Luton Town 3-2 Blackburn Rovers: Nathan Jones' Hatters win to avoid relegation
- Published
Luton started the final day inside the relegation zone on goal difference
Luton Town remarkably avoided relegation from the Championship with the help of two own goals as they came from behind to beat Blackburn and move out of the bottom three for the first time since December.
Nathan Jones' side, who were 10 points from safety in February, knew victory would see them survive.
However, mid-table Rovers took a deserved early lead when Adam Armstrong finished low on the turn from a corner that was allowed to bounce.
But two slices of luck put the Hatters in front - first Blackburn defender Hayden Carter unknowingly headed into the corner of his own net from James Bree's free-kick, before his team-mate Bradley Johnson was also unfortunate to score at the wrong end from a home corner.
Luton had a two-goal cushion when James Collins netted from the spot after Harry Cornick was tripped in the box and the hosts nervously clung on despite Sam Gallagher's clever finish and late pressure from the visitors.
Barnsley's stoppage-time winner at Brentford meant a Rovers equaliser would have led to Luton going down if relegated Wigan are successful in their appeal against a 12-point deduction for going into administration, but the three points mean their second-tier status is secure regardless.
Despite leading 2-1 at the break, the hosts' only shot on target was Collins' spot-kick on the hour mark, which found the roof of the net despite the striker losing his footing as he took it.
Immediately after pulling back to 3-2 Blackburn nearly levelled but John Buckley's volley from inside the box deflected agonisingly wide off Sonny Bradley.
With Wigan's deduction now applied the Hatters finish 19th after promotion from League One last season, with Blackburn 11th in the table.
Jones return inspires Hatters escape act
Nathan Jones (centre) celebrated with his assistant Mick Harford (right) on the full-time whistle
It would be remiss to suggest that Luton's survival against the odds was totally down to Nathan Jones - his predecessor Graeme Jones picked up 11 points from six games before the coronavirus lockdown - but the Welshman's return to Kenilworth Road, 16 months after leaving for Stoke, was a massive boost.
He spoke of needing to regain the respect of Hatters fans and five points from a tricky opening three games back at the helm certainly did that.
The Bedfordshire side then went unbeaten in their last five after a humbling 5-0 home reverse by Reading.
That was not even Luton's heaviest defeat of the campaign, a 7-0 defeat at Brentford came during a run of nine losses in 11 between October and February, but just two defeats in their last 14 enabled them to stay up.
Jones led Luton to promotion from League Two in 2017-18, before departing in January 2019 when they were second in the League One table, but saving them from almost certain relegation back to the third tier will arguably be his proudest achievement in the role.
Match reaction
Luton boss Nathan Jones told BBC Three Counties Radio:
"It's a shame there's no fans here because I think it would be bouncing right now, the volume levels would be through the roof.
"I would've thought a handful of individuals thought we could've done it [stayed up] but we've done it. This is as great an achievement as a promotion, it really is.
"We saw the game out brilliantly. We weathered everything and I'm so proud of the players because we've come through a real tough test.
"I would like to be here for a long time, I would like us to be a Premier League club - we're a long way off that but we are closer than we were nine games ago."
Blackburn manager Tony Mowbray:
"We lost three goals again really, it's almost a common thing, we have to toughen up, the flaws are there to be seen, we have to fix it.
"There's plenty of good stuff, I don't want to rubbish it all, there's plenty of half decent football, but we can't concede the goals we've been conceding.
"Total respect to Luton, they battled and managed the game better than we did.
"It's been an up and down season, we've had some amazing moments and some amazing performances and some days like today, the consistency levels haven't been there."