Luton and Wigan must replay after Kenilworth Road draw

Posted Sunday, January 08, 2023 by PA

Luton and Wigan will have to do it all over again in the FA Cup third round after the two Sky Bet Championship sides drew 1-1.

A quiet opening to proceedings in front of a half-full Kenilworth Road saw the visitors’ James McClean, on his 150th appearance for the Latics, try to break the deadlock, slicing wide from 20 yards.

Wigan then took the lead with 18 minutes gone, after McClean’s cross from the right was met by Callum Lang. His thumping header drew a fantastic point-blank save from USA international Ethan Horvath but the visitors kept the ball alive and Tom Naylor was left unmarked to tap home.

Luton tried to respond and Cauley Woodrow had a fierce attempt well blocked, before the recalled Harry Cornick escaped the attentions of the visiting back-line on 35 minutes, only for his effort to bobble wide.

Skipper Dan Potts then delivered an inviting cross from the left that leading scorer Carlton Morris headed over the top, but Wigan almost added to their tally just before the break.

On-loan Watford forward Ashley Fletcher was denied by Horvath low down as Luton went straight up the other end and ensured they were on level terms, Morris doing all the hard work and standing up a cross for strike partner Cornick, who glanced home his first goal of the campaign.

The Latics almost restored their lead in the opening moments of the second period, Lang’s volley drifting wide of the bottom corner.

Town then began to up their tempo, James Bree’s cross finding Woodrow who teed up Amari’i Bell, the wing-back shanking an effort disappointingly wide.

Thelo Aasgaard looked to win it from range as he had done in the league earlier in the campaign but he put his attempt too close to Horvath on this occasion.

Charlie Hughes rose highest to divert his header well wide, but it looked like the visitors were going to win it in stoppage time, Naylor’s looping header clawed away fantastically by Horvath.

From the resulting corner, the ball was prodded into the net, only for a linesman’s flag to disallow the Wigan effort.

The result did end a run of four straight defeats for the visitors under new manager Kolo Toure, while Luton chief Rob Edwards saw his side’s own unbeaten run extended to four matches, but it will be the Latics far happier with the outcome.