Luton Town snatched a dramatic 1-0 victory over AFC Wimbledon on Saturday, thanks to an own goal from Wimbledon defender Ryan Johnson five minutes from time. The fortunate strike gave Luton their first win of the season after back-to-back relegations from the Premier League.
Luton manager Matt Bloomfield acknowledged the luck involved, stating, 'We were due a bit of luck. We feel like certain things have gone against us over a certain period of time but the one thing you cannot do is whine about it. You just have to get on with your work and be grateful when the gods shine on you.'
The winning goal came when Nahki Wells' hopeful ball forward to Cauley Woodrow was met by Johnson's head, looping over goalkeeper Nathan Bishop and in off the crossbar. Despite Luton's significant spending, including the signings of Cohen Bramall and Jerry Yates on the day of the match, they struggled to break down a resilient Wimbledon side.
Wimbledon manager Johnnie Jackson expressed his disappointment, saying, 'I'm gutted for my players and supporters. To lose the game in that manner was cruel. It's a hard one to take, a horrible way to lose. But I was really pleased with the structure of the team. We didn't do enough to go and win it, but I thought we deserved a draw.'
In other news, former Luton captain Tom Lockyer, who suffered a cardiac arrest in December 2023, revealed he is close to returning to football. 'I've had a really good few weeks. Hopefully now I'm four weeks away from getting signed off and told I'm allowed to play football again,' Lockyer said.
