Match ends, Hull City 1, Luton Town 3.
HullHull City1LutonLuton Town3
Luton Town manager Nathan Jones said his side have reached "utopia" after moving third in the Championship following their 3-1 win at Hull City.
Elijah Adebayo's early left-footed goal set the Hatters on their way, before Harry Cornick's second-half toe-poke and James Bree's spectacular free-kick inside the final 20 minutes.
Tom Eaves scored a consolation in stoppage time for the Tigers as Luton missed out on a third clean sheet in four games.
"I've been in the game for 32 and a half years and this is the best group I've ever worked with - I'm so proud of them," Jones told BBC Three Counties Radio.
"It's not the most talented, but it's definitely the best, the tightest, hard-working, humble - all the good words you want to use about human beings and players, these have it better than anyone I've ever seen.
"I'm so proud of them and it's magnificent. To see where we are in the league, that's utopia.
"If anyone had said to anybody realistic that Luton would be third in the Championship with eight games to go I think there'd be a lot of laughing going on," he added.
Luton's win, coupled with Huddersfield's 3-0 loss at home to second-placed Bournemouth, sees Jones' side leapfrog the Terriers to go third on goal difference.
They are six points behind Bournemouth, having played two more games, and have a four-point buffer to seventh-placed QPR as they aim for the play-offs come the end of the season.
Bree's free-kick from the edge of the box will be the abiding memory for the 1,000 or so Luton fans that made the 157-mile journey to Humberside, but it was a victory they fully deserved.
Cornick had a sixth-minute chance before Adebayo put them ahead three minutes later when rebound fell to whose shot found the bottom corner, while Luke Berry forced Matt Ingram into a good save with a long-range effort mid-way through the first half.
Hull's best spell came either side of half time as Eaves volleyed a George Honeyman cross over the bar shortly before the break and Alfie Jones and Keane Lewis-Potter went close in the first few minutes of the second period.
Cornick's goal deflated Hull's fans as Adebayo nipped in to win the ball from Sean McLoughlin when the Irishman should have cleared before setting up his team-mate to slot home.
Bree's goal - which clipped the underside of the bar on its way in - underlined Luton's dominance as Hull slipped to 20th place, but 13 points clear of the relegation places.
Hull City manager Shota Arveladze:
"It's difficult to explain. Football can be really unfair. I still believe we didn't really deserve to concede three goals.
"We could have stayed in the game, but, unfortunately, it happens. We made mistakes and that is the difference at home and away - and we need to be better.
"We make more mistakes at home than away, it's as simple as that. I don't want to blame anyone. I don't think it's about away or home - it's just about football.
"Our supporters are unbelievable and they stayed with us until the last whistle.
"We have a lot of small injuries, but we disappointed them at home again and we will try to win them back."
Line-ups
Hull
Formation 3-4-2-1
- 1Ingram
- 5Jones
- 17McLoughlin
- 4Greaves
- 16LongmanSubstituted forForssat 75'minutes
- 6SmallwoodSubstituted forSayyadmaneshat 66'minutes
- 8DochertySubstituted forHuddlestoneat 66'minutesBooked at 71mins
- 3Elder
- 10HoneymanBooked at 86mins
- 11Lewis-Potter
- 9Eaves
Substitutes
- 13Baxter
- 20Sayyadmanesh
- 23Huddlestone
- 24Bernard
- 27Slater
- 44Forss
- 45Walsh
Luton
Formation 3-4-1-2
- 1Shea
- 2Bree
- 20KiosoBooked at 25minsSubstituted forLockyerat 52'minutes
- 3Potts
- 24Onyedinma
- 22Campbell
- 18ClarkBooked at 11mins
- 29Bell
- 8BerrySubstituted forMpanzuat 51'minutes
- 7CornickSubstituted forJeromeat 75'minutes
- 11Adebayo
Substitutes
- 9Hylton
- 14Mendes Gomes
- 15Lockyer
- 17Mpanzu
- 21Isted
- 23Lansbury
- 35Jerome
- Referee:
- Tony Harrington
- Attendance:
- 16,555
Match Stats
Home TeamHullAway TeamLuton
- Possession
- Home59%
- Away41%
- Shots
- Home15
- Away11
- Shots on Target
- Home4
- Away5
- Corners
- Home6
- Away5
- Fouls
- Home9
- Away11
Live Text
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Full Time
Second Half ends, Hull City 1, Luton Town 3.
Goal!
Goal! Hull City 1, Luton Town 3. Tom Eaves (Hull City) left footed shot from very close range to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Marcus Forss.
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Corner, Hull City. Conceded by Daniel Potts.
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Keane Lewis-Potter (Hull City) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Foul by Fred Onyedinma (Luton Town).
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Attempt missed. Callum Elder (Hull City) left footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Tom Huddlestone.
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Attempt blocked. James Bree (Luton Town) right footed shot from a difficult angle and long range on the left is blocked.
Booking
George Honeyman (Hull City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
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Foul by George Honeyman (Hull City).
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Elijah Adebayo (Luton Town) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Attempt missed. Keane Lewis-Potter (Hull City) right footed shot from the left side of the box is close, but misses to the left following a corner.
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Corner, Hull City. Conceded by Daniel Potts.
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Attempt blocked. Allahyar Sayyadmanesh (Hull City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
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Attempt blocked. Marcus Forss (Hull City) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
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Corner, Luton Town. Conceded by Sean McLoughlin.
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Attempt blocked. Amari'i Bell (Luton Town) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Cameron Jerome.
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Foul by Allahyar Sayyadmanesh (Hull City).
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Amari'i Bell (Luton Town) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Substitution
Substitution, Hull City. Marcus Forss replaces Ryan Longman.
Comments
Join the conversation
It's incredible what Luton are doing.
Long may it continue.....all the way to the top flight.
...on spirit, not cash.
British owned /run club that is financially viable.
British/Welsh manager that has worked his way up the leagues. He wouldn’t fit in the PL.
90% (approx) of the team British born.
No premier league loaned players
Not cosmopolitan at all. Just a great TEAM!
But we are enjoying the run. Keep it up LTFC.
Also appreciate the comments from Hull supporters, looks like you guys should be safe but all the best for the rest of the season.
Everton FC.