CITY 3 LUTON TOWN 1
League Division 1
30th September 1989
Attendance 23,863
Scorers
City Oldfield(11), Bishop(45), I Brightwell(60)
Luton Black(44)
Ref Roger Milford
City Cooper, Fleming, Gayle, Redmond, Hinchcliffe, White, Bishop, Brightwell, Lake, Morley, Oldfield – Subs McNab(60), Megson(unused)
Luton Chamberlain, Breaker, Dreyer, Wilson, Harvey, Beaumont, Kennedy, Wegerle, Elstrup, Preece, Black – Subs Cooke(69), Johnson(81)
FROM THE PRESS BOX
CYNTHIA BATEMAN WRITING IN THE GUARDIAN 2ND OCTOBER 1989
The question is not can City rise to the big occasion, They proved that they can with their 5-1 derby win last week, but can they graft when the going gets tedious?
There is not much glamour attached to knocking Brentford out of the Littlewoods Cup, and the only spotlight City will find themselves under on Wednesday if they fail to cancel out the Third Division, side’s 2-1 lead from the first leg will be the kind that shines into your eyes while you answer awkward questions from hostile. Interrogators.
The bananas have disappeared from the terraces, so perhaps City have stopped slipping on the skins. There were glimpses of maturity, admittedly fleeting but no less intriguing for that, in their performance against Luton, or, more accurately their performance against Kingsley Black.
The Northern Ireland Winger seemed to be the only Luton player prepared to take on the Maine Road heroes, still glowing like Weetabix kids from last week when they had Manchester United for breakfast.
When City took the lead after 10 minutes Black appeared to be the only Luton player to have the heart to try to energise his side. But his solo displays of dribbling skill were too often wasted, his team-mates content to stand and watch the rings he ran around the City men, and two leaden footed to get into a position to meet his crosses.
It was just reward for Black when a minute before half time he equalised with a well struck shot that gave Cooper, the City goalkeeper, no chance. But for Cooper’s save of Wegerle’s penalty minutes earlier, City might have found themselves behind at the break.
Yet the belief of the Luton manager, Ray Harford, that’s his team had almost as many chances as City was less plausible than his remark: “I didn’t think City would score five again this week, but after a quarter of an hour I was beginning to wonder.”
City opened with a header from Oldfield who was horizontal about four feet off the ground when he met Whites cross from the right. It was one of a dozen or more that White sent whistling over, and Bishop was next to connect, heading City back into the lead a minute after Luton equalised, and just on half-time.
On the hour came a Morley chip over and beyond a baffled Luton back four, and White’s cross landed so neatly that all Brightwell had to do was side foot into the net.
There were another half dozen chances City should have converted, but eight goals in two games is not bad and that is without their £1 million striker Clive Allen, recovering from a groin injury.
