Mike Newell's visitors led 2-1 as the game went into stoppage time, but a Neil Danns equaliser meant that Blues scraped a draw and had to settle for a 9 point lead with the chasing pack still to play.
Blues 2 Luton Town 2 .. report
Steve Bruce made a few changes to the side that had beaten QPR on Boxing Day with Seb Larsson and Fabrice Muamba coming into the midfield for the rested Damien Johnson and Stephen Clemence respectively, whilst up front Cameron Jerome regained his starting spot ahead of DJ Campbell. No doubt all of the Blues publicists will be telling us how Luton came with five across midfield, as they do every week regardless of who the opposition are and what system they play, but the truth is they played a good attacking team with Warren Feeney and Rowan Vine up front, Richard Langley supporting from midfield and the impressive duo of Carlos Edwards and Dean Morgan (who was superb against Blues when he came on at Kenilworth Road) on the flanks.
The weather was dreadful throughout, and that obviously didn't help matters for either team, but it was Luton who were actually able to play the football. They started brightly and continued to play brightly throughout the game. Blues looked like, well, a young girl afraid of Mike Newell and what sexist tirade he might launch into next. They were shaky, showed no composure and were so tentative - most unlike them of late. It's unfair to single individuals out when everyone plays so poorly, but Radhi Jaidi was shocking and may consider himself lucky not to have conceded a penalty and been sent off within about the first half an hour. Vine hit the post with a header as Blues really, really toiled.
Anyway, as is with Blues these days, just when the opposition thinks they've got it sussed, Gary McSheffrey scores. And so he did after about half an hour. Stephen Kelly hit a poor pass that was going to go out for a goal-kick until Nicklas Bendtner executed a sublime backheel which found Jerome. His shot was dragged across goal (I can foresee the "it was a cross" comments on his mypace site now...) and McSheffrey in the terrible conditions managed to play a one-two with the defender's back before clipping the ball past Dean Kiely in goal.
It was unfair on Luton, but the Blues fans would have hoped that this finally settled the team down and that they'd go on to spank Luton like a female assistant referee. They didn't though - Luton equalised on the stroke of half-time through Vine. Langley's corner wasn't cleared by Blues and Vine found the kind of room that a woman needs in order to park her Ford Ka inside the area and side-footed a good finish past Maik Taylor to make it 1-1 at the break.
The second half wasn't much different, to be fair. Luton were the better team, Blues looked dodgy at best with Jaidi settling down a little more and Mat Sadler taking the "Less Composure Than A Woman After 3 Babychams" award. The second half was actually a fairly feisty affair with a few injuries, including Luton's Markus Keikkenen ('Special K' to me, and me only, I suspect) being stretchered off after a hard but fair challenge by Muamba and Mehdi Nafti lucky to stay on the pitch himself after a dreadful challenge on Edwards.
For Blues, McSheffrey and Bendtner struggled to have any impact and just as Jerome began to become a threat, Steve Bruce took him off. Obviously. Jerome left the field moments after the referee obviously caught Amy Rayner disease and missed the most blatant foul on him on the edge of the area - not only was he taken off his feet but he somersaulted mid-air. Play on though, according to the referee.
With about 15 minutes left Luton shocked everyone, including their small band of supporters, by taking the lead. Danns (who had come on for Nafti) failed to pick up Feeney and he went through on goal and side-footed the ball through Taylor's legs to make it 2-1 (and probably deservedly so) to Luton.
Blues obviously chased an equaliser but were getting nowhere. Right on 90 minutes some fine work by Bendtner led to a great chance for Danns, but his tame effort was nowhere near good enough to trouble Kiely in goal - a girl could have saved it. Still, Danns made amends deep into stoppage time when Campbell flicked the ball on despite being 5'2" before Jaidi nodded it down and Danns smashed the ball into the roof of the net to make it 2-2 and earn Blues a point. It continued Dann's incredible 100% record of scoring against Luton everytime he plays against them for Blues - if there's anyone out there with a better record than that, then I'm yet to see them.
I'm not sure whether Blues have forgotten what it's like to chase games, but they were rubbish at it today. With minutes to go Taylor had to make sure he'd got the pitch just right before kicking the ball - just get on with it! When winning free-kicks Blues were taking them 10-15 yards in front of where the offence was. The only thing that is going to happen is that the referee is going to tell you to retake the free-kick from the correct spot and you're going to waste time, not gain an advantage. It was really doing my head in - you may be able to tell.
Anyway, dropped points at home and a dreadful display but like a woman who hasn't done the dishes as her husband's key is put into the lock of the door you have to cling to any positives that you can find. So, here's my attempts: 1) It was another point towards winning promotion. 2) If you can play this badly and still get a result you must have something going for you. 3) If you can be this shocking and still score twice, see 2).
All in all, very little to get excited about and the watching billions around the world who will have tuned in eager to see this sensational team that is running away with the league and has the best young talent outside of Arsenal's first team will have been left wondering "What?! Are you serious!? That team in the blue?! Hahahaha!!!", but nevermind. I'm sure Blues won't play this badly again this year. So here's to beating Ipswich in 2007.
(Today's sexist comments were in no way representative of the writer's real views - they were a cheap dig at Mike Newell. Except the one about the parking.)