Match Reports

Town begin pre-season with victory

Morris, Chong and Taylor on target at The Brache against Stevenage

Morris pen Stevenage

The Hatters kicked off pre-season with a resounding victory against League One Stevenage, played behind closed doors at The Brache on Tuesday afternoon.

Carlton Morris, Tahith Chong and Joe Taylor picked up from where they left off last season by getting on the scoresheet against Alex Revell’s side.

The first corner of pre-season produced the first big opportunity for the Town, as Alfie Doughty’s vicious out swinging delivery was handballed by Stevenage defender Dan Sweeney within the first minute.

Morris stepped up, as he did five times in the Premier League last season, to convert the penalty by slotting it low into the bottom right corner.

An error from Stevenage goalkeeper Taye Ashby-Hammond after 16 minutes was pounced on by Elijah Adebayo for our second goal, as Chong obliged to pass the ball into an empty net from the edge of the box.

Chiedozie Ogbene wanted to join in on the action as he cut inside from the right and had a left-footed shot which was caught by Ashby-Hammond on 25 minutes.

Ten minutes later and there was another huge chance for the Hatters. Morris’ good work meant the ball was won high up the pitch and as Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu found Adebayo, Luton’s number 11 was unlucky that his first-time effort cannoned off the post.

The best chance for Stevenage came five minutes before the break as Elliott List’s curling effort from the edge of the box flew just wide of the far post.

The second half XI entered the pitch, mostly devised of players from the Development squad mixed with a few first team players as the rain continued to fall in Bedfordshire.

16-year-old Christian Chigozie, who featured on the bench in the Premier League last season, produced the perfect pass through the lines to Taylor, who slotted low across the goalkeeper into the bottom corner.

Stevenage forward Aaron Pressley bared down on goal on the hour mark before Jameson Horlick came sprinting off his line to deny the striker before he had a chance to shoot.

John McAtee nearly added a fourth in the final five minutes after brilliantly stealing the ball on the edge of the box and beating two players before narrowly missing the target.

Pressley had been dangerous in the air until he almost put the ball in his own net when a dangerous Andros Townsend set-piece was almost converted by Pressley at the wrong end.

First half XI: Shea, Ogbene, Johnson, Mengi, Pieters, Doughty, Mpanzu, Clark, Chong, Morris, Adebayo.

Second half XI: Horlick, Pinnington (sub Burger, 80), Chigozie (sub Paternoster, 68), Bateson, Francis-Clarke, Piesold, Nelson, Luker, Townsend, Taylor, McAtee.

Goals: Morris 2 (pen), Chong 16, Taylor 50

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