When the final story of the 2023-24 Premier League season comes to be told, it is likely that Luton Town will feel nothing but regret about the night when they ran out of inspiration and time against opponents as negative and rudimentary as Sean Dyche’s Everton.
Of course, nobody inside Kenilworth Road could question Luton’s determination to fight until the end. There was a lovely equalising goal from Elijah Adebayo, whose strike cancelled out Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s early penalty, and there was no shortage of endeavour. Tahith Chong, who never stopped running, was outstanding and Luton would come agonisingly close to snatching the win that would have moved them out of the bottom three before Nottingham Forest visit Sheffield United on Saturday afternoon, only for Luke Berry and Andros Townsend to spurn three inviting chances during six added minutes.
The frustration built, particularly when Tim Robinson blew for full time before Luton could take one last corner. Ultimately, though, there was no point raging at the referee’s timekeeping. For Luton, it is hard to look beyond a run of one win in 15 league games. It is the worst run in the league and, for all their defiance, the harsh reality for Rob Edwards is that this 1-1 draw with Everton is unlikely to be enough to stop them from dropping back into the Championship.
This has to go down as a missed opportunity for Luton, who will probably need to take maximum points off Fulham and West Ham in their final two games. Although this point drew them level with Forest, who have the cushion of a vastly superior goal difference, there was no hiding their disappointment.
“Flat,” was how Adebayo described the mood in the dressing room, while Edwards spoke in rueful tones. The manager knew his side’s naivety had hurt them again. Luton, who have conceded 78 goals in 36 games, had made life difficult for themselves when Teden Mengi’s needless foul on Jarrad Branthwaite gifted Calvert-Lewin the chance to give Everton the lead from the spot.
Their safety already secured, Everton’s nous drowned out the noise. Ashley Young, making the 450th appearance of his club career, shrugged off the taunts about his Watford past. Dwight McNeil laughed when he was abused for appealing for a penalty after tangling with Mengi on the left.
Mengi was nervous during the first half, almost scoring an own goal when he stretched to clear a cross from McNeil, and he was punished in the 24th minute. A corner came in from the left and David Coote, the VAR, spotted the defender wrapping his arms around Branthwaite.
Did it matter that both players were nowhere near the ball? Not to the officials. Robinson checked the pitchside monitor and awarded a penalty. Ultimately, whatever the complaints about the cold influence of VAR, the defending was poor. Calvert-Lewin made Luton pay by beating Thomas Kaminski from 12 yards.
There had to be a response. The crowd remained defiant and Luton upped the intensity in the 31st minute. Alfie Doughty made his presence felt, retrieving possession on the left, and the ball ran to Albert Sambi Lokonga. The midfielder lifted his head, looked right and spotted Adebayo peeling to the right.
Away from Branthwaite and James Tarkowski, Adebayo was able to dominate Young in the air. The striker towered over the left-back, shrugging him to the turf. Young’s complaints were to no avail. How Luton missed Adebayo during his long spell on the sidelines. How they celebrated when he brought the ball down and lashed it past Jordan Pickford.
It was Everton’s turn to creak. Beaten 6-0 by Chelsea in their previous away game, they were fortunate not to be behind at half-time, escaping when Ben Godfrey cleared Carlton Morris’s header off the line.
The pressure continued at the start of the second half, Chong causing problems. James Garner and Idrissa Gueye were both booked for fouling the midfielder. Sean Dyche brought on Amadou Onana and André Gomes.
Everton knuckled down. No opportunity to drain Luton’s momentum with a bit of time-wasting was knowingly turned down. As the hour approached, Luton had still to create a clear opening since the restart. They were desperate for Ross Barkley to inspire them against his boyhood club.
The game felt too broken, too rushed, too bitty. Tarkowski and Branthwaite won a lot in the air. Jack Harrison stopped Doughty going through on the left.
Eventually Everton stirred, Harrison and Calvert-Lewin drawing fine saves from Kaminski. Luton were running out of steam. But somehow, powered on by Edwards’s substitutions, they geared up for one last push. Berry had a header saved by Pickford and an overhead kick deflected wide. A loose ball reached Townsend, whose shot was blocked by Branthwaite. Everton were resilient. The clock was always against Luton.
