Plucky draw to Luton

Press, 13 September 1982, Page 26

Plucky draw to Luton

NZPA-Reuter London Little Luton passed its stiffest examination in the English soccer first division so far when it held the mighty Liverpool to a 3-3 draw at Anfield on Saturday. Last season's second division champion rightly received the acclaim of the Liverpool faithful, who saw their favourite knocked off the top spot, for a courageous display. It lost its goalkeeper, Jake Findlay, who was carried off with stomach cramp with the score at 1-1. fell behind soon after, then staged an astonishing second half comeback. ■ Liverpool’s stunning setback allowed Watford, which accompanied Luton from the second division last season, to go to the top on goal difference. Watford thrashed West Bromwich 3-0 at home to go to the 12-point mark from five games, the same total as the two Manchester clubs, United and City. United beat Ipswich, a shadow of the side of recent years. 3-1. at home while City won 2-1 at Tottenham. Liverpool, which only just salvaged its unbeaten home record which stretches back to before Christmas, slipped to fourth, one point behind the leading trio. Luton must have feared that they had awoken a sleeping giant when Brian Stein scored against the run of play in the twenty-sixth

minute only for Graeme Souness to equalise six minutes later. Worse was to follow before half time. Findlay went off in the 40th minute and 60 seconds before the interval the full back, Kirk Stephens, who had looked anything but comfortable between the goalposts, was beaten by lan Rush. The Irish defender, Mai Donaghy. became goalkeeper No. 3 when he replaced Stephens at the start of the second half, and within 17 minutes Luton was in front. David Moss equalised in the 52nd minute and Stein grabbed his second goal of the game 10 minutes later. Liverpool, however, is often down but seldom out and South African-born Craig Johnston spared its blushes when he ended the goal-rush 15 minutes from the whistle. Watford has now climbed from the depths of the fourth division to the top of the first in five seasons. Luther Blissett hit West Bromwich with a glorious double and Les Taylor took the tally to three. Results:— ENGLISH LEAGUE Division one-Aston Villa 4. Nottingham Forest 1; Bright 3. Sunderland 2; Coventry 0. Arsenal 2; Liverpool 3, Luton 3: Manchester United 3, Ipswich 1; Norwich 1, Southampton 1; Notts County 1, Everton 0; Stoke 4, Swansea 1; Tottenham 1, Manchester City 2: Watford 3, West Bromwich 0: West Ham 5. Birmingham 0.

Division two.-Burnley 1. Rotherham 2: Cambridge 3. Charlton 2: Crystal Palace 2. Blackburn 0; Derby 1. Middlesbrough 1; Fulham 4. Bolton (h Grimsby 2. Shrewsbury ft Leicester 6, Carlisle 0: Newcastle 1. Chelsea 1; Oldham 0. Queens Park Rangers 1; Sheffield Wednesday 2. Leeds 3; Wolverhampton 2. Barnsley 0. Division three—Bournemouth 0. Sheffield United ft Bradford 4. Newport 2; Brentford 4. Southend 2; Cardiff 3, Wigan 2; Chesterfield 0. Bristol Rovers 0: Gillingham 1. Millwall 0; Huddersfield 2. Walsall 2; Lincoln 4. Reading 0: Plymouth 2. Orient 0; Portsmouth 3. Wrexham 0; Preston 1. Oxford 2. Division four.—Aidershot 2. Peterborough 0: Bristol City 0. Blackpool 0; Bury 0. Crewe 1; Chester 0. Torquay 0; Darlington 2. Hereford 1; Hartlepool 2. Northampton 1; Mansfield 0. Port Vale 2: Swindon 0. Halifax 1: Wimbledon 2. Scunthorpe 2: York 2. Tranmere 1. SCOTTISH LEAGUE Premier division—Aberdeen 4. Morion 1; Dundee 3, Motherwell 1; Kilmarnock 1, Hibernian 1; Rangers 0, Dundee United 0; St Mirren 1, Celtic 2. Division one.—Alloa 2. Clydebank ft Clyde 1. St Johnstone 3; Dumbarton 5, Falkirk 1; Hamilton 4. Dunfermline 1; Hearts 1. Ayr 1; Partick 2. Queens Park 3; Raith 0. Airdrieonians 3. Division two—Albion 1. East Fife 0; Berwick 2, Stranraer 2; Brechin 1, Stirling 2: Cowdenbeath 2, Montrose 3; East' Stirling 1, Meadowbank 3; Forfar 0. Stenhousemuir 0; Queen of the South 2, Arbroath 1.