Luton Town 2-0 Watford: Rob Edwards leads Hatters to victory against former club
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Gabriel Osho's first-half strike was the defender's second in 30 appearances this season and just the third of his senior career
Luton Town boss Rob Edwards masterminded victory over his former side Watford as the promotion-chasing Hatters kept the pressure on the Championship's top two in a high-octane derby at a packed Kenilworth Road.
Gabriel Osho's low first-half strike opened the scoring for the hosts - who had won four of their previous six matches 1-0.
Watford, who failed to register an attempt on target in the first half, improved after the interval and went close through a Jeremy Ngakia header.
But a poor clearance allowed Allan Campbell to smash in an injury-time second for the hosts, who are now unbeaten in seven games.
Luton's latest - richly deserved - success keeps them in fourth, just six points adrift of second-placed Sheffield United, who beat Norwich City 1-0, and level on points with third-placed Middlesbrough, following their shock 4-2 loss against Huddersfield Town.
Watford's defeat in just the sixth league encounter between the sides in more than 25 years means their chances of creeping into the play-offs seem remote having won just once in a six-game run that has also brought three consecutive away defeats.
Edwards oversaw just three wins in his 10 Championship games as Watford manager but only had six weeks off before replacing Nathan Jones in mid-November with the Hatters in 10th place and the Hornets fourth.
But prior to the game at Kenilworth Road, Luton had taken 14 points from their previous six games, while Watford had won just twice in 11 - and the reasons for the turnaround soon became clear after a predictably spiky start.
The ferocity of the early exchanges matched the raucous atmosphere, with the tackles flying in and infringements heavily outweighing goal opportunities. A flurry of fouls prevented any sort of pattern until the hosts settled and became increasingly threatening in the second half of the opening period.
Amari'i Bell tried his luck with a fierce half-volley from about 35 yards that went just wide and Hornets keeper Daniel Bachmann had to make a stunning reaction save to turn over Campbell's close-range strike.
Bachmann, however, was powerless to stop Osho sweeping his side ahead from Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu's cross after 28 minutes.
Watford continued to have more possession and finally showed some attacking menace after going behind, but a dangerous Imran Louza cross that evaded everyone and a blocked Joao Pedro shot was as good as it got before the break.
Bachmann had to make amends for his own poor clearance with a decent save from Luton top scorer Carlton Morris at the end of the half and despite Watford's improvement, he remained the busier of the keepers on the resumption.
The Austrian made fine block from Elijah Adebayo's angled drive before the striker went close with a deflected attempt that looped over, while Morris shot narrowly wide.
Chris Wilder's side went close to an equaliser through a Louza strike that forced a good save from Ethan Horvath and a Ngakia header that drifted just wide, but they were unable to find a goal for a third consecutive game.
Campbell's strike brought an overdue second goal for the home team and secured just their second victory over Watford in 13 league meetings - the other coming in a 1-0 home win in April 2021.
Luton head coach Rob Edwards told BBC Three Counties Radio:
"The players were outstanding, every single one of them, to the point where it made me emotional at the end.
"We're in a really good position, we're going to keep our foot down and see where it takes us. The lads know how to win games and we're going to continue to do that - there are seven huge games to go.
"The club is on a high - there's no guarantees we're going do anything and I don't want to start talking like something is going to happen - but we all feel something could.
"We wanted to be in the mix with five games to go and it looks like we will be. I believe in that group of players with total faith. They keep proving people wrong."
Watford boss Chris Wilder told BBC Three Counties Radio:
"The best team won - that's why they're 12 points clear of where we are. That's why they'll be fighting for something at the end of the season and if it's going to be this [from us], it's going to be mid-table obscurity.
"We're just stop-start. At times I see some really good things and at times I see some head-shaking moments.
"When I took the job, I looked at it and thought 'there's some really good players there' but trying to bring them together as a team is the hardest thing.
"In the moments when we really needed to step up to the plate and work as a team, and play as a team, we didn't and just went individual."
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