Luton Town 2-0 Coventry City: Hatters heap further pressure on struggling Sky Blues
- Published
All January window signing Elijah Adebayo's three goals to date for Luton Town have come at Kenilworth Road
Luton Town cruised to victory over Championship strugglers Coventry City, who played with 10 men at Kenilworth Road for more than half the match.
James Bree volleyed in Harry Cornick's 23rd-minute cross before visiting defender Kyle McFadzean was shown a straight red card on 41 minutes for handling Cornick's shot on the line.
Elijah Adebayo converted the penalty and, from then on, Luton stayed on top.
Coventry's defeat keeps them just six points above the relegation zone.
The Sky Blues came into this fixture having won just twice in 10 games, and Luton tried to capitalise on any lack of confidence by starting positively.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's free-kick from out wide was sliced onto his own post by Coventry's Maxime Biamou before McFadzean's clearance also struck the woodwork in a frantic opening.
Two minutes later it was the visitors' turn to hit the goal frame at the other end when Biamou, one-on-one with Luton keeper Simon Sluga, curled an effort against the inside of the post.
Once Luton took the lead it was one-way traffic, as the Coventry woodwork was tested for a third time in the 50th minute when Sky Blues defender Sam McCallum headed Dewsbury-Hall's corner against his own bar.
Leo Skiri Ostigard then cleared a Ryan Tunnicliffe effort off the line after 70 minutes, while Jordan Clark had a fierce strike kept out by Ben Wilson from a tight angle.
Nathan Jones' side were untroubled in the closing stages as they rose to 13th in the Championship table, while Coventry stay 20th.
Coventry boss Mark Robins said afterwards that City are likely to appeal against the handball decision which earned Luton their killer second goal - in the hope that the red-carded McFadzean may not have to serve an automatic suspension.
Luton manager Nathan Jones told BBC Three Counties Radio:
"We got away with one when they hit the post. But performance level, on the whole we were excellent.
"Once they went down to 10 men, we were really dominant. For me, it was a red card. It was clearly a penalty. We're just delighted it was given.
"Some of our play was wonderful. But we need to be more clinical, that's something we need to get better at."
Coventry City boss Mark Robins:
"Having seen it, Kyle McFadzean was adamant it wasn't handball. It looks like his shoulder.
"From the referee's perspective in real time the body movement might have made it look like he handballed it but the referee was guessing on a few things.
"That is disappointing because it has cost us, really. I think it is worth an appeal."