CITY 1 LUTON TOWN 0
FA Cup 3rd Round
4th January 1969
attendance 37,120
scorer Lee(26 pen)
Ref K Burns
City Dowd, Mann, Pardoe, Doyle, Booth, Oakes, Owen, Bell, Lee, Young, Connor – sub Bowles(unused)
Luton Davie, Dougan, Bannister, Slouugh, Branston, Moore, French, Lewis, Allen, Rioch, Harrison – sub McDerment(26)
FRANNY LEE SCORES THE ONLY GOAL OF THE GAME
A plucky Luton side were very unlucky to come away from this match without at least a replay.
City’s league form had seen them in a free-scoring mood at home, however in this 3rd round cup tie at Maine Road they never really looked like scoring from open play.
It was the Hatters who showed some excellent attacking play and it was only some great saves from City custodian Harry Dowd which stopped them from scoring.
An Allen header, which looked to be a certain goal, was athletically fingertipped on to the post by Dowd, and man of the match, Rioch had a late long range drive, well saved and away to safety.
The only other noteworthy effort from City saw a speculative 40 yard shot by Tony Coleman brilliantly saved by Luton keeper Davie.
From FRANCIS LEE, TRIUMPH, TREACHERY AND TOILET ROLLS
… This was a time when the FA Cup was as big as the league and arguably more glorious. Could this be a route to success in the New Year? Well, it looked like a comfortable draw when we were pulled out of the hat in the third round draw at home to Second Division Luton Town. We didn’t exactly set Maine Road alight with this first match of 1969, Though, swiftly following on from Everton turning us over.
Luton gave it a right good go. We now had Harry Dowd in goal and he had to be in pretty good form. He tipped a good header from Keith Allen onto a post and a young Bruce Rioch had a typically meaty drive well saved, too. I had the distinction of winning the penalty and then converting it to get us ahead after 26 minutes. I was fouled in the Box by John Moore and then I smacked the penalty inside the keeper’s right hand post. Our blushes were spared and Jo Mercer summed it up: “Luton Scared us to death.”…