Luton Town 1-2 Burnley: Jacob Bruun Larsen fires Clarets to dramatic first league win

The winger came off the bench to unleash an unstoppable drive into the top corner five minutes from time in this topsy-turvy encounter at Kenilworth Road.

The goal came barely 60 seconds after the Hatters had levelled through Elijah Adebayo, which looked to have denied the Clarets their long-awaited first three points of the campaign.

Lyle Foster had earlier capped off his return from suspension with Burnley’s opener, slotting home in composed fashion in first-half stoppage-time.

The win ends a seven-game wait for a first league victory and lifts Vincent Kompany’s men up to third from bottom following this rearranged fixture.

Lyle Foster was thrown straight back into Burnley’s starting XI following his return from a three-match ban.

Aaron Ramsey was the man to make way, dropping down to the bench.

Elsewhere, Hjalmar Ekdal, Johann Gudmundsson, Manuel Benson, Darko Churlinov, Nathan Redmond and Michael Obafemi all remain sidelined.

Anass Zaroury, meanwhile, was not named in the 18-man squad.

As for Luton, they made one change to the side that earned their first win of the season at the weekend, overcoming Sean Dyche’s Everton 2-1.

Their confidence was there for all to see, with Carlton Morris charging down James Trafford straight from kick-off. The striker blocked Trafford’s attempted clearance after a heavy touch from the goalkeeper, but thankfully it went behind for a goal kick rather than anything more embarrassing.

The home side were in Burnley’s faces right from the off, chasing down every backwards pass and harrying Kompany’s men as they looked to build up possession.

Summing up a rough few days for Premier League officials, referee Peter Bankes was hit with the ball twice in succession, stopping Burnley attacks on both occasions.

Luton were looking to launch high balls into the Burnley box at every opportunity possible, but the visitors stood up to the barrage early on.

Burnley responded well though, enjoying a good spell of their own with Zeki Amdouni taking a couple of early whacks as he looked to exert some pressure in the final third.

It was noticeable how Burnley were willing to go long when they had to, not always playing out from the back and inviting pressure on themselves.

The returning Foster dragged one wide of the upright after turning and running towards the Luton box through the centre of the pitch.

The first real chance of the game came via a corner and believe it or not, it came Burnley’s way.

Amdouni connected with Josh Brownhill’s corner but former Blackburn Rovers keeper Thomas Kaminski was on hand to tip his header over the bar.

While the game remained fairly equal, Burnley were the side producing more shots on goal - as proven by Josh Brownhill’s dipping effort from range just before the half-hour mark which had the keeper scampering, but just flew over his bar.

Amdouni then produced a chance for himself out of nothing after a sumptuous nutmeg, but his finish was poor as he fired comfortably over.

Burnley were almost made to pay for the misses when Luton came close to opening the scoring against the run of play as Chiedozie Ogbene headed just wide from a right-wing cross.

Kompany’s men squandered a gilt-edged chance on the stroke of half-time when Josh Brownhill pulled the ball back for Amdouni, who fluffed his lines eight yards out from goal.

You feared this could be another game where Burnley might live to regret their missed chances, but thankfully that all changed in first-half stoppage-time when Foster slotted home a deserved opener.

The striker had been slipped in by Sander Berge’s clever pass and showed composure to settle himself before side footing past the onrushing Kaminski.

The second half continued in the same vein, with Burnley on the attack and looking to add their second goal of the night.

Luca Koleosho tested Kaminski at his near post with a low effort between a defender’s legs before the stopper was forced to push Josh Brownhill’s near post effort behind for a corner.

Luton fired a warning shot quickly afterwards though, as Carlton Morris headed just over from a corner.

You clearly felt there was another goal in this for Burnley if they could put something together, which almost occurred on the hourmark when Brownhill flashed a dangerous ball into the six-yard only for a Luton man to just about clear his lines.

Luton were only really threatening from set pieces but the threat was certainly there - and were somehow denied an equaliser thanks to a miraculous clearance from Josh Cullen.

Jacob Brown looked to have headed beyond James Trafford and into the top corner but the Irishman somehow got back to head off the line.

The Hatters’ fans were soon screaming for a penalty as well after Jordan Beyer attempted to intercept Morris as he cut inside, but the referee was having none of it.

The hosts continued to ramp up the pressure as Morris headed wide from a corner having been left unmarked.

The pressure at this point was relentless, with Burnley lacking composure and struggling to keep hold of the ball as a result.

He knew nothing about it, but Berge almost inadvertently headed Luton back level when another threatening Luton cross hit the back of his head and flew just wide.

An equaliser felt inevitable and lo and behold, it soon arrived through substitute Elijah Adebayo, who was able to turn and shoot inside the box before beating Trafford at his near post.

Luton were on level terms for barely a minute though as another sub, this time Jacob Bruun Larsen, restored his side’s lead with an absolute stunner.

The winger did superbly to cut inside from the right wing where he then unleashed an unstoppable drive into the top corner, giving the goalkeeper absolutely no chance.

Luton predictably looked to throw the kitchen sink at Burnley in the dying stages but the life had been sucked out of them following Bruun Larsen’s stunner, and the Clarets were able to hold on for a vital, vital victory.

TEAMS

Luton: Kaminski, Lockyer, Brown (Chong), Bell (Burke), Doughty, Kabore (Adebayo), Nakamba, Mengi, Mpanzu, Ogbene, Morris

Subs not used: Krul, Giles, Johnson, Andersen, Berry, Woodrow

Burnley: Trafford, Roberts, Beyer, Al-Dakhil, Taylor, Cullen, Brownhill, Berge, Koleosho (Bruun Larsen), Amdouni (Ramsey, Delcroix), Foster (Rodriguez)

Subs not used: Muric, Vitinho, Cork, Odobert, Tresor

Referee: Peter Bankes

Attendance: 10,918