Luton Town vs Swansea City. Sky Bet Championship.
Kenilworth RoadAttendance10,062.
Report and highlights from the Sky Bet Championship clash at Kenilworth Road
Saturday 21 December 2019 19:02, UK
Andre Ayew scored his 10th goal of the season as Swansea made it back-to-back wins by defeating struggling Luton 1-0 at Kenilworth Road.
It had looked like the Hatters had done enough to secure a valuable point in their battle against relegation, only for Ayew to find the net with eight minutes to go, for his fourth in three games.
The visitors threatened early on, Connor Roberts sending in two efforts from 20 yards that recalled goalkeeper Simon Sluga saved easily.
Striker Ayew cut into the box after 20 minutes, firing into the side-netting, as Luton's best moment saw Andrew Shinnie strike off target after a header fell invitingly into his path.
The Hatters midfielder came closer with his next attempt, forcing Swans 'keeper Freddie Woodman to tip over his 22-yard blast, before firing another shot across goal, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu unable to stretch and turn it over the line.
In the second half, Town defender Matty Pearson made an excellent block to prevent Borja Baston from breaking the deadlock, found by Ayew's clever backheel.
Harry Cornick had a decent opening for the Hatters, screwing wide on his left foot when Luke Bolton's cross found him at the far post.
The Swans then began to really pile the pressure on, Ayew's downward headed was turned behind by Sluga, with the visitors firing two shots in that deflected just over.
Sluga came out to claim a loose ball as Town were struggling to get out of their own half, before they did finally feature as an attacking force, Cornick rounding Woodman, but substitute George Moncur could not beat the covering visiting defenders on the line.
Shinnie was also picked out by James Collins' cross from the right, as he just could not keep his diving header down at the far post.
Swans thought they had won a penalty when George Byers went over the challenge of the excellent Pearson in the box, only for referee David Webb to book the visiting attacker for diving.
With eight minutes to go, Steve Cooper's side had the decisive goal, Ayew finally eluding the Town defence to chest home Jay Fulton's deflected cross from almost on the goal-line.
Luton tried to find a leveller, even sending Sluga up for two late corners, but they could not break through an impressive Swans side, who climbed back up into the play-off places once more.
Luton's Graeme Jones: "The big moment is Harry going round the keeper, the ball comes back to George, the keeper's out of his goal, that was the moment we could have won the game.
"The goal comes from, Ryan Tunnicliffe doesn't stop the cross and it spoons in the air, James Bree gets tripped, I don't know if you've seen it back, he gets tripped I think accidentally but Ayew runs across him and he's on the floor. He should be marking him, obviously it's not James' fault, Ayew was there to head the ball in the back of the net and we're just getting hurt."
Swansea's Steve Cooper: "It was an easy finish, but you've got to be there to do that. Andre's got a fantastic knack of being in the right place to score all types of goals and I was just glad he was there to nod it in.
"He couldn't miss, it's his reading of the game again, he's showing experience and know-how game in game out, he's got the winner and we move on."
