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Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Carling Cup Result: Luton 3-1 Charlton: Hatters cause a shock




















































Luton3 - 1Charlton
4'

0 - 1Dean Sinclair
43'Steve Robinson1 - 1

105'Matthew Spring2 - 1

117'Drew Talbot3 - 1


3

1

Matthew Spring's bullet header and a tidy finish from Drew Talbot in extra time gave Kevin Blackwell's Luton side a superb 3-1 win over Charlton to continue their fine Carling Cup run.

The League One side knocked out Premier League side Sunderland in the last round and came from behind to see off their Championship opposition in a pulsating third-round tie at Kenilworth Road.

The Addicks dominated the first half after going ahead in the fourth minute through Dean Sinclair until Steve Robinson's brilliant intervention in the 43rd minute brought the sides level.

The Hatters then had the best of an end-to-end second 45 minutes before the mightily impressive Spring buried an unstoppable header and substitute Talbot capitalised on a defensive error to score deep into extra time.

Charlton boss Alan Pardew made 10 changes from the side which beat Leicester 2-0 at the weekend with central defender Madjid Bougherra the only player retaining his place.

But his patched-up side took just four minutes to open the scoring with the first attack of the match. Izale McLeod broke clear down the left and floated over a deft cross which was met by a powerful header from Bulgaria striker Svetoslav Todorov.

The ball squirmed through Hatters goalkeeper Dean Brill's legs and was turned in on a crowded goal line by Sinclair.

McLeod should have doubled the lead on the half-hour mark when he was played clean through by Todorov but fired wastefully wide.

And minutes later Robinson made the former MK Dons striker pay when he majestically volleyed into the top corner after David Bell's corner was headed clear.

The home side started the second period brightly and after Spring saw his goal-bound drive well blocked by Patrick McCarthy, veteran Paul Furlong went close after a solo run from the halfway line.

An inspired piece of skill from Todorov then sent Darren Ambrose clear at the other end.

The former Portsmouth man took down a high ball at full stretch before flicking the ball through a defender's legs and playing a perfectly-weighted pass all in one movement but Ambrose lashed wide from the edge of the area.

McLeod - always looking to receive possession - then cut inside from the right but again fired well wide before Pardew introduced Luke Varney into the fray.

And the £2.5million man instantly posed a threat when he darted inside Richard Jackson to collect Sinclair's pin-point pass but he was smothered by a fantastic tackle from former Valley favourite Chris Perry.

The game was being played at breakneck pace and McVeigh fashioned a chance at the other end when he skilfully nutmegged Yassin Moutaouakil and crossed but McCarthy did well to clear from the waiting Dean Morgan.

Ambrose then thought he had won it in stoppage time but the back-pedalling Brill managed to palm his looping header over from under the crossbar.

McLeod had the first chance of extra time but once more his finishing failed to match the rest of his play.

He span away from Bougherra brilliantly after Varney's flick-on but curled the ball a yard wide of the far post.

And former Crewe striker Varney was left to curse his luck five minutes later when McLeod played him in but Brill somehow turned his venomous volley over the bar from point-blank range.

It was a phenomenal stop and the Hatters had the lead for the first time of the night seconds later in the 104th minute.

Substitute Darren Currie tormented Moutaouakil down the left before whipping in a great cross which Spring attacked with real purpose on the six-yard line to plant his header low beyond Darren Randolph.

And Talbot booked the Hatters' place in round four in the 117th minute when Bougherra slipped in possession 30 yards from goal to allow him a clear run on goal and he coolly slipped the ball under Randolph and in off the far post.

Full Report: Soccernet.com

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