Match Report Everton had to be content with a point from their travels to Kenilworth Road after Elijah Adebayo cancelled out Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s penalty and the game ended all square. Luton came into the game desperate for all three points in their bid to avoid demotion straight back to the Championship and, after Thomas Kaminski had kept them in the game with two excellent saves, the Hatter might have nicked a win had Jack Harrison and Jarrad Branthwaite not made key defensive interventions in stoppage time. Everton made the trip south safe in the knowledge that their Premier League safety was already assured thanks to three wins in three last week and that relative comfort was evident in the greater freedom in their play but they generally lacked quality in the final third in what was an occasionally scrappy contest refereed with inconsistency by Tim Robinson. The Toffees might have had two other penalties beyond the one the referee did award after viewing the pitch-side monitor on the advice of Video Assistant Referee, David Coote, while the officials were subjected to a torrent of abuse from home fans around the tunnel as they left the field at the final whistle. With Calvert-Lewin fit again after a bout of gastroenteritis and a minor knee issue, the striker led the line from the start with the returning Beto on the bench and James Tarkowski captained the side despite not training during the week due to the birth of his child. The contest began as it would largely continue, keenly fought and even but after half-hearted appeals for a spot-kick at one end when Tahith Chong made a meal of minimal contact from Jordan Pickford, Everton had a stronger claim waved away after a quarter of an hour when Teden Mengi appeared to trip Dwight McNeil in the hosts’ penalty area. Three minutes later, a free-kick for the visitors ended with Mengi almost toeing McNeil’s fizzed cross into his own net and, from the resulting corner, James Garner’s goal-bound shot was repelled by a defender. A few minutes after that, however, the Blues were awarded a penalty when Jarrad Branthwaite was visibly held back and almost bear-hugged to the floor by Mengi and Coote directed Robinson to the screen to penalise the foul. Calvert-Lewin took responsibility from 12 yards and drilled his kick down the middle, with Kaminski getting a foot to it but unable to alter its trajectory to the back of the net and prevent the Everton man scoring a fourth goal in his last five games. The Blues' lead last just seven minutes, though. Ashley Young found himself in a hopeless physical mis-match as Alfie Doughty lofted a deep diagonal into the box and the striker muscled the veteran defender out of the way before smashing a shot across Pickford and into the far corner to make it 1-1 with half an hour gone. Harrison cut in off the right flank and curled a shot narrowly wide five minutes before the end of the regulation first 45 while Luton went close themselves in the six minutes added on for stoppages when Carlton Morris whipped a shot inches wide of the upright after Doughty had failed to trouble Pickford with a volley. The pattern of the game was little changed after the break, although after Gabriel Osho had bent a shot just wide and Mengi headed over from a free-kick, Sean Dyche went uncharacteristically early to his bench when he withdrew Garner, who had been on a yellow card since a harsh censure in only the ninth minute, and the ineffective Abdoulaye Doucouré in favour of André Gomes and Amadou Onana. Seamus Coleman replaced Young in a change midway through the second period and the Toffees almost regained the lead shortly afterwards. Harrison managed to set himself under pressure to get a shot off on the edge the box that took a heavy deflection but Kaminski flew across his goal to bat it out of the top corner for a corner. Then, 13 minutes from the 90 the Hatters’ keeper was called upon again to make another excellent save, this time to palm Calvert-Lewin’s strong header over after McNeil had headed Harrison’s cross invitingly back across the six-yard box. DCL was withdrawn alongside Gueye three minutes later to give Beto and Youssef Chermiti a run-out but while the former Portuguese might have won a penalty himself had he tried to stay on his feet as Osho pulled him back, the closing stages were increasingly about a desperate Luton trying to find a precious winner. Mengi’s daisy-cutter was comfortably gathered by Pickford in the fifth minute of time added on, though, and Luke Berry almost scored a dramatic over-head kick but found Harrison in his way to block the shot behind. Then, after the otherwise lively and impressive Chermiti conceded a needless free-kick in a dangerous area near his his own box, the ball fell to substitute Andros Townsend to fire a low shot that was searching out the bottom corner until Branthwaite stuck a crucial leg out to divert it wide. In pushing to have this game moved to a Friday night, Sky Sports no doubt felt they had teed up for their viewers a potential relegation “six-pointer” but, ultimately, they got a decent enough game that was low on quality and which lacked what the neutrals might have wanted in the form of a Luton win that would have kept alive their hopes of beating the drop. For Everton and their travelling fans, it was just nice to have a game that lacked any jeopardy or urgency — which is probably just well because those last 10 to 15 minutes would have been incredibly nervy had Dyche’s men needed to get anything from the game – and to have avoided an unwanted hat-trick of defeats to Rob Edwards's men this season. Thoughts now turn to the final home game against already-relegated Sheffield United next weekend when the Blues will look to consolidate their hold on 15th place. Lyndon Lloyd top Matchday Updates Everton pay a visit to the smallest ground in the Premier League as their roller-coaster campaign winds down after a fantastic week that ensured another season in the top flight. Dominic Calvert-Lewin leads the attack with Beto, Dobbin and Seamus Coleman rejoining the squad on the bench. Calvert-Lewin picked up a knock to his knee in the same game and then came down with a stomach illness but played through the Merseyside derby victory over Liverpool before being rested against Brentford at the weekend. Coleman has recovered from the groin strain he sustained in the defeat at Chelsea in the middle of last month. Both Nathan Patterson and Vitalii Mykolenko are out after suffering season-ending hamstring and ankle injuries respectively. Luton, featuring Ross Barkley, got the ball rolling, and kept them pressing forward despite an Everton goal kick. But Tarkowski was fouled on the half-way line setting up a deep Pickford crossball with nothing developing. Chong tried to get between Tarkowski and Pickford, giving away a goalkick. Luton were very keen and it needed a great tackle on Chong to slow him down. Garner was shown a very early and rather harsh yellow card for just running into Chong. Ashley Young was annoyed with Morri's challenge to get himself behind the Everton line. Garner then caught another Luton player. It was very scrappy and Calvert-Lewin was then fouled in midfield. McNeil was upended in the area after a Menghi clearly trod on his foot. Apparently not a foul! Another Everton free-kick closer to the Luton area but no real contact in there before it was cleared. Garner put it back in and won Everton a corner that Morris headed clear. A great Everton ball in from McNeil had Luton panicking but no Everton player in the mixer; however, it came back for Garner to shoot, deflected wide. More Everton corners followed, with Mengi bear-hugging Branthwaite! VAR had a look at this one and Tim Robinson went to the monitor – even though it was a long way away from the ball… but he still gave Everton the penalty. Dominic Calvert-Lewin smashed it low straight down the middle, beyond Kaminski. Blues ahead! Luton were not subdued and regrouped well enough for Doughty to beat Godfrey and swing in a decent cross that almost caused a problem before it was cleared. But a good deep cross saw Adebayo brushed Young out of his way before he stroked a low shot past Pickford before Branthwaite could close him down. Adebayo wanted to get in again but Harrison did well to stop him at the expense of a Luton corner that Everton defended well enough but Calvert-Lewin was not getting to Pickford's hoofballs. Onyedinma got forward and put in a low cross that Tarkowski had to clear, and Everton needed to clear the second phase. Everton tried the passing game but Harrison's ball in did not find Calvert-Lewin. They tried again, and that ended with what might have been a shot from Harrison that whistled past the far angle. Encouraged, Everton tried more of this passing stuff to keep possession, peaking at 80% (!!) in a spell before the break. Chong caught Godfrey for a yellow card. Harrison's free-kick from the half-way line saw Branthwaite come around the back but his header was not strong enough to create any trouble. Luton got forward and Doughty had a shot that Pickford collected. Everton mounted a decent attack, Harrison's ball resulting in an Everton corner although it was very close to being an own goal, but Everton were pushed back into midfield. At the other end, Morris lashed a shot wide across Pickford's goal. Calvert-Lewin finally got to a Pickford clearance but only helped Luton set up a dangerous attack with Godfrey having to clear off the line, to end a fairly even half. Everton resumed and this time Calvert-Lewin did head on a Pickford hoofball but nothing came of it. Ashley Young got a bash on the head from Lokonga but recovered well enough after treatment. Osho tried to curl one in but drove it wide. Gueye mistimed his leg sweep on Chong, seeing yellow. Doughty's free-kick was headed over, as Branthwaite was clearly pushed over. Sean Dyche then made two early (for him!) subs before an Everton corner came to nothing. Everton wasted a free-kick as Luton forced them back, but they worked their way out until Calvert-Lewin drew a foul. An Everton attack was repelled for Luton to win a corner, Gomes then giving them a free-kick. Doughty's cross was cleared but Everton had no-one to take any advantage. Chong won another corner for Luton, Barkley powering the second-phase header well off target. Doughty almost got around Harrison but he hooked the ball away for a corner as Coleman replaced Young and it was eventually defended away. Everton had done very little in Luton's area but a snapshot by Harrison was deflected, looping toward the top corner, pushed behind by Kaminski but Luton defended the corner. Luton were still probing and Chong almost played in Woodrow. Everton were conceding far too much of the ball to Luton, who won another corner that almost fell nicely for them before Everton cleared somewhat unconvincingly. Finally Everton got forward and Harrison headed a ball to the far oust back for Calvert-Lewin to leap high but he could only head it straight at Kaminski, really should have scored. Everton applied more pressure but it was cleared. Dyche made subs that switched the formation to 4-4-2, with Beto and Chermiti given 10 minutes to win the game for Everton, who had been poor in the second half. Barkley had a decent strike at Pickford from a distance. Beto then threw himself down after tussling with Osho. Everton only briefly threatened with the new strikeforce before the previous pattern of play resumed with Luton pressing as time ticked away… and 6 minutes added. Woodrow's shot was blocked by Tarkowski, and Chermiti was fouled in midfield, McNeil launching it to win Everton a late corner, Gomes booked for arguing with the ref. At the other end, Mengi shot weakly at Pickford. Gomes tried to build a break but messed up his pass and Luton had one last chance Pickford bating away a header by Berry for a late late corner. Berry tried a clever backward kick. Another Luton corner, cleared by Branthwaite but Chermiti commits a needless foul. In the second phase, a tremendous drive by Townsend that was going in was cleverly deflected behind by Branthwaite, the last and vital kick of a poor game. Luton Town: Kaminski, Osho, Barkley, Morris, Adebayo (80' Townsend), Chong [Y:43'] (87' Berry), Mengi, Burke, Lokonga, Onyedinma (70' Woodrow), Doughty. Subs not Used: Shea, Krul, Mpanzu, Clark, Hashioka, Johnson. Everton: Pickford, Young (67' Coleman), Branthwaite, Tarkowski, Godfrey, Gana [Y:52'] (79' Chermiti), Garner [Y:9'] (55' Onana), Doucoure (55' Gomes [Y:90+3']), McNeil, Harrison, Calvert-Lewin (79' Beto). Subs not Used: Virginia, Keane Danjuma, Dobbin. Michael Kenrick top Match Preview Everton travel to Bedfordshire to face Luton Town for a Friday night kick-off looking to build on a recent record of four wins from five that has vaulted them away from the threat of being relegated to the Championship. It's the first time the Toffees have played at Kenilworth Road since 1991 when a Robert Warzycha goal was enough to earn Howard Kendall's men all three points in what was then Football League Division One, and current boss, Sean Dyche, will be hoping for a similar result. Everton may be free of relegation worries, which is quite the contrast from when this match was moved for live broadcast by Sky Sports in the hope staging a "six-pointer" at the bottom of the Premier League but they will be keen to avoid the unwanted distinction of having been beaten three times by the Hatters in one season. Luton beat Dyche's men at their own set-piece game in the reverse League fixture at the end of September and then dumped them out of the FA Cup in the Fourth Round in late January, and a hat-trick of victories over the Blues would provide them a massive boost in their own hopes of avoiding the drop back to the Championship. Rob Edwards's side come into the game sitting in the relegation zone, a point ahead of Burnley and a point behind Nottingham Forest, with the Clarets hosting Newcastle while the Trees must go to already demoted Sheffield United as they await the verdict from an Appeal Board that could yet change the points situation down at the bottom still further. Luton, who will likely feature former Everton players Ross Barkley and Andros Townsend, look set to be without eight first-teamers, with skipper Tom Lockyer, Marvelous Nakamba, Dan Potts, Chiedozie Ogbene, Issa Kabore, Mars Andersen and Amrai'i Bell all sidelined. For Everton, Beto, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Seamus Coleman all rejoined first-team training this week to vie for a place in Dyche's line-up but James Tarkowski missed training as he and his wife expect the imminent birth of a baby. That could keep the defender from travelling this weekend and provide the opportunity of a rare start for Michael Keane. Beto, meanwhile, has missed the last two games after being knocked unconscious during the 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest and was sidelined by the Premier League's concussion protocol. Calvert-Lewin picked up a knock to his knee in the same game and then came down with a stomach illness but played through the Merseyside derby victory over Liverpool before being rested against Brentford at the weekend while Coleman has recovered from the groin strain he sustained in the defeat at Chelsea in the middle of last month. Like DCL, the Club captain has not had the benefit of a full week's training but should he be available, it will provide Dyche with an additional option at full-back where both Nathan Patterson and Vitalii Mykolenko are both missing after suffering season-ending hamstring and ankle injuries respectively. Kick-off: 8pm, Friday 3 May 2024Referee: Tim RobinsonVAR: David CooteLast Time: Luton Town 0 - 1 Everton (November 1991) Predicted Line-up: Pickford, Godfrey, Keane, Branthwaite, Young, Gueye, Garner, Harrison, McNeil, Doucouré, Beto Lyndon Lloyd top * Unfortunately, we cannot control other sites' content policies and therefore cannot guarantee that links to external reports will remain active.