacts superbly to stop the shot. Cornick smashes the rebound straight at Coulson.
90 mins: Fletcher battles past Pearson and drives a shot at goal but it’s straight at Sluga.
Four minutes added on.
89 mins: Mpanzu lifts a cross which goes inches over Collins’ head and is put out for a throw.
87 mins: Bradley heads clear a free-kick and Mpanzu does the rest.
GOAL! Luton 3-3 Middlesbrough (Collins, 85)
PUMP THIS INCOMPETENCE INTO MY VEINS! The ball is lumped towards the Boro box, Wing heads it into the wrong direction then Shotton loses a header, before Potts’ shot is blocked, allowing Collins to pounce onto the rebound and calmly slot into a gaping net.
Updated
84 mins: Assombalonga tries to make up for his terrible penalty by bounding his way through the Luton defence but Sluga comes out very quickly to dispossess the striker.
MISSED PENALTY
Coulson is taken out by Cranie just outside the area but the referee still points to the spot. Assombalonga waddles up and whacks the ball a few yards over the bar. That was rubbish.
Updated
80 mins: Wing sends a corner right onto Ayala’s head six yards out but his bullet header is impressively repelled by Sluga and Luton somehow clear the ball. The goalkeeper does well again, coming out quickly to tackle Assombalonga.
78 mins: Things are getting a bit scrappy out there at the moment as Luton look to force the issue and Boro try to hold onto their slender lead.
76 mins: Sub Cornick looks lively on the right but his cross is deflected into Randolph’s hands before Collins can get to it.
74 mins: Wing goes for another goal but drags his shot well wide from the edge of the area.
Joe Pearson emails in: “As my first experience with the Championship on tv (just subscribed to ESPN+), this is fun! The defenders have been almost universally comical. There are more goals in this for sure.” It’s all about the comedy.
72 mins: On the downside, the song for Lewis Wing sounds rubbish: “Lewis ... Lewis Wing!”. That is pathetic.
70 mins: The pyros are still going off in the away end!
Middlesbrough didn't score three goals in any of their last 18 games under Tony Pulis. They have done it in their first under Jonathan Woodgate.
— Richard Jolly (@RichJolly) August 2, 2019
Updated
GOAL! Luton 2-3 Middlesbrough (Wing, 68)
WHAT A STRIKE! Wing gets the ball 25 yards from goal, gets it out of his feet and whips it into the top corner, giving Sluga no chance. It was an incredible bit of precision.
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67 mins: It might be time for Boro to make a change. I would advise bringing on Gestede for Assombalonga who is bringing very little to the party.
65 mins: The change in system from Luton to a diamond since the introduction of Butterfield is giving Boro more space to roam into out wide. Will it cost the hosts?
63 mins: Coulson whips in a couple of crosses from the left in quick succession; the first is punch clear by Sluga and the second flashes across the six-yard area but no one can get on the end of it.
61 mins: Butterfield replaces Lee to make his Luton debut as Jones rolls the dice first. Wing finally goes into the book after his umpteenth foul, this time taking down Shinnie about four seconds too late.
59 mins: Luton are very much the better side in the half, which is helping the fans find their voice.
57 mins: McManaman looks to find Collins with a cross to the back post but Howson gets in between the man and the ball, allowing him to head it clear.
Luton should really have a penalty after Potts turns in the area and is taken down by Wing but the Middlesbrough gets away with it.
55 mins: Luton are popping the ball about a little, earning a few ole’s from the crowd. Sadly, it doesn’t result in anything useful.
53 mins: McNair gets the ball inside the box and whacks a cross/shot which flicks off Mpanzu and glances the bar with Sluga looking helpless on his line.
51 mins: Not much happening, I will be honest.
49 mins: NO GOAL! McManaman whips in a cross from the right which Collins diverts home from six yards with his hand. The referee rules it out after Randolph’s protestations and books the striker for his deceit.
47 mins: Shotton nails a 20-yard pass. I am off for a lie down. A sweeping move from Luton is ended inside the area when Wing dives in to divert the ball out of a corner.
Second half!
Here we go again!
That’s a bad mistake ...
Oh no! 😲
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) August 2, 2019
Horror for Luton as they lose the ball in their own half and then 'keeper Sluga lets Assombalonga's shot dribble home
📺 Watch Luton v Boro live on Sky Sports Football now pic.twitter.com/U5kZsLw2VD
I am going to put it out there after 45 minutes of the season: neither of these teams are going up.
This is a democratic group ...
@Will_Unwin Last time Luton played Middleborough at home in the League, it was a 5-1 win for Luton. More importantly it was my first game, and I became a devoted Hatter. Could we see a repeat of that scoreline? 🤞
— Cllr Paul Williams 🎈 (@paulwmk) August 2, 2019
Half-time: Luton 2-2 Middlesbrough
A fun start to the season with a mixture of great quality and utterly ludicrous calamity. Long may it continue.
45 mins: Mpanzu goes into the book for pulling back McNair when Middlesbrough were about to break away. Two minutes to be added on.
44 mins: Woodgate is chewing a lot of gum. Is he the new Fergie?
42 mins: Luton are looking very nervous at the back. They are trying to pass it around and they really don’t have the time or the quality to do it. Sluga seems anxious following his error, too.
40 mins: Collins digs out a cross from the left to the back post where McManaman volleys wide from six yards. The Luton winger should really be doing better from there.
GOAL! Luton 2-2 Middlesbrough (Assombalonga, 37)
A couple of utterly dreadful mistakes from Luton as Shinnie gives the ball away on the edge of the area, allowing Fletcher to play in Assombalonga who hits a tame shot from 10 yards which inexplicably goes through Sluga’s hands despite only travelling at roughly two miles an hour. What a howler from the ‘keeper.
Updated
36 mins: Assombalonga has only had four touches so far, which is a sign of how badly things are going in the final third for Boro. Some patient buildup from the visitors results in Johnson getting the ball on the right, cutting in onto his favoured left foot and curling a shot from 25 yards destined for the top corner until Sluga moves to his right and palms it over the top.
34 mins: Mpanzu is once again cut down, this time by Johnson. Luton do not work the free-kick particularly well as Shinnie passes it sideways to Tunnicliffe who is quickly closed down and can only get a pathetic shot off which is blocked before it gets anywhere near the net.
32 mins: Wing finds space on the right, sends in a dangerous cross into the area where Assombalonga and Pearson battle for the ball, which bounces off the striker before Sluga claws it off the line. Luckily, for the hosts, the whistle had already blown.
30 mins: Woodgate really needs to explain to Shotton that he cannot pass the ball more than five yards. For a second time he completely misses his target, whacking the ball well out of play when plenty was on.
28 mins: Mpanzu is growing into this game after some early struggles. He gets the ball when under pressure, slipping away from a couple of Boro players before McNair crudely takes him down.
26 mins: How’s Adam Clayton? He’s not fine after Potts jumps over his leg to win a free-kick. Shinnie whips it in a shot from the left but it goes well over.
GOAL! Luton 2-1 Middlesbrough (Cranie, 24)
McManaman whips cross into the corridor of uncertainty, helmed by Ayala who mis-kicks his clearance out for a corner. The resulting set piece is swung to the back post, where Cranie jumps unchallenged and heads home from six yards.
Updated
21 mins: A long ball down the middle is headed into McNair’s path, he gets it out of his feet and hits a low shot from 25 yards, which is deflected just wide of the goal. The corner is flicked away by a Luton head for another set-piece from the other side.
19 mins: Johnson is looking lively on the right wing. He is not lacking confidence and tries to make the most of it by shifting the ball onto this left foot and driving a low shot from inside the area but Sluga is equal to it.
GOAL! Luton 1-1 Middlesbrough (Bradley, 17)
CRASH! BANG! WALLOP! WHAT A GOAL! Boro clear a corner to the edge of the box, it ends up at Bradley’s feet, allowing the Luton to whack the ball into the top corner from 20 yards with his left foot for his first goal for the club.
Updated
14 mins: Shinnie curls a free-kick into the box from the right flank but it only finds a Boro head in the box.
12 mins: Shinnie whips in a corner from the right, which finds a Luton head and bounces down, allowing Bradley to fire a shot off, hitting a Boro player in the process. There are claims for handball but the referee isn’t interested. Luton perform an intricate free-kick, resulting in Potts smashing a cross into the box but Ayala is in the right place to send it behind. The corner comes to nothing.
10 mins: Lots of chants already for Woodgate from the away end. Mpanzu is really struggling on the ball in front of the defence, as Middlesbrough close him down whenever he gets the ball. Luton might need a chance of plan here.
GOAL! Luton 0-1 Middlesbrough (Fletcher, 7)
Luton fail to fully clear a corner, allowing Johnson a second chance to whip in a cross from the right, allowing Fletcher to work a little bit of space and flick it home from six yards out.
Updated
6 mins: Middlesbrough are playing pretty direct here, looking to get the ball up to Fletcher and Assombalonga. Not much has come from it, mind.
4 mins: Luton’s full-backs are quite happy to bomb on and they’re content to leave just the two centre-backs protecting things in defence. Coulson could be in for a tiring night up against Cranie and McManaman. At the other end, Fletcher cuts in from the left and fires a shot from the edge of the area, dragging it just wide.
2 mins: Coulson lifts on down the line, Assombalonga battles for it but he is edged out and the ball os cleared for a corner. The set-piece is pretty pathetic and is whacked away at the front post.
Kick-off
Peep! Peep! Peep! Let’s get ready to rumble!
A decent atmosphere in the ground, as the crowd rise to cheer the arrival of the players on the pitch. Kenilworth Road is packed!
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Day one:
This is ridiculous - season starting already. Forget the players, supporters are getting burnout
— Chris Hewitt (@ChrisHewittHome) August 2, 2019
Commentators on scaffolding! What a treat!
Coulson at left-back is making his Boro debut tonight. He will be an interesting player to watch. He’s represented England at youth level and has enjoyed a couple of loan spells. It is part of Woodgate’s plan to give youth a chance, so will want to prove his new manager right.
Can Fulham bounce back this season?
Jonny Howson is now a right-back? No one told me. This is something I am going to struggle to take in.
When they start taking goal-kicks to players inside the area I am going to get really confused.
The big test for the evening is trying to remember the fundamentals of football after the break. What is a corner? Can you score with your hands? Is drinking in the stands permitted? I, for one, cannot wait to find out.
Would you like any of these in your team?
Calum McManaman lines up for Luton tonight after a few underwhelming years. He knows Graeme Jones from Wigan and will be looking to show what he can do for his new club with some wing wizardry.
Woody’s first game in charge. Will it go better than his Real Madrid debut when he scored an own goal and was sent off?
Jonathan Woodgate names debutant @Haydencoulsonn in his first #Boro XI. @RandzOfficial is fit to start in goal #UTB pic.twitter.com/HfsIUmIHsT
— Middlesbrough FC (@Boro) August 2, 2019
Here is our Championship preview to whet your appetite ...
Team lineups
Luton: Sluga, Cranie, Potts, Tunnicliffe, Bradley, Pearson, McManaman, Lee, Shinnie, Mpanzu, Collins
Subs: Shea, Berry, Cornick, Moncur, Galloway, Jones, Butterfield
Middlesbrough: Randolph, Howson, Ayala, Shotton, Coulson, Clayton, Wing, McNair, Johnson, Fletcher, Assombalonga
Subs: Pears, Bola, Wood, Saville, Tavernier, Browne, Gestede
Updated
Preamble
Good evening!
It’s back! Soccer is back! We’re all here for it! After a break of roughly a day, domestic football has returned to our green pitches. In 90 minutes time we will know whether Luton and Middlesbrough are set for glory or a season of struggle. Obviously, that is not true.
It will be interesting to see how two new managers in their first job will settle into their role. Luton have come up two divisions in recent seasons and will be looking to show they can compete in the Championship. After Tony Pulis bored the fans to death, Woodgate will be aiming to offer some hope with something slightly more exciting than one of eight defenders lumping the ball forward.
Anyway ... football is back!
