CARLTON MORRIS SCORED a controversial stoppage-time equaliser as Luton salvaged a 1-1 draw in their crucial clash with relegation rivals Burnley on Friday.
Zeke Amdouni netted late in the first half at Turf Moor to give Burnley the lead, but Morris headed Luton level in the closing minutes.
Meanwhile, Republic of Ireland’s Aaron Connolly shipped some heavy hits in the Championship clash between Hull and Norwich City which forced him to be substituted in the opening stages of the first half.
Burnley were furious Morris’s goal was allowed to stand after a VAR check as Luton’s Elijah Adebayo appeared to deliberately block Clarets keeper James Trafford as he tried to catch Alfie Doughty’s cross.
Trafford was booked for his protest after the goal was allowed to stand, with Luton’s celebrations underlining their relief at avoiding defeat against their fellow strugglers in such dramatic fashion.
Luton remain third bottom, behind fourth bottom Everton on goal difference, while Burnley are second bottom and four points from safety.
It was a devastating blow for Vincent Kompany’s men, who were just seconds away from only their fourth win this term in a battle between two clubs promoted from the Championship last season and fighting to preserve their top-flight status.
The game was meant to be played next Monday, but Luton’s FA Cup third round replay against Bolton saw it had moved to Friday with only five days’ notice, a switch that added extra tension to an already fraught encounter.
Beaten in their previous three matches, Burnley had managed only 20 goals in their first 20 games this season, a woeful lack of cutting edge that threatened their top-flight status.
Their profligacy showed no signs of ending when Johann Gudmundsson sprinted clean through on goal, only to shoot straight at Luton keeper Thomas Kaminski.
Luton tried to make the most of that early escape as Chiedozie Ogbene picked out Ross Barkley, whose curler forced a fine save from Trafford.
Ogbene tested Trafford himself, cutting inside for a powerful strike that almost went in at the near post.
Chelsea striker David Fofana was watching in the stands ahead of a reported loan move to Burnley after recently cutting short his temporary spell at Union Berlin.
The need for a clinical finisher was apparent when Wilson Odobert completely miskicked when the ball fell to him in the Luton area.
But Kompany’s men finally showed they know where the goal is, with the help of a little good luck in the 36th minute.
Odobert’s step-over bought him room for a cross that fortuitously deflected into the path of Amdouni, whose shot hit Gudmundsson on the line before going in.
Ogbene wasted a good chance to equalise after the interval, shooting straight at Trafford from Barkley’s pass.
Rising to meet Andros Townsend’s cross, Ogbene’s header was tipped over by Trafford moments later.
But Luton kept pressing and they were rewarded in debatable fashion when Morris nodded home from 10 yards after Adebayo’s block sent Trafford sprawling.
Jon Rowe and Christian Fassnacht lifted Norwich to their first win of 2024 as Hull missed a chance to move into the Sky Bet Championship play-offs.
Rowe took his tally for the season to a dozen in all competitions and underlined why several Premier League clubs are rumoured to be sniffing around him with a breathtaking individual first-half goal.
Fassnacht came off the bench to net in the 88th minute and while Tyler Morton pulled one back in added-on time, Norwich held on for the final few moments to record a 2-1 win – their first in five matches.
The Canaries now sit just one point and place behind seventh-placed Hull, who only really sprang into action in the final half hour at the MKM Stadium.
They started brightly but were met with robust resistance from Norwich, with two bruising challenges on Connolly leading to Billy Sharp being brought on within a quarter of an hour.
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