December 12, 2006
Match #22: home vs Sheffield Utd (currently 2nd with 45 point, we have 18 points)
odds: Luton 3-1, Sheffield Utd 4-5 (fav)
S: Showunmi/Pinnock/Tarachulski
AMC: Bridge-Wilkinson
DM: Davis/Johnson/Foley (small up arrows on wingbacks)
DC: Chambers/James/Coyne
GK: Beckwith
Adam Chambers at defender is unusual, but he's got good passing and is a D/DM RC, so maybe he'll shake things up a bit. They played a 4-4-2 with heavy winger push, they show a 4-4-2 with moderate push from the wings.
They have Kevin Joyce in the starting lineup... oh how I wanna beat them only because of him.
12th minute:
Tony James goes deep in their right side (our left, Joyce's side) to take a throw in. Joyce leapt well to head the ball clear but he sends it toward the 6yd box instead of the sideline.
Bartosz Tarachulski is there to head it in the goal. It may be childish, but this goal brings a smile to my face...
Up 1-0.
The half is over with us in the lead 1-0. We're also putting the ball on target, with 4 of our 5 shots on target. They shot 6 times, but only once on target.
61st minute: Joyce gets his second yellow in 7 minutes, off he goes
71st minute: I'm so pissed off at this sequence. My *beep*ing defender can't *beep* the *beep*ing ball out of our *beep*ing zone. Damn! They cut yet another pass.
Beck gets a hand on the incoming shot, but it goes in. Tied 1-1.
Final Score: Luton 1, Sheffield Utd 1
Shots (on target): Luton 8 (4), 10 (4)
MoM: Sheffield Utd's Paul Hartley, with a rating of 8.
HoM:
Tony James with a rating of 8, winning 13 of 13 headers, 6 of them key headers.
Possession: (us/them)
our zone: 15/17
middle: 18/22
their zone: 13/15
Overall: 46/54
I'm still ticked off and frustrated with "only" getting a draw, until I realize that they're the 2nd place team. Good show boys!
Sol Davis had another minor injury during the match. This time, the physio reveals it's a chest injury and he'll miss 5 days.
We remain in 20th, still 2 points out of relegation.
FM