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GAME DETAILS
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Attendance: 1,015
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dwilford
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gashead eric
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ROVERS SUNK BY OWUSU STRIKE AS LUTON SNATCH VICTORY
FOREST GREEN ROVERS 0 – 1 LUTON TOWN
Supplied by www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk
FORTRESS New Lawn was finally breached as Forest Green suffered their first home league defeat in six games.
Lloyd Owusu scored the only goal of the night for the Blue Square Bet Premier giants on 38 minutes, but any neutral would have struggled to tell which side was embroiled in a relegation battle.
Luton’s Mark Tyler was the first goalkeeper called into action, fielding a low shot from 20 yards by Rookie left-back Stokes, who impressed so many in the weekend victory over Tamworth, displayed more confidence by producing a low 40-yard drive that whistled past Tyler’s far post.
Former Cheltenham Town striker Owusu mustered the Hatters’ first attempt of note, a glancing header wide from the middle of the penalty area.
But Rovers looked more of a threat, and they came close in the 29th minute when Yan Klukowski pounced on a weak header by Zdenek Kroca and prodded over the stranded Tyler and onto the roof of the net.
That seemed to rouse the visitors, who came within inches of taking a 33rd minute lead when Keith Keane’s clever curling effort beat James Bittner and came back off the post.
Seconds later Claude Gnapka swung over an inviting cross from the right which Matthew Barnes-Homer headed wastefully over.
Gnapka was involved in the opening goal, feeding Owusu in a crowded area for a low shot which caught out an unsighted Bittner and gave Richard Money’s men a half-time advantage.
Forest Green were fortunate not to lose Luke Jones five minutes into the second period, as Owusu bore down on goal and was tripped from behind by the desperate home skipper.
Seconds later Styche burst clear at the other end and nicked the ball past Tyler, only for the keeper to recover and make a vital block.
Dave Hockaday’s side began to build some sustained pressure, and Klukowski crossed superbly for Ross Dyer to fire agonisingly across the face of goal.
Similarly expert delivery from the opposite flank, this time via a Kieron Forbes free-kick, resulted in Jones heading into the grateful arms of Tyler from eight yards.
Super-sub Steve Guinan was summoned from the home dugout in the 66th minute, but increasingly anxious Rovers were guilty of hitting too many high balls in his direction and lost momentum.
Luton could have killed them off with three minutes left when substitute Danny Crow got on the end of wicked free-kick and was denied by a brilliant one-handed save by Bittner.
There was one final chance for the home side when Styche dug out a shot that had plenty of power, but a plunging Tyler was equal to it.
Forest Green: J. Bittner: D. Hall, L. Jones, G. Caines, C. Stokes: R. Dyer, W. Turk (L. Enver-Marum 85), M. Somner, Y. Klukowski (S. Guinan 66): K. Forbes: R. Styche: Subs not used: J. Imudia, C. Armstrong, B. Gray.
Luton Town: M. Tyler: L. Graham, Z. Kroca, G. Pilkington, F. Murray: C. Gnakpa, K. Keane, R. Willmott (P. Carden 63), J. Howells: L. Owusu, M. Barnes-Homer (D. Crow 63): Subs not used: G. Poku, A. Morgan-Smith, K. Pilkington.
Referee: R. Martin (Somerset) Attendance: 1,015
Star man: Gavin Caines
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Corkie
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