Ten man Wanderers take a point from Kenilworth Road after a valiant defensive display.
It took just eight minutes for Wanderers to take the lead. The first true opportunity of the game for either side. Max Conway played the ball through to Kyle Dempsey who found Jordi Osei-Tutu on the left flank. The winger returned the ball to Dempsey in the area, who took a touch to get it out of his feet, and struck a low effort across goal to put the Whites ahead.
The hosts had their first shot on 28 minutes through Liam Walsh who turned and shot on the edge of the area but the midfielder was off balance and saw his effort go well wide. There were shouts for a penalty just before Walsh’s strike as Jerry Yates went to ground under the challenge of George Johnston but nothing doing from referee Ruebyn Ricardo.
Four minutes later Wanderers had the chance to double their lead. Aaron Morley’s free-kick was sent towards the back post for the awaiting George Johnston but the centre-half could not direct his header goalwards.
Into the second-half and Luton were pushing for an equaliser. Hakeem Odoffin was the first to test Teddy Sharman-Lowe in the second period. He met a cross from the left with his head but could not generate the power and it bounced into the arms of the Wanderers number one.
But straight down the other end, the Whites went close on 54 minutes. A great run from Xavier Simons who dribbled through the heart of the Luton defence before setting up Osei-Tutu on the left. His cross was drilled across the face of goal for Amario Cozier-Duberry at the back post but the diving header went just wide of the post.
Three minutes later another header from the home side almost brought the Hatters level. Kal Naismith climbed the highest from a corner at the back stick but the header missed the target from close range.
On the 70 minute mark Wanderers were reduced to ten men. Having already received one yellow on 53 minutes, Simons was shown a second for a sliding challenge on half-way.
The hosts were piling the pressure on with a succession of corners. After a scramble in the area the ball fell to Teden Mengi inside the area but he skied his effort over the crossbar as the game neared the final ten minutes.
The Whites’ resistance couldn’t see the game out as seven minutes from time after another scramble, substitute Gideon Kodua struck from six-yards out and found the equaliser.
Wanderers | Sharman-Lowe, Dacres-Cogley (90’ McAtee), Johnston, Toal, Conway, Osei-Tutu (79’ Taylor), Morley, Simons, Cozier-Duberry (79’ Forss), Dempsey (73’ Erhahon), Burstow (73’ Dalby)
Unused subs | Miller, Cissoko
Luton Town | Keeley, Bramall, Odoffin, Lonwijk (82’ Alli), Mengi, Naismith, Saville, Walsh, Fanne (82’ Morris), Brown (64’ Kodua), Yates
Unused subs | Shea, Andersen, Makosso, Nelson