Luton Town returned to England’s top flight for the first time since 1992 with a penalty shootout victory over Coventry City in the Championship play-off final at Wembley on Saturday.
For the third time this season, Coventry and Luton could not be separated after 90 minutes. As in both regular season meetings, Luton took the lead only to be pegged back by the resurgent Sky Blues.
Coventry's Fankaty Dabo was the first to miss their kick in a previously flawless rendition of penalties at the sudden death stage of the shootout, sending Luton to the Premier League for the first time since the competition's inception.
Luton lost captain Tom Lockyer to a serious injury in the opening exchanges but it was Coventry that played without any direction. Utterly unnerved by Luton's high press, Mark Robins' side were just as unsettled by the unashamedly direct approach of those in orange.
Elijah Adebayo chased after one of the many long launches forward midway through the first half. Battling with the touchline as much as Kyle McFadzean, Adebayo juggled the ball over and around Coventry's befuddled centre-back, picking out the onrushing Jordan Clark. With one touch to take Luke McNally out of the game, Clark bypassed Ben Wilson with his second, blasting a ferocious opening goal into the net.
The Hatters kept their collective boot firmly lodged on Coventry's throat, suffocating the Sky Blues but not adding to the scoreline.
Luton had racked up double digits for attempts by the time Gustavo Hamer delivered Coventry's first shot of the match after 43 minutes. Yet, the balance of the contest dramatically shifted after the interval.
Matt Godden was brought on to give Viktor Gyokeres some much-needed company but the prolific Swede combined with a familiar partner in crime for Coventry's deserved equaliser. Spearheading a breakaway from a Luton corner, Gyokeres rolled the ball back for Hamer. After starting the move in his own half, the effervescent playmaker finished it with a crisp pass into the bottom corner.
Godden almost got a goal himself as Coventry firmly muscled their way into the ascendancy. With all the fizz and fire long since seeped out of their game, Luton had to wait until stoppage time for their first shot of the second half.
The energy-sapping heat and overwhelming emotion of the occasion concocted a weary period of extra time. Seconds after his arrival, Coventry's Jonathan Panzo could not blame fatigue for a heavy touch upon which fellow substitute Joe Taylor pounced. The ball ricocheted onto Taylor's hand before he tucked it underneath Ben Wilson, ensuring that VAR quickly chalked off what briefly threatened to be a late winner.
Instead the play-off final was decided by the cruel penalty shootout, with Dabo suffering the damning fate of blazing his spot kick high into the stand of Luton fans who were quickly revelling in the glory of their side's promotion.
Coventry player ratings (3-4-2-1)
GK: Ben Wilson - 5/10 - Would have done well to see Clarke's opener let alone save it.
CB: Luke McNally - 5/10 - Outmuscled and outplayed for large swathes of the first half but grew into the contest.
CB: Kyle McFadzean - 3/10 - Left in a crumbled heap by Adebayo for Luton's opener.
CB: Callum Doyle - 7/10 - Rose up to meet the aerial assault Luton funnelled towards Coventry's goal and played a cool-headed ball down the line ahead of the equaliser.
RWB: Brooke Norton-Cuffy - 6/10 - The teenager's youthful enthusiasm was infectious, scrapping his way with mixed success down the right flank.
CM: Liam Kelly - 4/10 - The experienced skipper failed to exert any sense of calm into Coventry's possession play.
CM: Ben Sheaf - 6/10 - Managed to keep his own passing tidy despite the furious flood of bodies in midfield.
LWB: Jake Bidwell - 5/10 - Chugged up and down the touchline with more exuberance than end product.
RW: Gustavo Hamer - 8/10 - Hovering with menace between the lines, a ripple of electricity coursed through the ground whenever Hamer rolled his studs over the ball.
ST: Viktor Gyokeres - 7/10 - Skirted around the fringes of the first half before demonstrating his unique blend of silk and steel when he wasn't so isolated after the break.
LW: Jamie Allen - 3/10 - Flitted in but mainly out of the match before he was hooked at half-time.
Substitutes
SUB: Matt Godden (46' for Allen) - 6/10 - His mere presence gave Luton's backline far more to think about.
SUB: Kasey Palmer (80' for Hamer) - 4/10 - The sub was subbed off himself in the first half of extra time.
SUB: Fankaty Dabo (91' for Norton-Cuffy) - 5/10
SUB: Josh Eccles (102' for Palmer) - N/A
SUB: Jonathan Panzo (115' for Doyle) - N/A
Subs not used: Moore (GK), Wilson-Esbrand
Manager
Mark Robins - 6/10 - Took advantage of Luton's wastefulness to proactively change the tide of Saturday's contest at half-time.
Luton player ratings (3-5-2)
GK: Ethan Horvath - 4/10 - A lack of communication with his defenders forced some nervy moments.
CB: Gabriel Osho - 5/10 - Couldn't whip his long legs together quickly enough to block Hamer's equaliser.
CB: Tom Lockyer - N/A - Forced off inside the opening exchanges with a serious health problem but not before winning a header at a corner which led to a disallowed goal. Now thankfully recovering in hospital.
CB: Amari'i Bell - 5/10 - Not entirely convincing when lured wide into a one-on-one duel with Hamer.
RWB: Cody Drameh - 6/10 - Didn't shirt his defensive duties, responsibly tracking back to lend Osho an extra set of boots when required.
CM: Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu - 6/10 - Taking on the captain's armband after Lockyer's enforced departure, Mpanzu didn't dominate proceedings. The first player to achieve promotion from the fifth tier to the first with the same club.
CM: Marvelous Nakamba - 7/10 - The ballast in Luton's midfield that gave his central teammates freedom to bound forward.
CM: Jordan Clark - 8/10 - A tireless force hurtling from box to box, Clark's bludgeoned finish cracked the match open.
LWB: Alfie Doughty - 5/10 - Crashed Coventry's box whenever the opportunity arose but tired as the match wore on.
ST: Carlton Morris - 7/10 - Ran himself into the ground, blunting Coventry's build-up while it was still in its infancy.
ST: Elijah Adebayo - 8/10 - Tossed the Coventry defence around like rag dolls, toying with the Sky Blues shirts at times.
Substitutes
SUB: Reece Burke (12' for Lockyer) - 8/10 - Caught up to the speed of the match rapidly, quickly ensuring that Lockyer's well-being, rather than his lost influence on the pitch, was the only concern.
SUB: Fred Onyedinma (84' for Doughty) - 5/10
SUB: Luke Berry (98' for Mpanzu) - N/A
SUB: Joe Taylor (106' for Adebayo) - N/A
SUB: Daniel Potts (112' for Osho) - N/A
Subs not used: Shea (GK), Campbell
Manager
Rob Edwards - 6/10 - Set his side up perfectly to begin with but didn't counter the tweak from Robins.
Player of the match - Reece Burke (Luton)
This article was originally published on 90min as Coventry City 1-1 Luton Town (5-6 on pens): Player ratings as the Hatters earn Premier League promotion.
