Luton grab controversial late goal to deny Burnley victory

Updated: Jan 12, 2024, 10:33 pm

Carlton Morris scored a controversial last-gasp goal as Luton Town escaped Turf Moor with a precious point against Burnley in a 1-1 Premier League draw on Friday between two sides fighting relegation.

The hosts looked set for victory after Zeki Amdouni's first-half goal. However, Morris headed in the equaliser in the 92nd minute. Burnley protested that Luton's Elijah Adebayo impeded goalkeeper James Trafford, but following a VAR check, the goal stood.

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Burnley manager Vincent Kompany was perplexed by the call, telling TNT "I don't get it anymore".

"There's a clear attempt to stop the goalkeeper getting up," he added. "It's experience, it's well done to try, it doesn't take anything away from the performance for Luton, I thought they were incredible today, but it's just the moment there the referees have got to get it right."

Rob Edwards' Luton are 18th in the standings but level on 16 points with 17th-placed Everton. Burnley are 19th with 12 points, having played one game more than their opponents.

"An away point in the Premier League is big, especially for a team in our position," Edwards told TNT.

The match was all Luton before Amdouni scored against the run of play in the 36th minute after Wilson Odobert beat his man with a step-over then played the ball across the box for Amdouni to fire home.

The goal lifted Burnley and the game that marked the return of the Premier League after a 10-day break was evenly matched the rest of the way, with Luton having a narrow 14-13 edge on shots over the hosts throughout the match.

Luton had some good earlier chances including Ross Barkley's first-half rocket that forced Trafford into an acrobatic leap to save.

But Trafford and Burnley were aggrieved in stoppage time when he appeared to be prevented, by the frame of Adebayo, from challenging a ball into the middle of the box which Morris rose to head in to salvage a draw for the visitors.

Chelsea striker David Fofana watched the match from the stands. Fofana, 21, has been linked in British media reports with a loan move to Burnley after the forward's loan spell at Union Berlin was cut short.