Championship
LutonLuton Town1LeedsLeeds United2

Luton Town 1-2 Leeds United: Matt Pearson scores a late own goal to give Leeds the win

Luton goalkeeper James Shea
Luton goalkeeper James Shea made a series of fine saves as the Hatters looked to end a four-game losing streak

Leeds moved up to second in the Championship as Matt Pearson's late own goal condemned Luton to a fifth successive league defeat.

The decisive moment in a tight game arrived just into added time when Pearson put Mateusz Klich's cross into his own net after a touch from Patrick Bamford.

The win sees Leeds extend their unbeaten run to six games and leapfrog Preston North End in the table.

Bamford opened the scoring for his sixth goal of the season from Ben White's through ball.

The home side were aggrieved, however, as Izzy Brown looked to have been fouled before the swift Leeds counter-attack.

But James Collins' powerful header from Brown's right-wing cross looked to have earned Luton a point just two minutes after Bamford had scored.

Hatters goalkeeper James Shea was the star of the first half, making decent saves to deny Bamford and Tyler Roberts, while the former also hit the post.

The Hatters should have left with a point, though, with Dan Potts heading a gilt-edged chance wide from the final passage of play before Luton slumped to another loss.

Luton Town boss Graeme Jones:

"I don't think I'm a biased manager, I think I try to be fair and try to be subjective with things.

"In my opinion, I've looked at the clips back, it's a foul on Izzy, taking his legs from him.

"We're playing Leeds United, the gulf is already big enough and when you don't get decisions like that going your way and your team has given absolutely everything they've got, it's a difficult one to swallow.

"These (Leeds) are the best team in the league, I've analysed them enough to say that. I see them cutting through teams and I mean at will, and they had more shots than us, they had possession, but we were always in the game, and that's the satisfying aspect."

Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa:

"We had 15 chances to score, I don't link the possible foul with the possibility of scoring, you can interpret it like that, but the possible foul was 80 metres away from the opponent's goal.

"In those 80 metres, happened a lot of things that aren't linked with the beginning of the action and the development and the finish of the chance, but I can understand the opponent and maybe the supporters can link both situations.

"I think the result was fair, it was a good performance from the team.

"In the first half, it was a little bit easier for us, but in the second half we had to fight a little bit more.

"It's very difficult to win if you don't fight you don't have a good condition to play, and if you want to win, you have to right, if not you cannot."

Line-ups

Luton

Formation 4-1-2-1-2

  • 36Shea
  • 26Bree
  • 6Pearson
  • 5Bradley
  • 3Potts
  • 17Mpanzu
  • 11ShinnieSubstituted forBoltonat 90+1'minutes
  • 4Tunnicliffe
  • 24BrownSubstituted forLuaLuaat 75'minutes
  • 19Collins
  • 14CornickSubstituted forMcManamanat 75'minutes

Substitutes

  • 7McManaman
  • 12Sluga
  • 22Bolton
  • 23Galloway
  • 25LuaLua
  • 28Jones
  • 29Butterfield

Leeds

Formation 4-1-4-1

  • 13Casilla
  • 2AylingBooked at 53mins
  • 5White
  • 28BerardiSubstituted forCooperat 59'minutes
  • 15Dallas
  • 23Phillips
  • 19Hernández
  • 43Klich
  • 11RobertsSubstituted forClarkeat 71'minutes
  • 22HarrisonSubstituted forHélder Costaat 64'minutes
  • 9Bamford

Substitutes

  • 1Meslier
  • 3Douglas
  • 6Cooper
  • 10Alioski
  • 17Hélder Costa
  • 36Gotts
  • 47Clarke
Referee:
John Brooks
Attendance:
10,068

Match Stats

Home TeamLutonAway TeamLeeds
Possession
Home25%
Away75%
Shots
Home11
Away21
Shots on Target
Home5
Away12
Corners
Home4
Away8
Fouls
Home7
Away11

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Luton Town 1, Leeds United 2.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Luton Town 1, Leeds United 2.

  3. Post update

    Attempt missed. Dan Potts (Luton Town) header from the centre of the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by James Bree with a cross following a corner.

  4. Post update

    Corner, Luton Town. Conceded by Patrick Bamford.

  5. Post update

    Foul by Liam Cooper (Leeds United).

  6. Post update

    Dan Potts (Luton Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  7. Post update

    Foul by Stuart Dallas (Leeds United).

  8. Post update

    Callum McManaman (Luton Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  9. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Pablo Hernández (Leeds United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Hélder Costa.

  10. Post update

    Attempt saved. Mateusz Klich (Leeds United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Pablo Hernández.

  11. Substitution

    Substitution, Luton Town. Luke Bolton replaces Andrew Shinnie.

  12. Goal!

    Own Goal by Matty Pearson, Luton Town. Luton Town 1, Leeds United 2.

  13. Post update

    Luke Ayling (Leeds United) wins a free kick on the right wing.

  14. Post update

    Foul by Dan Potts (Luton Town).

  15. Post update

    Attempt saved. Mateusz Klich (Leeds United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Hélder Costa.

  16. Post update

    Corner, Leeds United. Conceded by James Shea.

  17. Post update

    Attempt saved. Mateusz Klich (Leeds United) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the right is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Hélder Costa.

  18. Post update

    Attempt missed. Stuart Dallas (Leeds United) right footed shot from long range on the left is too high. Assisted by Jack Clarke.

  19. Post update

    Corner, Leeds United. Conceded by Dan Potts.

  20. Post update

    Attempt saved. Pablo Hernández (Leeds United) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Mateusz Klich.