Luton Town returned to winning ways as they squeezed out fellow early strugglers Hull City 1-0 at Kenilworth Road.
A goal by Mark McGuinness just after the half-hour mark decided a tight contest at a wet Kenilworth Road, with the result seeing the Hatters leapfrog the Tigers in the Championship table.
Victory was Luton’s second win in a row at home, with the result seeing Rob Edwards’ side move up to 16th in the table after 16 games ahead of tricky-looking trips to Leeds and Norwich in the upcoming week.
Luton had entered the contest on the back of a heavy defeat by Middlesbrough in their last outing, which was a defeat that had raised the pressure on Edwards after a slow start to the campaign.
Against a similarly slow-starting Hull, very few opportunities came easily for either side, with half-chances the order of the day under a grey sky on a weekend where the UK has had stormy weather.
Hull had a lot of possession but struggled to trouble Thomas Kaminski in the Luton goal, while the Hatters had won a few early corners without yielding an opportunity.
A goal would eventually come Luton’s way just after the half-hour mark, as a Shandon Baptiste corner was flicked on by a defender to McGuinness, whose strike duly crashed past Ivor Pandur in the Hull goal.
The strike was McGuinness’ first since his summer move to Luton, and came in a week after he’d made his international debut for the Republic of Ireland.
Hull nearly equalised late in the half, only for Joao Pedro to miss the target when well placed.
Elijah Adebayo fluffed his lines from close range early in the second half, before Pedro missed a golden chance for Hull when he hit the post from Regan Slater’s cross into the box.
Luton struggled to create opportunities after the break and Hull were causing the home side bother. Kasey Palmer would see a strike denied by Kaminski later in the half, before sub Chris Bedia missed the target in the final minute of the 90.
Palmer came close again in injury time, as his deflected strike had to be repelled by Kaminski.
But the Hatters ultimately did just enough to grind out the win, grabbing some respite for Edwards with their three points ahead of Wednesday night’s trip to Elland Road.
MK Dons’ game against Fleetwood Town has been postponed due to weather conditions induced by Storm Bert.
The Dons had been scheduled to play the Cod Army at Fleetwood’s Highbury Stadium later today (23/11), but the game has been postponed after the pitch failed an inspection held earlier this morning.
A pitch inspection had been called for 10:30 by Fleetwood Town to look at the conditions at the ground. But the conditions have been confirmed as being of a waterlogged pitch, meeting the threshold for a postponement.
In a statement, Fleetwood Town said, “After a pitch inspection at 10:30am – which was called earlier in the morning, both Town and MK Dons staff, alongside the officials have agreed to postpone the Sky Bet League Two clash in FY7 due to a waterlogged pitch.
“Details for a rearranged fixture will follow in due course. We would like to apologise to supporters for any inconvenience caused.”
MK Dons have confirmed that defender Charlie Stirland has joined National League North side Oxford City on loan.
The 19-year-old will join the sixth tier side on a month-long loan, in a run that has seen multiple Dons youngsters loaned out to nearby non-league sides.
Stirland made his first senior appearance for MK Dons earlier this month when he played against Leyton Orient in the EFL Trophy.
Before that, Stirland had made loan moves to join Newport Pagnell Town, AFC Dunstable and Leighton Town.
In a brief statement, the Dons’ academy manager Ben Smith said, “Charlie has the opportunity to demonstrate his abilities at a higher level with Oxford City. We’re looking forward to seeing how he manages the challenge.”
Police are appealing for information following the theft of a bike in Milton Keynes.
The incident happened at approximately 12.03am on Thursday 17 October at Milton Keynes Central train station.
During the incident, the offender broke the lock off a bike that was locked in a bike shed outside the station.
As part of their appeal, Thames Valley Police released a photo of the stolen bicycle.
A 33-year-old man from Milton Keynes has been arrested on suspicion of theft.
Investigating officer PC Jake Ford, based at Milton Keynes station, said, “I am appealing for any witnesses to please come forward, particularly to the victim of this theft, so we can return the bike to the original owner, and charge the offender.
“Anyone with information relating to the incident should call 101 or make a report on our website, quoting reference number 43240499835.
“Alternatively, for anonymity, you can also call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via its website.”
The MyMK Business Improvement District (BID) has launched a new gift card for places in Milton Keynes City Centre.
The new Milton Keynes City Centre Gift Card is available online at mymk.cc and can be redeemed at over 70 locations including Xscape, The Hub, 12th Street, centre:mk, and Midsummer Place.
Participating businesses include a variety of cafes, restaurants, shops, and leisure venues within the city, including Milton Keynes Theatre, Primark, TK Maxx, Starbucks, Hotel La Tour, Wagamamas and iFly.
In launching the card, MyMiltonKeynes said, “Perfect for gifting, the Milton Keynes City Centre Gift Card makes it easy to treat friends, family, or colleagues while contributing to the City’s economic vibrancy. Whether it’s a coffee with friends, a family meal, or a day out shopping, the card offers flexibility and choice.”
Chief Executive for MyMiltonKeynes BID, Jill Farnsworth, said “Our new Milton Keynes City Centre Gift Card showcases the vibrant mix of shops, restaurants, and experiences that make our City so unique. We want people to gift local and shop local. So far we’ve got over 70 businesses signed up but we’re not stopping there, our aim is to get the whole City Centre signed up to accept the card!”
