LUTON, England:Jacob Brown scored a first Premier League goal for struggling Luton Town as they secured a precious 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace at Kenilworth Road on Saturday, earning his side a maiden home win of the campaign.
Teden Mengi put the Hatters ahead on 72 minutes but Palace were level shortly afterwards when Michael Olise scored his first goal since January with a brilliant equaliser.
At that stage the visitors looked the more likely to go on and win it, but Brown took advantage of indecision in the Palace defence as Chiedozie Ogbene swung in a cross and he prodded the ball into the back of the net.
Luton stay in 17th place with nine points from 13 games, but have opened up a four-point gap with the relegation zone. Palace have lost four of their last five Premier League games and lie in 13th on 15 points.
“It’s a mad feeling to get my first goal and the main thing was getting that three points. It’s such a good feeling and we’ve earned it,” Brown said.
“There’s been a few times where we’ve scored and conceded after. We knew we had to give it our all to hold on at the end and the feeling in the dressing room is going to be top now.
“As the season has gone on we’ve got better and better. We’re all working hard each week and you could see the support from the fans in the last 12 minutes. That helped massively.”
Luton had to hold on at the end as Palace created numerous chances, with Jefferson Lerma striking the frame of the goal in the 103rd minute with a header he should have buried.
A dismal afternoon for the visitors was compounded when they lost Eberechi Eze and Cheick Doucoure to injuries early in the second half, both going down without contact from an opponent. Eze walked off, Doucoure left on a stretcher.
After Palace’s Odsonne Edouard had a goal ruled out for handball, Luton took the lead on 72 minutes when Mengi forced in his first senior goal as the ball fell to him from a corner.
But the lead lasted barely two minutes as Olise picked up the ball on the right wing, cut inside and unleashed a thunderous strike with his left foot.
Palace created several more chances, but Brown had the final say with a winner on 84 minutes, though remarkably the game carried on for another 20 after that due to Palace’s injury woes.
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - Reuters)