Burke’s first West Brom goal is enough to sink Luton
Posted Wednesday, August 15, 2018 by PA
Oliver Burke’s first West Brom goal downed plucky Luton and sent the Baggies into the second round of the Carabao Cup with a 1-0 win.
The £15million midfielder’s second-half strike settled an even tie where the Sky Bet League One Hatters gave the hosts a scare.
Albion, relegated from the Premier League last year, were tested by the composed visitors with Jake Jervis wasting their best chance.
But Scotland international Burke struck to send West Brom through and will hope the goal will help revive his Hawthorns career after it threatened to falter following last summer’s arrival from Red Bull Leipzig.
It took Burke and Albion time to find their rhythm though and Luton, promoted from Sky Bet League Two in May, saw an goal disallowed in the second minute when Luke Gambin’s strike was ruled out for offside.
The Hatters gave as good as they got and Jervis should have scored only to drag wide when slipped in by James Justin after 25 minutes.
Two minutes later James Shea’s excellent save denied Hal Robson-Kanu and the Wales international then nodded Matt Phillips’ cross wide.
He wasted another fine chance nine minutes before the break when he fired straight at Shea.
Sandwiched between Robson-Kanu’s openings Pelly Ruddock-Mpanzu tested Boaz Myhill but Luton struggled to find a cutting edge.
Robson-Kanu continued to waste Albion’s best openings and headed Burke’s cross wide before the interval.
It let the Hatters off the hook and the Baggies almost paid the price when Matty Pearson nodded over after the break.
But Burke finally broke the deadline to win the game after 62 minutes.
The Scotland international latched onto a lucky ricochet off Harvey Barnes, held off Pearson and coolly beat Shea from 15 yards.
It knocked the stuffing out of Luton as Nathan Jones’ side failed to threaten again and James Morrison almost added a late second but his drive was turned away by Shea.
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