Blackburn Rovers 1-1 Luton Town: Hayden Carter rescues point against Hatters
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Hayden Carter has made 35 appearances for Blackburn this season
Hayden Carter scored his first goal for Blackburn to salvage a point against Luton at Ewood Park and keep their faint Championship play-off hopes alive.
Carter gave Ethan Horvath no chance with a header from a corner when it looked like the Hatters were about to record their 12th away win of the season and the hosts almost snatched the win when Sammie Szmodics volleyed against the crossbar.
Wales international Tom Lockyer had given the Luton the lead from Carlton Morris' cross early in the second half.
Rovers remain ninth in the table and must beat Millwall in their final game to have a chance of a top-six finish, but even that would not be enough if West Brom or Sunderland win due to their far superior goal difference.
The draw extended a run which saw them fail to win any of their seven games in April, while Luton are now unbeaten in 13.
Jon Dahl Tomasson named the same Rovers XI that started last Tuesday's 1-0 home defeat by champions Burnley, while Luton - certain to finish third following Middlesbrough's defeat at Rotherham earlier in the day - recalled Luke Berry and Jordan Clark in midfield.
Blackburn looked to get forward with pace at every opportunity in the early stages and Ben Brereton Diaz was heavily involved, trying to tee-up Joe Rankin-Costello, only for the ball to elude the onrushing full-back, and then sending a misplaced pass to Luton's Jordan Clark, who surged forward before testing Aynsley Pears.
Harry Pickering should have given Rovers the lead but wastefully steered his left-foot effort wide of the post after the ball rebounded to him off a defender, but their eagerness to attack did leave them susceptible to the counter and Morris was off target at the other end from Luke Berry's nod down.
Rankin-Costello produced a fierce drive which Ethan Horvath saved with his feet before Sonny Bradley's error gave Tyrhys Dolan a shooting chance, but his angled effort was just off target.
The same pair were involved again as Dolan cut inside for a curling effort which was headed away by the alert Luton centre-back as it flew towards the far corner.
The visitors seized the initiative after the interval and Berry had a shot blocked before Morris was given too much time and space to turn and cross in the 50th minute and Lockyer nodded home from close range.
Tom Lockyer's goal was his fourth of the season for Luton Town
Rankin-Costello was out of luck again when his goalbound shot deflected wide off Amari'i Bell, but Luton almost sealed it when Morris nodded back from beyond the far post and Bradley headed against the bar.
For all Blackburn's positive intent, they were denied further clear-cut chances until Carter met Sorba Thomas' 86th-minute outswinging corner and headed powerfully home for only his second senior goal - his first coming during a loan spell at Portsmouth in March 2022.
Blackburn visit sixth-placed Millwall, who are two points ahead of them, on 8 May, while seventh-placed West Brom and eighth-placed Sunderland travel to Swansea and Preston respectively.
Luton will be at home to Hull City in their final game before a second successive tilt at the play-offs, in which they lost to Huddersfield Town last season.
Blackburn boss Jon Dahl Tomasson told BBC Radio Lancashire:
"It's frustrating we didn't get the win which we deserved, but we were playing against a very good side and when they went one nil up, I was relieved to get the goal.
"We were in control first half, creating chances. But the performance this late in the season with this young squad who are not used to playing for play-offs, it was brilliant.
"It's more or less the same old story, what we didn't see was goals and that's the only thing missing.
"The crowd can see the energy and belief we are playing with, the way we are playing, I think this team have come far. All credit to the lads, but they need to put the ball in the goal."
Luton head coach Rob Edwards told BBC Three Counties Radio:
"Overall it might have been a fair result but after going one nil up and then conceding late from a set-piece is a bit disappointing.
"We knew what was coming, the crowd were up for it and they knew really that they had to win. But there were some words at half-time and I'm just really pleased with the reaction [from my players].
"We had made a number of changes by the time we conceded. I'll take responsibility for that but we've got to make sure that as a group, we switch on in those key moments, when it's loud and there's a lot going on.
"We want to keep this run going, we want to keep momentum, it's really important going into those [play-off] games."