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Luton fight back to beat Derby in Championship Mpanzu & Morris score dramatic late goals for Hatters Jackson had headed Rams in front in second half 10 games on Saturday including Leeds v Oxford Utd & Cardiff v Sheff Utd Get involved #bbcefl Alex Hoad Luton 0-0 Derby Lovely turn and run down the right from Derby's Kane Wilson, who is having a good run of form of late, but he puts just too much on his attempted through ball for Kayden Jackson and the ball rolls out of play. A look of anguish from the right-back, who used to play for Rob Edwards at Forest Green, of course. Luton 0-0 Derby Goalmouth action! Luton drive forward and the ball is spread wide right for Tahith Chong who opts to take the ball outside and fire in an angled shot low across goal which Jacob Widell Zetterstrom gets a strong hand to before his defence hack clear. Luton 0-0 Derby Paul Warne spoke in the week about starting fast and trying to prevent the home fans and players from getting up a head of steam. We're approaching 20 minutes and while it's not entirely going to plan, he'll probably be the happier of the managers thus far. Luton striker Carlton Morris spurned the only chance with an early header that went wide. Luton 0-0 Derby Geoff Doyle Commentator on BBC Three Counties Radio This game is lacking a bit of finesse. Neither keeper has had a save to make. Luton are trying to be patient with their build-up play. Luton 0-0 Derby Simon Oxley Luton commentator on BBC Three Counties Radio There's not much play on the floor at the moment from either side. Luton 0-0 Derby Nasty clash of heads between Ebou Adams and Luton's Jacob Brown but they both bounce up without treatment which is good to see. Jordan Clark's free-kick to the back post is rather too long, however, and Derby are able to tidy up and get up towards halfway. Luton 0-0 Derby Tom Krauss brings down Ebou Adams, allowing Ben Osborn to launch a free-kick into the Hatters box with his trusty left foot. Luton manage to scramble clear again. .. these are two of the more dangerous sides from set-pieces in the Championship, however, don't want to be conceding too many free-kicks within 50 yards of goal. Luton 0-0 Derby Rams keeper Jacob Widdell Zetterstrom hacks a clearance kick into touch, to jeers from the home faithful. Aggressive press from Luton means there's no time to relax at the back for the visitors. All gone a tad bitty in the past few minutes. Luton 0-0 Derby Eric Steele Former Derby and Man Utd goalkeeper on BBC Radio Derby Luton's front three are a handful, it'll be a good battle for the Derby defence. It's gone scrappy as the wind gets up. Luton 0-0 Derby Elijah Adebayo is wrestled to the ground by evergreen Curtis Nelson as Luton try to break from midfield and ref Andrew Kitchen awards a free-kick. The ball is whipped in to the near post but Carlton Morris can only stoop to glance a header inches past the upright. Great chance goes begging. A grimace from the skipper. Luton 0-0 Derby Callum Elder twists and turns his way into winning a corner off Tahith Chong on the Derby left flank. It looks to be one off the training ground but Luton clear their lines at the near post. Bright start from the visitors nonetheless. Luton 0-0 Derby Geoff Doyle Commentator on BBC Three Counties Radio Derby do look like they are trying to put pressure on Luton immediately. Luton 0-0 Derby Traditional orange for the hosts tonight, whereas Derby are in their mint away strip. .. solid festive confectionary colours, these. Both sets of fans in fine voice too, sound very, er, relaxed already. .. Luton 0-0 Derby The Championship weekend is under way. .. what does this instalment of Friday night lights have in store for us? Let's see. .. Luton v Derby (20: 00 GMT) The Santa hats are out in force, in various shades of red and orange. There are elves and reindeer in the stands, anyone would think it's the Friday night before Christmas. .. The teams have emerged to a crescendo of noise, Sonny Bradley leading the Rams side out of the opposite side of the tunnel from which he used to lead the Hatters. Kick-off is moments away. .. Luton v Derby (20: 00 GMT) Rob Edwards has made one enforced change to his Luton side

for the visit of Derby County. Daiki Hashioka misses out after limping off in the defeat at

Blackburn last Saturday, with fit-again Mads Andersen coming into the defence for his first appearance since October 2023, against Tottenham in the Premier League, after hamstring and calf injuries. With a host of defensive injuries, former Stoke and West Brom defender Erik Pieters is named on the bench, having been training with the club for the past fortnight. Rams boss Paul Warne has made four changes from the side

which thumped Portsmouth 4-0 at Pride Park last Friday night. Sonny Bradley comes in to skipper the side against his former club with Nat

Phillips, Kayden Jackson and Callum Elder also returning. Eiran Cashin is set to be out for several weeks after

limping off against Portsmouth with a hamstring problem while Craig Forsyth,

Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and Marcus Harness drop to the bench. Luton v Derby (20: 00 GMT) Rob Edwards' side, who are 19th, have one one of their past five games (D1 L3) but are unbeaten in five at Kenilworth Road. The Rams are 14th and ended a six-game winless streak (D3 L3) with an impressive 4-0 victory over Portsmouth last week, but could go 10th with a win ahead of the rest of the weekend's action. Luton v Derby (20: 00 GMT) Luton were two divisions above Derby a year ago but they meet

at Kenilworth Road tonight with the Rams now five places higher in the

Championship table. The Hatters are just five points above the drop-zone but

have picked up 18 points from their 11 games at home, leaving County boss Paul

Warne wary of their threat. He told BBC Radio Derby: "The games have all been

really close, all fine margins. I don't think they're playing particularly bad,

they have a few out and they probably haven't found their stride yet. "The crowd are such a big part in every away game in

the Championship, more than most leagues I think. You have got to try and

silence them early on. "Luton is a tight pitch, the atmosphere is really good

and it's a real storm if they get on top. We've got to really manage that.

You've got to put the home team under pressure. " Luton v Derby (20: 00 GMT) Luton Town's injury woes continue as right-back Daiki

Hashioka has been ruled out of tonight's game against Derby. The Hatters are plagued with injuries to their defensive

line with Hashioka the latest added to a list including Teden Mengi, Amari'i

Bell, Reece Burke and Reuell Walters. The Japan international was substituted during last week's

trip to Blackburn Rovers with a strain and while he has returned to

training, boss Rob Edwards confirmed Friday "might be too soon for

him". Meanwhile, Edwards also says captain Tom Lockyer is

"doing really well" in his recovery from a cardiac arrest last

December but has sustained a damaged ligament after rolling his ankle in

training that will keep him on the sidelines. The squad will be bolstered by new signing defender Erik

Pieters, who Edwards confirms has been training with the squad for two weeks. Defender Mads Andersen is also fully back in training and

will be available for selection. As for bringing in reinforcements during the January

transfer window, Edwards stresses that the club has a plan but "will see

how things shape up". "January - we can have a good plan but it's quite

unpredictable as well. It's not just us who can decide what's happening.

There's other clubs, players, agents - it's quite dynamic, " Edwards told

BBC Three Counties Radio. "If we were in control of every single aspect of it, it

would be really easy but we're not. " Luton v Derby (20: 00 GMT) Any trip to Kenilworth Road these days brings thoughts of Tom Lockyer to the fore. It was a year ago this week that the Hatters defender collapsed on the pitch in the Premier League game at Bournemouth after suffering a cardiac arrest. The road to recovery has been a long one, but Lockyer was back on the grass with the Town squad before recently suffering ankle ligament damage, ending his hopes of seeing first-team action in the near future, despite his side's defensive injury crisis. "No cutting corners with this because obviously it's so important, but I don't think there is any reason why he won't play again, " boss Rob Edwards said this week. Click here to read more about the Welsh international's path back to action. Carlton Morris' late goal was his sixth of the season for Luton Town Luton Town gave themselves some pre-Christmas cheer as two late goals snatched victory after they had looked to be heading for defeat against Derby County at Kenilworth Road. The Rams were on course for only their second away win of the season after Kayden Jackson headed home Kane Wilson's cross - his first goal since August. But long-serving Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu's volley deflected in off Tom Holmes and Carlton Morris struck three minutes later in added time to give the home side all three points. The win lifted Luton up five places to 14th in the Championship, as high as they have been all season, with Derby dropping below them to 15th. With the prospect of moving to a brand new stadium at Power Court in 2027 or 2028 on the not so distant horizon, it would be bad timing indeed for Luton, having been in the relegation places on more than one occasion this season, to slip back into League One. It is a division they last left as champions in 2019. Prior to kick-off, only seven Championship teams had accrued more points at home this season than their 18, a marked contrast to the Hatters' disappointing away form. Rob Edwards gave defender Mads Andersen his first start since a 1-0 Premier League home defeat by Tottenham in October 2023, while Derby made four changes, with Sonny Bradley back to face his former club and Craig Forsyth, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and Marcus Harness dropping to the bench. The visitors made a positive start, but almost fell behind as Morris' stooping header from Jordan Clark's whipped-in free-kick was just the wrong side of the post. As the game settled, the home side appeared to have the edge in intensity, with Tom Krauss snapping into tackles and Tahith Chong prominent down the right, and he was inches away from the opening goal as Derby failed to deal with a ball into the box which curled just wide with keeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom rooted to the spot. Defender Tom Lockyer, who is hoping to play again for Luton following a cardiac arrest, was at the ground despite an ankle injury which has delayed his comeback Following a hugely disappointing first half, Derby boss Paul Warne finally saw his side have a meaningful effort after the break as Thomas Kaminski saved Jackson's 20-yard effort with his left knee. Elijah Adebayo headed wide at the other end before the Rams took the lead when good movement on the right created space for Wilson to swing over the cross and Jackson directed his header beyond Kaminski and into the far corner. Derby were now showing the confidence of a team which beat Portsmouth 4-0 in their previous game and it could have been two as Jackson laid the ball back for Kenzo Goudmijn, but Kaminski dived to his right to push it away to safety. Edwards sent on Cauley Woodrow and Joe Taylor to freshen up his attack and the former was involved in the equaliser as his free-kick was headed away by Curtis Nelson, but only as far as Mpanzu, whose shot clipped Holmes on the way past Zetterstrom, who was given no chance. With the home crowd roaring them on, Luton pressed again and although the Derby keeper saved from Elijah Adebayo, the ball fell to Morris, who fired into the roof of the net to secure their sixth home win of the campaign. Luton Town manager Rob Edwards told BBC Three Counties Radio: "I don't think it was a great match, but it was a good ending for us. It was never going to be that pretty, the pitch is difficult now because of all the weather we've had – and it seems like we've had loads of games here as well. "The crowd stuck with us even though we weren't playing great and somehow we found a way (to win). It was hard to get momentum and at one-nil it can create one or two doubts in players but the one thing we know we have got is a threat when we get free-kicks, corners and set-pieces. "It wasn't direct from them, but second and third phases, we just found a way. I'm relieved more than anything. Pelly caught it really well, he should be credited with it really. "We're not at our strongest (at the moment) but no-one's giving up, no-one's going home, and we're fighting and that's what we'll keep doing. " Derby boss Paul Warne told BBC Radio Derby: "I thought first half at times we were a little bit too direct, but in the second we played with real personality, we created good chances and the lads defended really well. "The longer the game goes on, you just think 'try and see it out' and that's my only criticism of our team, the last five or six minutes, they put it (pressure) on us and I believe both the goals were deflected so that's a bit of luck we didn't get. "Weirdly, I leave here really proud of the performance and I've told the lads that. Sometimes the game is cruel and it was tonight. "If you'd offered me a point at 70 or 80 minutes, I wouldn't have took it because I felt really comfortable and thought we were going to get the second. When they asked questions in the last few minutes, we didn't have the answers. " Comments can not be loaded To load Comments you need to enable Java Script in your browser Last Updated 20th December 2024 at 21: 54 Please Note: All times UK. Tables are subject to change. The BBC is not responsible for any changes that may be made. Manager: Rob Edwards Formation: 3 - 4 - 3 Manager: Paul Warne Formation: 5 - 3 - 2 Manager: Rob Edwards Formation: 3 - 4 - 3 Manager: Paul Warne Formation: 5 - 3 - 2 Championship All competitions All competitions All competitions Luton Town have lost just one of their last five league games against Derby County (W3 D1), winning this exact fixture 1-0 when it was last played in February 2022. Derby County have lost each of their last three away league games against Luton Town, with each of those defeats coming via a different score line (1-0, 2-1 & 3-2). Luton have lost just one of their last nine home league games (W5 D3), keeping three clean sheets during that time and conceding multiple goals in just two of those matches. Derby have won just one of their 11 away league games during the 2024-25 season (D4 L6), scoring more than one goal in just two of those matches.   Derby have scored 13 goals from set pieces situations in the Championship so far this season – the most of any side in the competition, while both the Rams and Luton have netted eight goals from corners this campaign, the joint-most in the second tier. © 2024 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.