We've had two longstanding records broken in the space of a week. Like the perennial buses coming thick and fast after a wait that feels like an eternity, first Oli Norwood scores our first goal directly from a free kick since September 2018 and, after nearly two years, Oli McBurnie netted a goal in a League game. After the game against Blackburn where it was a McGoldrick-esque showcase of missing gilt edged chances, McBurnie netted our equaliser with a chance that was much more difficult than all of those chances put together. It wasn't a vintage performance from United, far from it in fact, but when your playing badly the old adage is that you don't lose and United did just that. Let's take a look at a, can we call it historic? Game at Kenilworth Road last night.
A couple more changes for United from our triumph against Blackburn. Basham comes in for his first start of the season and James McAtee returns to the eleven for John Fleck who, somehow, someway, has fractured his leg? Obviously first of all, best wishes to Flecky in his recovery but these injuries are just getting laughable now. It's not even the fact they're all happening on the training pitch because we had another two happen tonight. What do we do in our pre match warm up? It's beyond a joke at this point and seriously needs addressing. Anyway, Luton lined up with a familiar face in their starting eleven in former record signing Luke Freeman. It would be our hosts who would make the quicker start and open the scoring within the first ten minutes. A half cleared throw in found it's way back to Amari'i Bell who lofted a ball into the area that found the head of an unmarked Carlton Morris who's looped header left Wes planted to the ground watching the ball nestle into the net. A real slow start for United who did rally a little bit after the goal. McAtee had a side footed effort from the edge of the box blocked and from the resulting corner, McAtee turned near provider as his floated corner found Norwood on the edge of the box with the ex Northern Ireland international feeling it after his goal against Blackburn. He fizzed an effort goalward that looked like it would fly past Horvath, that fantasy did not play out however, with Sander doing some great defending for the hosts and deflecting the effort wide for a goal kick. A couple of half chances for McBurnie and Lowe followed but nothing on target for United as Luton frustrated us. Freeman had an effort from just inside the area saved comfortably by Wes as we rumbled towards half time. Luton would finish the half the stronger and nearly doubled the lead just before the break with Adebayo volleying over in the area after meeting a cross from Bree. That was that for the first period where United left a lot to be desired. Would it improve in the second half? United made a change at the break with Doyle coming on for the booked McAtee as we looked for an equaliser. United started the second period much better than we ended the first and got that equaliser within the first ten minutes of the restart with Doyle cushioning a header into the box after a Norwood corner. Egan flicked it on to an unmarked McBurnie who deftly volleyed home to send the away end into raptures and get us back into the game. Despite us getting the equaliser, we didn't really look for a winner as Luton regrouped and began to press us again. The aerial bombardment commenced with Bree whipping on in Bell who sent an effort wide of the post. United did create a couple of chances as we headed towards the final third. RND and Bash had crosses turned home for corners but then Luton were back at it again. Campbell was first to a Morris knock down with his shot blocked but only falling as far as Morris who nearly had his second, forcing Wes into a quick save for a corner. It would be Wes's last contribution in the game as he went off not long after with what apparently was diarrhoea and sickness. Hopefully Wes will be back for Tuesday and best of wishes for his recovery! Jordan Amissah came on for his League debut for United and would be called into action not long after coming on. Cameron Jerome (yep, he's still playing) burst through our back line and saw his effort tipped effortlessly over the bar by our Ghanaian youth international. That effort from Jerome came in the 94th minute and that was about it for the game. We came away with a point and that's a decent result all things considered. Not our best ever performance. Far from it to be fair. The first half was a hard watch as we were penned back by a Luton team that looked well up for it. They opened the scoring in the first ten that looked like it unsettled us and we didn't really regain our composure after that. Luton got up in our face and physically disrupted us and didn't let our major players get into the match. After half time it was a bit better and we got our goal when we were on top with Oli McBurnie breaking his goal duck with a cultured finish. McBurnie has deserved the goal after a pretty good start to the season with a battling performance against Blackburn and another hard fought game last night. Could we finally be seeing the best of McBurnie? Hopefully so! He looks a lot more on it than he has the past two years, here's hoping that correlates to goals this season. All in all, not great but not completely terrible last night. We were just 'meh'. But we got the point and when you are just 'meh' that's a decent effort. We now look to midweek and the end of the month with Reading visiting The Lane. I'll be doing a report on that as per, but this is not the last you'll be hearing of me this weekend. United Women are opening their home campaign today at half five at The Lane. Get down there to support them! Tickets are still on sale and are available on the South Stand. Get down if you can, and I hope to see you there. Until next time, UTB.
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AuthorHi my name is John and i will be giving my thoughts on the blades matches and all blades related news in this section Archives
November 2022
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