Luton Town 3-1 Blackpool: Rob Edwards high-flying Hatters keep Premier League dreams alive

Rob Edwards high-flying Hatters staged an entertaining comeback victory to keep their faint hopes of automatic promotion to the Premier League alive.

Andy Lyons put the visitors ahead, before Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu grabbed a crucial leveller seconds before halftime. Carlton Morris made it 2-1 on 72 minutes, prior to Mpanzu notching his second of a productive afternoon 240 seconds later to seal the win.

The struggling Tangerines arrived in Bedfordshire second from bottom of the Championship, having lost four of their last five matches, which culminated in the sacking of boss Mick McCarthy before Easter, the club's second manager of a miserable season, following the departure of Michael Appleton in January.

Hopes were raised when County Kildare-born Irish U21 international Lyons nodded home his fourth goal of the season for the Tangerines on the half hour mark, to put the visitors 1-0 ahead after an attritional opening.

Stung, the Hatters attempted to regain parity when No2 Cody Drameh fired just over Blackpool keeper Chris Maxwell's bar moments later. 

Drameh was involved in the equaliser when his free-kick found Morris, who fed Mpanzu, whose smart finish evaded the despairing dive of Maxwell in the Blackpool goal to make it 1-1 moments before the interval.

The home side forced a smart save low down from Maxwell, when a hopeful ball into a crowded box evaded everyone, bar the 32-year-old former Wrexham journeyman. 

advertisement

However, on a sunny, but deceptively windy afternoon in front of 9,772 at cramped but evocative Kenilworth Road, Morris made it 2-1 after the conditions did keeper Maxwell no favours. A high ball into the box stalling in the wind, to fall helpfully for Luton's No9, who finished with aplomb as the home side consolidated third place in the table. 

There was still time for the lively Mpanzu to finish emphatically four minutes later as the Hatters sealed a deserved triumph over the rudderless Tangerines, whose loyal support deserve better than the all-too likely prospect of League One football next season.