Luton endured yet more away day misery as a 2-1 loss at QPR condemned them to a tenth straight away reverse in the league.
Michael Frey’s goal for QPR had been cancelled out by Mark McGuinness, but Luton fell behind in unfortunate circumstances when Morgan Fox’s deflection on an Ilias Chair shot that was going wide wrong-footed Thomas Kaminski and crept in.
Defeat in West London means Luton have now lost ten away games in a row, with the Hatters having picked up just 4 points on their travels so far this season. The result also means that Luton have lost 4 straight games, having lost their last home game, with the Hatters having slumped to 20th place in the table and two points above the relegation zone.
Having begun 2025 with a New Year’s Day defeat at home to Norwich, Luton were seeking for better times on the road after ending 2024 by losing nine consecutive games away from Kenilworth Road.
A reshuffled squad included a debut for 20-year-old midfielder Lamine Fanne, who had joined in August but spent the first half of the season on loan in Sweden.
QPR began the contest on the front foot, with Frey heading over at an early chance before Kaminski made a flying stop to keep out Jimmy Dunne and the defender missed the target with the rebound.
In the 23rd minute, the Hoops forced their way in front. From a cross from the QPR right, Frey initially couldn’t get a header past Reuell Walters but a second strike found its way beyond Kaminski. TV replays hinted that Frey had used an arm in controlling the ball, but the officials didn’t spot it and the goal stood.
Shortly after falling behind, Luton missed their best chances of the game when Amari’i Bell’s shot induced a goalmouth scramble, with Zac Nelson, Carlton Morris and Liam Walsh all having attempts blocked.
QPR dominated possession and seemed to be keeping Luton at arms length, but in first half stoppage time, the Hatters equalised. McGuiness made space for a free header and the former Cardiff defender’s header from Nelson’s corner hit the back of the net.
Luton had a few half-chances after the break but couldn’t take any of them, and then there was further misery for the visitors when they conceded an unfortunate goal just after the hour.
A short free-kick was played for Chair, whose shot seemed to have been going wide. However, the strike hit Fox, with the heavy deflection off his left foot sending the shot back on target and seeing it trickle past the wrong-footed Kaminski.
Paul Nardi in the QPR goal denied Morris a quick equaliser, before the hosts missed a chance for third as substitute Alfie Lloyd saw a strike hit the post.
A great chance to grab a second equaliser came for Luton in stoppage time at the end of the second half, only for McGuinness to head over the top at a corner, and despite eight minutes of stoppage time, there was no way back for the travelsick visitors.
The Hatters now have a distraction from their league grind in the form of an FA Cup tie away at Premier League high-fliers Nottingham Forest, before they host Preston in their next league assignment on January 18th.
MK Dons boss Scott Lindsey felt moments in both boxes went against his side in their defeat by Salford City.
A 1-0 loss to former MK Dons boss Karl Robinson and his in-form Salford side condemned the Dons to a fourth defeat in six matches.
Reflecting after the contest, Lindsey said he felt that the team got close but not close enough, with his side’s profligacy a particular factor.
He said, “Games are won in both boxes, that’s where games are won. We didn’t defend one action well enough and we didn’t take our chances at the other end well enough. I thought we set off really well and thought we controlled the first period of the first half, then obviously we go a goal behind and we start to play out of control football, boot it forward for no reason and it then it kind of looks a bit scruffy from there on in.”
Lindsey said that he felt the side’s problem wasn’t so much chance creation as it was being able to take them.
He said, “We still create chances in the second half but don’t take them. We probably created enough chances to win two football matches today but didn’t take them. We got through the initial press really well but were probably too anxious to shoot too soon.
“I remember two or three chances where we’ve shot from a distance we probably could’ve carried it forward more and made it a better opportunity to score. But the game was won and lost in both boxes.”
One element that Lindsey felt they needed to do better at was retaining control and focus in the face of setbacks such as falling behind.
He said, “We’ve got to have a better mentality to keep playing and stop changing. We were fine in that first 25 minutes, we had control and looked the dominant team, possession stats were good, we created, but we just seemed to change the minute the ball went in the net. We’ve got to be braver to keep playing.”
Lindsey also added, “We wasn’t as good today as we were in the Gillingham game. We became out of control in the second half and looked like a League Two team just out there trying to score a goal. We want to play with more dominance and control and have got to stop just booting the ball forward. We’re not going to score that way.”
Sam Hoskins was the matchwinner as Northampton beat bottom side Burton Albion 1-0 at the Pirelli Stadium.
A late deflected strike by Hoskins won the match for the Cobblers at League One’s bottom club, who’d missed multiple chances before the crucial goal.
The three points were the Cobblers’ first under the charge of recently appointed boss Kevin Nolan, with the side now unbeaten in three games after drawing their previous two assignments.
Northampton also now have a six point gap to the relegation zone below and have risen a place to 18th in the League One table.
For the trip to the Brewers, there was a new face in the Cobblers’ starting line-up as Liam Shaw made his debut the day after signing up from Fleetwood.
In an early kick-off for a game chosen by Sky Sports for live TV broadcast, both sides had early opportunities as Hoskins snatched a strike from inside the box before the home side’s Nick Akoto drilled a strike across goal that went out the other side of the box.
Few chances were coming for either side in a scrappy first half, but a great chance came for the visitors just after the half-hour mark when Hoskins received Tom Eaves’ flick and saw a strike denied by Max Crocombe in the Burton goal.
Hoskins would later see a further strike blocked, with Shaw wafting the rebound into the stands.
Burton had struggled for chances before the break but missed one just after it, as substitute Billy Bodin saw a wayward shot end up picking out Dylan Williams, who just headed wide.
Nik Tzanev made a stop to deny Burton’s Jack Armer, with his Brewers’ team mate Rumarn Burrell seeing an effort a few moments later also denied by Tzanev.
The home side continued to cause Northampton problems, with Burrell seeing a shot hit the crossbar before Bodin did beat Tzanev only for his goal to be ruled out for offside.
With 4 minutes of the 90 remaining, however, Northampton would break the deadlock. Mitch Pinnock’s ball found Hoskins, who lashed in a shot that struck Armer and wrong-footed Crocombe to find the back of the net. The goal saw Hoskins mark his 400th Northampton appearance with the goal.
Burton struggled to create opportunities as the game moved into 4 minutes of stoppage time, as the Cobblers picked up a first away win since beating Huddersfield in September.
Northampton will be seeking to continue their unbeaten streak next time out, when they welcome Barnsley to Sixfields next Saturday.
Milton Keynes Theatre have announced that their 2025 panto will be Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
Following the conclusion of their 2024/25 panto Peter Pan, MK Theatre confirmed a magical circus-themed take on Goldilocks and the Three Bears will be held at the theatre from Saturday 6th Dececember 2025 through to Sunday 11th January 2026.
Comedian, TV and musical theatre star Brian Conley has been confirmed as the first star of this latest panto, marking his return to the MK Theatre panto.
In a career spanning nearly five decades, Brian has previously appeared in award-winning West End musicals and television sitcoms, presented his own chat show, recorded five albums and completed numerous sell out tours of the UK, as well as appearing a record eight times on The Royal Variety Performance and starring in over 35 pantomimes.
Brian last visited Milton Keynes Theatre in 2023 for pantomime and the arrival will see him make a quick return.
Emma Sullivan, Theatre Director at Milton Keynes Theatre said, “We are thrilled to be welcoming Brian Conley back to the theatre for Goldilocks and the Three Bears at the end of this year. The feedback from Milton Keynes audiences for Brian’s last trip here in 2023 was spectacular, and we know that he’ll bring back the laughter and magic of panto when he returns. We can’t wait for the season to start and look forward to seeing you all there.”
For five weeks, the theatre will be transformed into a circus, where everything is possible, and anything could (and will) happen.
MK Theatre said, “This festive extravaganza will be packed with riotous comedy, extraordinary special effects, hair-raising stunts, and awe-inspiring circus acts!
“Goldilocks’ circus is under threat from an evil rival circus owner and, with the help of their circus friends, they’re battling to rescue their Big Top from ruin. Will they succeed? All seems lost, until three brilliant bears join the gang…”
Anyone looking to get early tickets can book their tickets today at ATGTICKETS.COM/MiltonKeynes.
MK Dons were beaten 1-0 at home by Salford City, with their former boss Karl Robinson picking up a second win of the season against the Dons.
Hakeeb Adelakun scored the only goal, with a strike that he flicked home just after the half-hour mark to win the game for the in-form visitors.
While victory saw Salford make it 6 wins in a row, all without conceding, MK Dons’ inconsistent form continued. The team are now on a run of one win in six matches, with Scott Lindsey’s side 12th in the League Two table and five points off the play-offs, though with at least one game in hand on several teams above them.
Having returned to winning ways after four without success in their trip to Chesterfield on New Year’s Day, the Dons’ first assignment of 2025 saw them welcome Salford, who had won their previous five games with a clean sheet in each game.
The in-form visitors gave MK Dons early notice of their intent, with Adelakun squaring for Cole Stockton to narrowly head the ball wide of the target.
An open contest saw MK Dons be next to try their luck, with Liam Kelly advancing before firing a strike that just missed the target.
Salford keeper Matt Young then made a stop to deny the Dons’ former Salford striker Callum Hendry, while at the other end, Tom McGill made the save to deny Stockton.
Hendry would see a strike blocked before Ellis Harrison headed wide when well placed, before a great chance for the hosts saw Joe Tomlinson’s header hit the side netting from Alex Gilbey’s cross.
Salford had a period of creating chances after that, with Adelakun and Stockton seeing strikes narrowly miss the target, while Harrison saw an effort after a decent run fired straight at Young.
But with 34 minutes on the clock, Salford opened the deadlock. Liam Shephard’s deflected cross seemed to fall in line for McGill to claim, but Adelakun got there first and a subtle touch from the Salford attacker was enough to divert the ball into the back of the net.
Curtis Tilt could’ve added to the Dons’ misery in first half stoppage time, as the visitor’s captain charged forward before hitting a long range shot that McGill held at the second attempt.
Ryan Watson walloped a shot off target against his former club after the break, before Hendry lashed his own first-time strike from outside the box off target.
The Dons created their best chance in the aftermath of falling behind in the opening 15 minutes of the second half. Set-up work by Aaron Nemane and Kelly teed up Gilbey, who had a snapshot held by Young.
Tilt would see a strike from outside the box hit the post for the visitors, while at the other end, Young held two efforts by the Dons’ Joe White.
Salford missed two fine chances for a second as Kevin Berkoe and Tyrese Fornah lashed off target when well placed. In-between these two opportunities, MK Dons got close as Hendry’s flick-on at a corner failed to beat Young.
But despite six minutes of added time being played, MK Dons ran out of time as they slipped to defeat at home, and giving Lindsey plenty to ponder ahead of a trip to face his predecessor Mike Williamson and his Carlisle United side next weekend.
MK Dons: McGill – Offord, Lawrence, Sherring – Nemane (Ilunga 69), White, Kelly (Hogan 69), Tomlinson – Hendry, Harrison, Kelly
Subs not used: MacGillivray, Williams, Carroll, Tripp, Waller
Salford: Young – Shephard, Tilt, Garbutt – Mnoga (Taylor 83), Watson (Lund 75), Ashley, Fornah, Berkoe (Negru 83) – Adelakun (McAleny 90+4), Stockton (Kouassi 83)
Subs not used: Jones, Edwards
Booked: Ashley, Tilt, Watson
