LUTON TOWN WINS PENALTY SHOOTOUT PLAY-OFF TO REACH PREMIER LEAGUE AT WEMBLEY

Luton Town completed their journey from non-league to Premier League as they beat Coventry City 6-5 on penalties to win the Championship play-off final at Wembley.

Gustavo Hamer equalised for Coventry to cancel out a first-half strike from Jordan Clark as the game finished in a 1-1 draw after 120 minutes.

Both goals came after Luton lost captain Tom Lockyer early on after he collapsed on the pitch but the defender was taken to hospital where the club have confirmed he is “responsive and talking” to his family.

Coventry’s Fankaty Dabo blasted the 12th penalty kick of the shootout over the crossbar to send the Hatters to the Premier League for the first time.

Having last been in English football’s top flight in 1992, the year the Premier League began, Luton have waited 31 years to take their place at the top table.

But they were still in the fifth tier only nine years ago after a decade of financial hardship.

And, in becoming the first side to go all the way from the top tier to non-league and back, it completed a remarkable achievement for Luton boss Rob Edwards, who began this season as manager of the Hatters’ fierce local rivals Watford.

Just a year on from managing Forest Green to the League Two title, Edwards won his second successive promotion.

He left Forest Green to take on the Watford job at the end of last season, but was then sacked in late September.

He then returned to management in November when Nathan Jones walked out on Luton for a second time – and Edwards has now masterminded the completion of one of football’s great journeys.

Luton edge first half in game of two halves

Away from the tightly packed, raucous atmosphere of Kenilworth Road, there was a slight concern Luton might struggle in the vast space of Wembley – but they were by far the more dominant side before the break.

Aside from the one goal they did score, they had two more disallowed – and a string of other dangerous moments too.

Not even the early loss of defensive linchpin Lockyer could halt their flow.

Within eight minutes of the Wales international collapsing and being stretchered off, the Hatters were ahead when bustling striker Elijah Adebayo caused havoc, carving out the opening for Clark to run on down the inside-left channel and smash home a stunning left-foot screamer just inside the left upright.

But towards the break, and especially into the eight minutes of stoppage time because of the Lockyer situation, Coventry began to threaten.

Hamer powered a volley just over after the ball had come at an awkward height, before loan signing Brooke Norton-Cuffy almost weaved his way through with a mesmeric run.

Sky Blues hit back with Hamer stunner

Kesh Awefada

Kesh Awefada

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