Lancashire | Blackpool let two goal lead slip

Blackpool 2 - 2 Luton Town

Gideon Kodua came off the bench to score a stoppage-time penalty as Luton fought back from two goals down to snatch a draw against Blackpool.

Author | Peter Jones

Stadium | Bloomfield Road

The Hatters trailed to a goal in each half from CJ Hamilton, with Steve Bruce’s side seemingly on course for a first home league victory over Luton since 2002.

Hamilton struck after nine minutes and doubled Blackpool’s advantage early in the second half, finishing a swift counter-attack after the visitors had lost possession high up the pitch. At that stage the Tangerines had climbed out of the relegation places.

But the momentum shifted three minutes later when Matt Bloomfield, under mounting pressure as Luton manager, made a triple substitution. One of those changes, Jordan Clark, pulled a goal back with 12 minutes remaining before Kodua was brought down by Olly Casey. The West Ham loanee held his nerve to convert from the spot past Bailey Peacock-Farrell.

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The draw lifted Luton to seventh, while Blackpool remain in the bottom three on goal difference. Walking out of the stadium, you could sense the frustration among Blackpool's fans. This would have been valuable three points as they look to start climbing the table.

Which players stood out on another frustrating night Steve Bruce?

Michael Ihiekwe: After a tough start to life in Tangerine, Ihiekwe's displays are improving, but like the rest of the defence, will be disappointed to give away the two late goals.

Hayden Coulson: Did his job well on the left side of the defence, despite appearing to be struggling with an injury during the warm-up. 

Jordan Brown: Produced another tidy performance in the centre of the park, and showed both his defensive capabilities and talent on the ball with his contribution in the build-up to the second goal.

CJ Hamilton: He was on hand with a brace for the Seasiders, making the most of the opportunities that came his way

The Luton Town perspective

It’s hard to judge whether this is one point gained or two points dropped if you’re a Luton fan. When you are 2-0 down with 20 minutes to go, you’d clearly take a point, but this was a game they expected to win. A last-minute goal is always a great feeling.

When looking at the match and performance in a bit more detail, the turning point probably came with the substitutes, who shifted momentum and delivered both goals, with scorers Clark and Kodua coming on in the first wave, a triple change. After the match, Luton’s boss told the press: “Anyone who knows me knows how important I value the whole squad.”

View from the stands