Luton Town Development slump to defeat
Luton Town Development 0 AFC Bournemouth U21 2
Goals from Jon Muleba and Brandon Goodship extended AFC Bournemouth U21’s lead at the top of the Final Third Development League South table.
The pair scored within 11 minutes of each other either side of the break at Top Field in Hitchin.
First-team coach Nathan Jones watched on from the stands as first teamers Danny Green, Magnus Okuonghae and Paul Benson all featured for the Development side.
Both sides failed to get going in a lacklustre opening 20 minutes on a poor pitch.
Keelan O’Connell had the first meaningful chance of the game in the 23rd minute.
The Cherries’ striker produced a sublime save low to Liam Gooch’s left from the edge of the box with captain Jordan Lee lashing the follow-up wide.
Former West Ham player Dan Potts came closest to opening the scoring for the hosts.
The left-back rose highest from Green’s cross but could only head straight at Marius Adamonis.
The league-leader’s superior quality shone through as the game sprung to life ten minutes before the break.
Muleba, who was capped once at U20 level for Congo, broke the deadlock with his first goal of the campaign for Stephen Purches’ side.
Matt Butcher dinked a free-kick into the box with centre-back Mark O’Brien only able to clear as far as the 20-year-old who calmly slotted home from eight yards.
Moments later Matt Worthington missed a glorious opportunity to double the lead as he missed an open goal from close range.
The visitors put the game to bed a minute after the restart.
Goodship rocketed a powerful effort past Gooch into the top right corner after being played in behind the Hatters’ defence by Matt Butcher.
Four minutes after going two down Green almost reduced the deficit with his 25-yard free-kick skimming the crossbar.
Cherries’ stopper Adamonis was almost left red-faced by Isaac Galliford on the hour mark.
The Lithuanian ‘keeper was taken by surprise and just about tipped the effort over the bar to keep his clean-sheet in tact.
The Hatters kept pushing in the dying embers with Alex Atkinson forcing Adamonis into a fine stop low to hit left after taking the ball down on his chest and volleying on the turn.
Substitute Ryan Hall’s pace caused issues for the tired visitors’ defence in stoppage time.
The winger charged into the box and was bundled to the ground by Ollie Harfield, only for referee Lee Forrester to wave away claims for a penalty.