Rob Edwards badly needed a result after Luton’s shoddy start to the season and his team delivered with a dominant performance in an emphatic derby victory. A hangover following last season’s relegation from the Premier League resulted in two wins from nine Championship matches - their worst start to an EFL campaign for 22 years - but Luton rose to the occasion to outmuscle Watford.
The hosts pounced for the opener through Jordan Clark’s close-range flick and the outstanding Carlton Morris marked his return to the team by heading in early in the second half before a stoppage-time goal from Jacob Brown completed this mismatch. Watford started the weekend in sixth but Luton made a mockery of this flattering position with Tom Cleverley’s team second best throughout.
Edwards made three changes to the team that lost at Sheffield United with their captain Morris returning to lead the attack after missing the past three matches due to a thigh strain. The former Reading defender, Tom Holmes, was handed his first start for Luton. Watford’s goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann returned to the team, after a thigh injury which forced him to miss their last four games, although he laboured throughout and looked short of full fitness.
Holmes made an immediate impact at the wrong end with his 40-yard back pass almost resulting in an outrageous own goal. The Luton defender Reece Burke tested Bachmann with an early effort from the right edge of the area which was turned behind by the goalkeeper.
Luton did not have to wait long for their opener, though, with Alfie Doughty’s corner volleyed towards goal by Holmes. Clark’s flick was diverted into the net to spark delirium at Kenilworth Road.
The Hatters were in the ascendancy and Tahith Chong blasted over from the edge of the area as the rampant hosts pushed for a second. Watford could not handle Morris’s power and directness and a bulldozing run down the left set up Elijah Adebayo, but Mattie Pollock’s last-ditch tackle thwarted the forward.
Watford were struggling to land a glove on their opponents but the talented Georgian midfielder, Giorgi Chakvetadze, briefly threatened before the break with his rasping strike narrowly going over Thomas Kaminski’s crossbar.
Luton quickly extended their lead after the break with the unmarked Morris planting his header from Doughty’s corner past Bachmann.
Watford needed an immediate reaction and Tom Dele-Bashiru forced Kaminski into a full-length save to keep out his strike from the edge of the area.
after newsletter promotion
Morris was given a standing ovation, midway through the half, when he was taken off after running Watford ragged. It was all too easy for Luton, with Bachmann’s low save preventing Adebayo scoring a third.
The substitute Brown turned the atmosphere up a notch with a low finish past the unmoved Bachmann in stoppage time which was a fair reflection of their dominance. Watford’s wait for a first win at Kenilworth Road since 2006 drags on after this limp showing against their fierce rivals.