Not only could you be with your true loved one – Cardiff City – but for red blooded passion, being kept in suspenders and an orgasmic climax, ecstasy and agony, this one takes some beating. Cardiff City, in tatters for an hour with a defence in ruins, a midfield overwhelmed and an attack going nowhere, were two-nil down and lucky that it was only two, both poor goals scored within 40 seconds of each other.
It only served as the backdrop for a barnstorming cup-tie style finish as City came back from 2-0 and 3-1 down to show outstanding fighting spirit and score classic goals (Koumas two scorchers and Scimeca) to level at 3-3 and only be denied the most amazing victory by a crossbar, two unbelievable saves and, the sickener, the most blatant penalty ever completely bottled by a ref and linesman in the final action of the game but not the final drama of the night to send us home buzzing at the brilliant fightback but angry at being wrongly denied a victory that may prove vital to a continued play-off challenge.
Although City fans, lad by Dai Taxi chanted partly in truth and partly in humour, "here cos we're single, we're only here cos we're single", this was a night when football was most definitely a better option than a cosy romantic meal. You can have them when you like (if you're lucky) but games like this one don't come around too often. I had to make concessions in honour of the occasion – Homer Simpson valentine boxers (I confessed – doh!) and some continental choccies which were shared out with the boys.
The trip to Luton was fun with good company, as usual, on a Barry/Dinas Pwoys/Lansdowne/City Rd Muni special and with Alfie picked up from Llanrumney, we had a non-stop crooner all the way there and back. Thankfully, he was often drowned out by ska, old wave, new wave, The Killers, Kaiser Chiefs and more. Worst of all, though, were the roads.
Leaving Cardiff at 1pm, we were first away and first into Luton but not until over well over 5 hours later as firstly, we lost almost an hour negotiating M4 roadworks through Bristol and then more hold ups along the M25 and M1. Other coaches tried the M5 and M40 but fared no better.
The pub was good. Next to the bus station and run by a pal of Roger from The Lansdowne, with real ale, a good jukebox, complimentary chicken curry and rice for us travellers and two barmaids getting plenty of attention. So much so, one of the lads decided to miss the game to chat up one of them and only later found out she was a Scandinavian who could barely speak a word of English so he gave up!
Roger decided to miss the match too in favour of getting completely lashed (psst – don’t tell Bev) and he didn’t let us down but what a game to miss. Twenty minutes before kick-off, our buses turned up and took us to the ground with two coppers on board, both of whom refused to sing karaoke to us and were roundly condemned with a few choice chants!
And then we got to Kenilworth Road which along with Brighton's temporary home of scaffolding are perhaps the only Championship venues that make you appreciate the majesty and beauty of Ninian Park. We will miss these grounds once they're gone though, have no doubts about it.
It was atmospheric, at least it would have been have the home supporters bothered singing but what a strange contraption, Prince Charles would choke if he saw it but so do many football fans. The away end behind one goal is situated in the middle of a terraced road, the entrance an alleyway between two terraced houses, There is a supporters club nearby, a few of us tried in vain to get a refresher. I think the steward there is still confused after she asked me, “Are you a member? You can’t come in here unless you are” only to be told, “No, I’m an Ambassador and we get priority over members”. It didn’t work.
Inside the away end and you’re still walking in a lane with toilets to the one side dripping water onto you (at least, I hope it was water!) before you climbed two flights of rickety old corroded metal staircases to get to the back of the away stand (and to think some people think Ninian is a little rusty, you don’t know how lucky we are!).
The away end is dark and dank, not worth £21.50 (not to mention £1.50 for a hot drink and £2.80 for small pies and pasties, nothing more to be said) but it offers a reasonable view of the pitch and rest of the ground which is unlikely anywhere else. One other moot point, despite the routine hassle of buying tickets in advance - with booking fees added on - and only being allowed to do so if you were an Ambassador, Season Ticket Holder or Member, a cash turnstile was freely available allowing anyone entry. That's not the first time this has happened this season.
One side of the pitch, full length, comprises solely of a strange series of low conservatory style hospitality boxes, high nets above them to stop balls disappearing forever down Luton High Street, at least three spent the night trapped in them. The high rise stand behind the opposite goal is the only concession to modernisation but joining that to the old narrow pitch long stand to our right was a “bolt-on” platform stand in which had everyone looking diagonally from one corner to the pitch across it at a 45 degree angle.
The players tunnel was near our away end, the managers and subs had to walk across the pitch to facilities in front of the conservatories that weren't so much dug outs as bus shelters, the only difference being all their glass was still intact. In a ground where capacity is less than 10,000 and the average crowd was over 1,500 down as Luton's young things couldn't bear to leave their sweethearts, the 7,286 inside still gave the impression of a mostly packed ground.
Dave Jones was warmly greeted there by Luton's Mike Newell. Newell has had a traumatic month after commendably but suddenly lashing out about "bungs" in the game but, seemingly, without great evidence to back it up. As always happens. Last week, he was offered but declined the vacant Leicester position. Was that a brown or purple note I saw him pass over in that handshake? ;>)
Team news and despite all the pre-match debate about not changing a team who pressed Stoke into a 3-0 home submission last weekend, it was never really in doubt that Jason Koumas would return from a one match ban at the expense of Willie Boland. Boland ousted Phil Mulryne from the bench who was only there to make up the numbers anyway. And so it was Alexander, Ardley-Purse-Cox-Barker, Cooper-Scimeca-Koumas-Ledley, Nsungu-Jerome. Subs were Margeston-Boland-Ferretti-Weston-Whitley.
Promoted as runaway Champions with 98 points last term, Luton carried that form into the Championship. Their deserved Ninian Park victory in mid-October took them to 2nd at that time with 24 points off 12 games but, since, it's been just 22 more points in 21 games as they adjust to this level. They came into this match aiming to avoid their third successive defeat and on the back of a 5-1 weekend caning at Preston.
That defeat was partly explained by three goals in the last 8 minutes after their keeper was dismissed and an outfield player was put in goals. They are also hampered by current injuries but had a boost on the day on the game when keeper Marlon Beresford unexpectedly won his appeal against his red card. All I can say is the English FA look after players than the FAW considering they refused Darren Purse's appeal against a very unjust sending off last month.
Luton's side were Beresford, Davis-Barnett-Heikkinen-Edwards; Foley-Nicholls-Brkovic- Morgan, Vine-Howard. Leon Barnett wore the ridiculous shirt number of 45 but I guess it was appropriate to have a single out there on Valentine's Night (one for those who remember vinyl records!). Amongst the subs but unused was former City player Russell 'sick note' Perrett.
The first half, for City, was an unmitigated disaster. It started evenly and openly giving hints at the game to come. We had the first shot, a Kevin Cooper volley which was blocked but it quickly went downhill. By half-time, Beresford's only pieces of work were making a low save from Cooper, clearly with an eye for goals these days, and cutting out a dangerous Nsungu ball across goal with Jerome lurking at the far post.
Jason Koumas, so influential for City but who is never there for 90 minutes, had an invisible half. I don't think his first touch was until 20 minutes, that a free-kick put wide. When he had his first touch in open play shortly after, an anguished cry of "Welcome to the game Koumas" went out from the City end. We had two or three half chances only, each did nothing more than provide catching practise for Luton fans high behind the goal.
At our end, with Luton attacking it, it was an entirely different story. With an overwhelmed midfield and a defence looking ponderous and making errors, there was no real surprise when we finally fell behind on 25 minutes, the real shocker came justb 40 seconds later when we werel two goals down. Both, the second especially, were awful ones to conceded.
Neil Alexander had already made three good saves and felt relieved when a couple of other promising chances were fired wide but was helpless when a free-kick was never dealt with and only half cleared, the ball ran wide where Dean Morgan tried a speculative angled shot always going wide until the lanky VINE was completely free at the far post and converted it into a cross as he nodded home.
From the restart, City broke down once again in possession, Luton moved forward, the ever impressive ex-Wrexham man Carlos Edwards lofted a simple ball into our box where Alexander, Cox and Purse collectively froze like rabbits in headlights and VINE was free again. This time, he completely cocked up his shot on the spin, it just hit his lofted right boot but he still had time to fall over, watch the ball come down and then stab it home untidily with his left foot when Alexander should have been alert enough to smother.
Not helped by defence at all but whilst "Scotland's no 1" has performed admirably this season, you can't help thinking his standards have slipped recently and that he really should have prevented goals by Leicester, Millwall as well as this game in the past month. However he saved City from being completely down and out with a save from Brkovic near half-time after he by-passed Darren Purse with some ease, enough to get us singing "Jonesy, Jonesy, sort'em out" with City in disarray at this point and in desperate need of half-time. It comes to something when the highlight of the half was a certain Thames Valley Bluebird bellowing out to Jeff Whitley as he limbered up, “Oi Whitley, what the **** have you done wrong to keep being left out?”. It got a look back and shrug of the shoulders in return.
After taunting the non-existent volume from the home fans with "Luton is a library" (it's a town that's been called many things but a library is new!) and slightly more cringey "One Ryanair, there's only one Ryanair" in the home location of Easyjet, they could now turn to "2-0 and you still don't sing". There were a couple of half-hearted strains of Ing-ger-lund but even they got drowned out by us singing "Que sera sera, we're going to Germany" which has been an England song for the last few weeks as we're now going there too, albeit for the Euro qualifiers and not World Cup finals.
Half-time: LUTON 2 CITY 0
The second period appeared to be going through the motions with Luton controlling proceedings quite comfortably and Cardiff struggling to make any impact. Jerome and Nsungu are full of running but do not appear to complement each other, Nsugnu is a gamble but, at this stage, doesn't appear to have the attributes to succeed in a Premiership play-off challenging side. Hard worked, runs the channels well but struggles with composure and cutting edge quality, he needs to produce better.
It all changed in an instant as JASON KOUMAS suddenly burst to life and showed why he was selected and so vital to our cause. There was nothing whatsoever on as he pounced on a stray pass, taking the ball near the centre spot. When he starts running with the ball, he seems to induce panic into defenders who often make the fatal mistake of standing off him. Luton allowed him to get to 25 yards, virtually inviting him to shoot, he doesn't need to be asked. His shot was incredible, rocket-propelled with absolute precision off his right boot, it screamed into Beresford's top left corner, the keeper nowhere near it and still diving across as the ball was past him. Standing right behind it, it was a magical moment, a thing of beauty. Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant.
It was now a transformed game and outlook, City were lifted and suddenly looked a live threat, the passing and movement infinitely better. Goals change games. Then came an agonising twist as 4 minutes after getting back into the game, City missed the most glorious of chances to level as Neil Ardley got down the right, hit a trademark cross and found Nsungu free in front of goal 6 yards out yet he missed an unmissable header, the type that simply must be converted by any striker at this level, by somehow putting wide. Instead of being 2-2, Luton then went down the other end and 30 seconds later, restored their two goal advantage and made it 3-1 on the hour.
Once again, our defence were a complete mess. On a night when burly forward Steve Howard, usually immense trouble to us, caused surprisingly few problems, City were never able to twig onto Vine. Taking the ball on City's right, Vine got past Purse and Ardley with some ease and it looked a comedy of errors when his ball across goal somehow found the net. Unclear from our viewpoint, it appears Barker deflected it, Alexander couldn't grab it (it looked as though he’d spilled it from our end) and BRKOVIC nudged it over the line when it was going in anyway to notch one for him and, for us, prevent it being an own goal.
That sledgehammer blow which virtually guarantees killing off Cardiff City sides down the years and would finish most teams in this section but what followed was City at their brilliant best as they laid siege on Luton and battered them non-stop. Not only was it a glorious fightback but we missed chances to have won, were denied by amazing saves and then cruelly robbed by THAT ref who will become infamous to CCFC.
Although City were storming back anyway, a catalyst for what was to follow was the introduction of Jeff Whitley for the final 25 minutes coming on to big applause and he showed why he is respected as he launched into tackles and loose balls that sent City forward.
Within seconds of his bow, Jerome was unbelievably denied as a ball from the left fell at his feet inside the 6 yard box. Nothing wrong with his shot as he fired high to one corner and with power too, I still have no idea how Marlon Beresford managed to dive there and turn over to save a shot that he had no right to be near. Jerome and a couple of hundred City fans put hands over faces, nobody could believe it.
It was a temporary reprieve as, 72 minutes, City were back in it again with another excellent goal with Neil Ardley getting wide right, receiving the ball from Whitley and then hitting the sort of cross only he can to find SCIMECA who steered a downward header into the corner for his first City goal. 3-2, game on, the City end electric and urging the boys to pour forward.
A minute after the goal, City advanced down the right again, a low ball squirmed across the box to Joe Ledley who turned in on goal and unleashed a dipping drive over Beresford but agonisingly onto his bar. A couple of minutes later, a similar attack and scramble found Ledley again, he tried to lob into an empty net but Beresford got back to stop. Another City attack had Luton scrambling so much that Barnett hurdled hoardings and ended up in our stand, nobody bothered asking for his autograph.
With time running out, Andreas Ferretti was thrown into the action at the expense of a disappointing Nsungu. Just before he went off, he sent the most appalling header into our end which had us singing "Leo, Leo Fortune-West". Still City went at them with Jerome meeting another superb Ardley cross but getting his direction wrong with his header.
Then on 85 minutes, let's go effing mental. I can't think of a better feeling all season than when City burst through the middle, fed KOUMAS who had drifted wide and he cut inside a defender and unleashed an outstanding angled drive that, for the second time, comprehensively beat Beresford with its sheer power Magic is the only word for the man, schizo was the best term for City fans like myself.
The adrenaline rush at that moment was something else, I can't remember how, out of my mind in the excitement of it all, I somehow got away from my seat towards a back row and had charged through to the front, running, jumping and going stir crazy in celebration. I wasn't out of place either, everyone was at it, I hugged perfect strangers, I jumped on friends. Unfortunately Ketty of the Rams managed to twist his ligaments doing likewise ending the evening on oxygen, on a stretcher, pitchside doing the ayatollah before going to hospital. What a feeling, nothing can describe it adequately, you just had to be there fully wrapped up in fuel-charged fightback and its emotions.
There was now only one winner, some Luton fans fearing the worst were drifting away, those who stayed were serenaded with "2-0 and you effed it up". Jason Koumas had them in sheer panic every time he advanced, he does go down a little easily sometimes but the ref waited until he was taken down for the 3rd time before awarding a free-kick. Cox, the ex-Watford boy, rose highest but missed the target.
In the final minute of normal time, I though we'd done it. Powered through their centre, the ball ran to Jerome who touched away from the last defender and lashed a left footed low bottom corner drive. Once again, he was denied by an amazing Beresford stop as he somehow tipped round the post when I was already on my way to celebrating a winner. It was agony but you had to admire the keeper's heroics, why didn't the FA do their job properly and ban him? Aaaarghhh!
I don't think any of us saw the added time board, we were all asking how long was left. We didn't know were now into the final seconds of three extra minutes as City again rammed through Luton's centre, the anticipation and noise crazy as the ball fell at Koumas' feet, one touch and turn and he moved away from the last defender and got goalside behind him. Six yards out, he was set to pull the pin for an incredible hat-trick and amazing 4-3 winner but was taken down by Nicholl's lunge across his legs.
There was one decision and one decision only, penalty to City, red card to Nicholls. The ref was perfectly placed. There was never any doubt that it could have been anything else. As you know, Cardiff were denied by a ref who bottled it and deserves every single word of criticism that will come his way. He knew it was a penalty but, amazingly, turned to his linesman. If the ref wasn't going to give it, you knew his lino wouldn't. An absolute disgrace is about the kindest thing I can say. Anger only increased when Koumas showed his fury and the ref laughed back at him then, as the keeper booted upfield, he blew the final whistle.
We didn't deserve that. He wasn't a bad ref and I'm sure he's not anti-Welsh although Cardiff would never get a ref who lives only 30 miles away from them like Andy Woolmer was to Kenilworth Road.
They say these things even out and we do tend to overlook fortunate decisions in our favour but so many things have not been right for us recently. This incident, Jerome's legitimate but disallowed goal at Palace, the ref's refusal to give City a decision when Boland was fouled on the free-kick from which Palace scored in that same game, Jerome's blatant penalty being denied that would have killed off Millwall, Purse's harsh penalty against and unjust red card against Plymouth. It's not even the first time we've been denied a "stonewall" 90th minute penalty away from home that would have won a game - remember Sheffield United?
Had we got most of those decisions, we'd be in the play-off frame instead of 7th and 6 points off the pace. I hope they even out but, on the evidence of this season, it has undoubtedly cost us. Given all this and the frayed emotions caused by that incredible 2nd half, it's little everyone vented their spleen at ref Woolmer on final whistle. Every player, every sub, Dave Jones, even the kit man was there. City fans seethed, it could have caused a riot.
Eventually it quelled but Woolmer decided to make an arse of himself again. As the players turned to away to applaud us and go down the tunnel, Woolmer waited his moment and goose-stepped publicly 40 yards down the pitch into the City players. We feared the worst, it's no surprise someone gave him a few home truths, Neil Cox seemed to be that man but he had a yellow only. Did he (the ref) have to inflame it even more with such an exhibition?
Card issued, the ref ran back to the middle and waited out there for over a minute for a heavy escort away. Cardiff fans venting their full frustrations on the bottler.
And away we went, still buzzing with adrenaline at an epic second half tempered by THAT ref denying us a win ... or the opportunity to win. Many of us slept on the way home, Alfie sang every 70's cheesy song ever (Leo Sayer, Rubettes, Bay City Rollers - that man needs help), Roger had his boots tied together and nobody cut undo them. The sight of his missus getting on the bus with a big knife to cut them apart scared me for a moment. Even though the weather conditions were very poor - lashing rain and wind that pushed the coach sideways (or was Don The Driver asleep too?), we were home in 3 hours, well over 2 hours quicker than getting there.
That was some night, that was some game. We wuz robbed!
THE COST OF BEING A CITY FAN:
Ticket: £22
Programme: £n/a - I missed out again!
Food/Drink: £12
Coacht: £15
Total for game: £49
Total for season-to-date: £2,408
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Luton suffered heartbreak on Valentine's Day after letting a 2-0 and then 3-1 lead slip to end up drawing with promotion hopefuls Cardiff.
A first-half brace from Rowan Vine and a second-half own goal from Chris Barker should have seen Town close the gap on seventh placed City, but the visitors replied through two scorching Jason Koumas strikes and a Riccardo Scimeca header.
Luton could even have ended up losing the game as Marlon Beresford produced a superb late save to deny Cameron Jerome and the Bluebirds were then denied a clear-cut penalty in stoppage time.
Hatters made changes to the side that lost 5-1 to Preston at the weekend and as the hosts adjusted to those changes, it was Cardiff who attacked from the start, forcing a corner within 15 seconds that led to Kevin Cooper letting fly with a goalbound 25-yard effort that deflected to safety off skipper Kevin Nicholls.
With Luton beginning to find their feet Vine almost latched on to a long Markus Heikkinen pass a minute later, but could only shoot at Neil Alexander on the stretch.
Alexander had to be altogether more alert to deny the former Portsmouth man in the 21st minute though when he jumped to save Vine's 12-yard volley after Kevin Foley had beaten Neal Ardley in the air from Sol Davis' lobbed pass down the left.
After twice setting his sights, Vine then found the net four minutes later as the goal Luton had been hinting at arrived.
Nicholls' free-kick from the right was half-cleared allowing Dean Morgan to volley a right-footed cross-shot back into the area and Vine, anticipating the ball, was on hand to glance into the far corner.
With the crowd still settling down from the opener, Vine then grabbed his second 60 seconds later.
The chance seemed to have gone for the 23-year-old at first as he mis-hit Carlos Edwards' lobbed pass on the edge of the six-yard box, but as Vine fell he managed to connect second time around to send the ball squirming past Alexander for his sixth of the season.
Edwards then tested Alexander before Cardiff registered their first shot on target in the 34th minute when Cooper drilled a low 20-yard effort that was well gathered by Beresford.
But it was Luton who should have grabbed a third when Ahmet Brkovic tricked his way past Darren Purse only to curl tamely at Alexander from 14 yards 11 minutes before the break.
The Hatters appeared to be in control in the second-period, but a moment of magic from Koumas ten minutes in put Cardiff back in the hunt when he intercepted Edwards' pass from defence and unleashed a ferocious right-footed effort that arrowed into the top corner from fully 25 yards.
The two-goal cushion was soon restored just after the hour when the lively Vine beat two players before his cross was sliced past his own keeper by Barker. The ball may already have been over the line, but Brkovic smashed it home just to make sure.
Cardiff came again in the 65th minute as Ardley's free-kick dropped to Jerome, who saw his fierce effort superbly saved by Beresford at point-blank range.
There was nothing Beresford could do six minutes later as Cardiff again reduced the gap as Scimeca jumped to tower a header into the bottom corner from Ardley's cross and two minutes later Town had a let-off when Joe Ledley smashed against the bar.
The Bluebirds levelled matters with five minutes to go when Koumas rifled home his second long-range effort of the night and Beresford had to deny Jerome a last-minute winner with a superb save at full stretch.
Koumas was then clearly brought down in the box in stoppage time by Nicholls, but referee Andy Woolmer let Luton off the hook by waving away Cardiff's penalty appeals.
External reports
The Independent
South Wales Echo