LUTON TOWN 0 STEVENAGE BOROUGH 1

A superb goal from Scott Laird five minutes from time was enough to earn Borough the three points on their first visit to Kenilworth Road on Tuesday evening.

An unchanged side is a luxury that Graham Westley has not enjoyed now since the season’s early days. Two players dropped out of Saturday’s starting 11 in Eddie Odhiambo and Lee Boylan, in came Charlie Griffin and Joel Byrom. Loan signing Michael Brough lined up at left back with Byrom partnering Darren Murphy in a combatative central midfield partnership.

The tension was palpable, the crowd boisterous and a 15 minute delay for crowd congestion only intensified the atmosphere. When the game did eventually get underway the opening exchanges were probing rather than penetrating; like two heavyweight fighters testing each other’s defences before launching an offensive.

Borough had the best of the opening half hour, but the best chance went to the home side. Adam Newton cut in from the right, slid a ball into the area and although Chris Day got a touch the ball fell to Rossi Jarvis, Day recovered to save his goal-bound effort.

With five minutes remaining Borough had what appeared to be a cast iron penalty turned down as Cole jinked into the area and appeared to be hauled down by Ed Asafu-Adjaye. The referee waved play on and when the ball went out of play showed the yellow card to Cole for his protests. With the scoreline blank at the interval Borough would have been satisfied, considering it a job half done.

Cole and Drury tested Mark Tyler early in the second half, but it was Luton who were in the ascendancy without causing the resolute Borough rearguard and great alarms. With Luton pressing forward there were gaps beginning to appear at the back and when Drury broke clear Tyler did well to deny Beardsley.

It was the introduction of burly substitute Claude Gnakpa that sparked the home side to life. Borough failed to clear a freekick and the ball fell to Tom Craddock six yards from goal and his shot looked destined for the corner of the net until Day flung himself to this left to tip the ball against the post

With five minutes remaining Borough made the breakthrough. Substitute Eddie Odhiambo picked the ball up in midfield, drew the defence and then fed the ball into the path of the overlapping Laird. The full back took one touch and fired a stunning shot across the face of the goal into the corner of the net to send the 800 Borough fans delirious.

Deep into added time the home side almost got a late reprieve when Gnakpa fired a low shot goalwards from the edge of the area, but again Day pulled off an amazing save to tip the ball wide of the post and secure the three points for Borough.