There is a reason why Luton Town are becoming the second Premier League team for most people.
Whether it’s the overall rags-to-riches story, the quaint old stadium, the way they coped and pulled together after captain Tom Lockyer went into cardiac arrest on the field or the inspiring leadership of Rob Edwards, the Hatters They are a team that never gives up.
But when a long list of absentees stretched to 11 in a crucial relegation clash against Nottingham Forest, they would have been forgiven for being left stranded for once.
However, that’s not what this team does and when Luke Berry fired in from a corner in the 90th minute to secure a crucial point and cancel out Chris Wood’s opener, Kenilworth Road erupted before their heroes.
We’ll have to wait and see how crucial this draw turns out to be, but it felt like a seismic moment when the Hatters were in danger of being left adrift in the relegation battle.
There is a reason why Luton are becoming the second Premier League team for most people
Luton Town drew 1-1 with Nottingham Forest in their Premier League tie on Saturday
Chris Wood opened the scoring for Nottingham Forest in the 34th minute of the match
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Forest came into the clash three points clear of their opponents, although neither team could rely on any form, with the visitors picking up four points from their last seven games, while the Hatters picked up two in the same period.
Adding to the quintessential six-point narrative was only the pending outcome of Forest’s charge for breaching Profit and Sustainability rules, which will be decided on Monday, with some calling this clash a ’12 point’, given that the charges they are informed. be in relation to a similar infringement which resulted in a six-point penalty for Everton.
But neither side showed any apparent lack of confidence as the match began with impressive intensity.
Divock Origi was thwarted by a brilliant late tackle from Pelly Ruddock-Mpanzu early on, before Barkley tested Matz Sels twice and a third effort from the Hatters talisman crashed off the post.
Origi’s season-long loan from AC Milan was almost cut short in January after his early problems, but the former Liverpool super sub has started to show his worth in recent weeks.
He was posing all sorts of problems for Luton’s makeshift defense and saw two tries cleared off the line, including an improbable block from Reece Burke with Kaminski beaten.
However, it was a sign of things to come, and when Wood accurately finished off Gibbs-White’s precise cross with the outside of his boot at the back post, it was first blood for Forest.
Rob Edwards admitted he was left “numb” by the midweek collapse against Bournemouth, but Luton roared back and thought they had equalized before Mengi’s effort was disallowed.
It was Berry who gave Luton Town the equalizer in the 89th minute of the match.
Berry has become the first player to score a goal for Luton in the Premier League, Championship, League One and League Two.
Rob Edwards admitted he was left “numb” by the midweek collapse against Bournemouth, but Luton roared back and thought they had equalized before Mengi’s effort was ruled out for a handball.
It was a marginal decision but the defender, who was rewarded for his impressive form with his first England Under 21 call-up this week, controlled the ball with his head and hand, even though it was at his side.
The ding-dong nature of the affair continued after the break, as Gibbs-White twice went close, before Mengi somehow cleared another Forest effort off the line after Anthony Elanga beat Kaminski.
Brazilian defender Murillo has brought the samba style to Forest since arriving from Corinthians and his audacious shot from his own half almost surprised Kaminski as Forest continued to open up the hosts.
Luton huffed and puffed, but their absentee list looked set to leave them without that all-important quality in the final third.
But when Burke headed in a corner in the 90th minute, Berry was there to return home and ensure the midfielder maintained his incredible goalscoring record for the club across all divisions, while also keeping the Hatters alive in the battle for the top spot. decline.
Both teams are fighting for Premier League survival, with Luton Town in 18th place and Nottingham Forest above them in 17th.