MATCH REPORT: LUTON TOWN

County secure a point at Kenilworth Road that ensures their safety in League Two.

Manager Warren Feeney welcomed back Alex Rodman to the starting line-up, with Kieran Parselle stepping up to the bench.

County started the game brightly and carved an opportunity inside the opening two minutes when a low cross from the left by Scott Barrow eventually fell to Alex Rodman who tried to curl a placed shot into the top corner, but his effort flew wide of the post.

Medy Elito looked energetic in midfield and created an opportunity for himself when the playmaker snatched possession in the centre of the park and run purposely at the Luton defence, before firing his shot into the hands of Justham. 

In stoppage time of the first-half, the home side twice broke through the County defence. Luton's first effort came when a cross from the right teased Joe Day off his line, but the 'keeper slipped and Joe Piggot directed his header over the bar. The hosts second effort required Joe Day into making a great reaction save, diving to his left to turn an effort by Mpanzu away from danger.

After the break, Luton managed to create a chance within sixty seconds of the restart. when Joe Pigott was allowed time and space to turn on the edge of the area and attempted a lofted shot that clipped the crossbar.

As the game headed to the sixty-minute mark, County utilised the pace of Scott Barrow down the left-hand side and the winger was able to delivery into a dangerous position and his pass narrowly missed the lurking Scott Boden and Lenell John-Lewis, who were both primed to touch the ball into the net.

Luton took the lead inside the final ten minutes when a whipped delivery from the right was headed home by substitute Jake Marriot, who managed to get across his man.

County responded by introducing Tommy O'Sullivan and Souleymane Couilbaly, in an attempt to carve out chances of a late equaliser, which came in the 88th minute when an inch-perfect cross by Alex Rodman was headed into the top corner by the leaping Coulibaly, who celebrated his goal with an emphatic somersault. 

County saw out the three minutes of injury time and the point was enough to secure the Exiles' safety in League Two for next season. 

FINAL SCORE: LUTON TOWN 1 - 1 NEWPORT COUNTY AFC 

COUNTY STARTING XI: Day, Holmes, Davies, Jones, Elito, Byrne (c), Rodman, Barrow, Boden, John-Lewis 
SUBS: Green, Couilbaly, Owen-Evans, Parselle, Morgan, Partridge 
BOOKINGS: Daives


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