Luton promoted to Premier League after shootout victory against Coventry
This time Rob Edwards could celebrate. The Luton manager had hared off down the touchline with four minutes of extra time to go to celebrate what he thought was the winning goal in front of the Luton supporters, eating up 45 yards of Wembley turf, only to retreat to his technical area ashen-faced after glancing up at the big screen confirming Joseph Taylor’s strike, which would have been his first for the club, had been disallowed for handball. Jonathan Panzo, on cold as a substitute, dawdled on the ball and Taylor, a 20-year-old on his sixth appearance, nicked it from the Coventry defender, but surged through on goal with the help of his right hand.
Edwards covered his face in embarrassment but an agonising penalty shootout followed and Fankaty Dabo missed the crucial spot-kick as Luton won promotion to the Premier League at Coventry’s expense, winning 6-5 on penalties. Up in the stands, there were tears of joy for Luton’s chief executive, among many at the club who have been on their journey from non-league until this point. Until Dabo’s miss, the penalties had been immaculate. Dabo was inconsolable.
Mark Robins, in a Coventry polo shirt, smiled wryly into the camera as the teams lined up before kick-off. This stadium was a picture, one end a shade of sky blue, the other a blanket of orange. Rob Edwards, hands on hips, swivelled to survey the scene one last time before the referee, Michael Oliver, got things under way. Luton had two first-half goals disallowed, the first inside five minutes with Gabriel Osho ruled offside after squeezing the ball in against a post; a determined Tom Lockyer had powered a header towards goal but what would have been a scruffy opener was chalked off. On 41 minutes Luton had the ball in