Wilshere sent off as Luton Town fall to Stevenage defeat

Jack Wilshere watched from the dressing room as Luton Town suffered a frustrating 2-1 defeat away to Stevenage on Thursday night.

The Luton manager was sent off after just 23 minutes following a furious reaction to the opening goal, leaving him unable to influence the remainder of a game that would ultimately be decided by two controversial incidents.

Stevenage broke the deadlock when Dan Kemp raced onto a loose ball before producing a composed finish beyond Josh Keeley.

But the goal immediately sparked anger on the Luton bench.

The visitors believed Liam Walsh had been fouled by Dan Phillips during the build-up and were furious when referee Andrew Humphries allowed play to continue.

Wilshere’s reaction was deemed unacceptable by the official, who showed the Luton boss a red card and forced him to watch the remainder of the contest away from the technical area.

The tension did not disappear with Wilshere’s departure.

Both sides picked up bookings as the match became increasingly heated, while another strange moment almost produced further drama when Lewis Freestone’s long clearance sailed over the Luton defence.

Keeley had advanced from his area, only for the ball to bounce over him.

Kemp appeared to have another opportunity after getting in behind, but he ended up on the ground before he could get his shot away. This time, the referee decided there had been no push.

Luton went into the second half needing a response, but their hopes of rescuing the game suffered another blow after 70 minutes.

Ben Broggio broke forward before sending a dangerous cross into the area, where Josh Magennis bundled the ball home from close range to double Stevenage’s advantage.

Luton managed to respond quickly.

Five minutes later, Kasey Palmer’s effort took a deflection off Mads Andersen and found the net, giving the visitors a lifeline.

But Stevenage refused to buckle.

Their defence stood firm during the closing stages, denying Luton the openings they needed to complete a comeback.

After the final whistle, Luton assistant manager Chris Powell made it clear that frustration over the officiating was at the heart of the visitors’ disappointment.

“When you come to Stevenage, you have to be prepared to stand up to them and I felt we did that, but obviously the game turned on a couple of incidents that really, at any level, shouldn’t happen,” he said.

“That’s not sour grapes, that’s just me talking on behalf of everyone connected with Luton Town, but the game was decided by a couple of incidents that should have been dealt with a bit better by the officials.

“The stadium kind of stopped, everyone’s expecting a free-kick for us. Of course, you shouldn’t stop, but the way it happened, we were just waiting for the whistle to blow but it didn’t happen.

“Fair enough, it’s a good strike by Dan Kemp but it shouldn’t have got to that.”

Powell was equally unhappy with Stevenage’s second goal, believing Magennis had been in an offside position.

“Then the second goal, we felt that it was offside and so it was proved when we saw it. You’re just hoping that the officials see these and make good decisions because that’s why they’re there and we need them.

“I felt we were in the ascendancy, we were the side that looked to be a bit better in the final third, but the game is done on two decisions, which is hard to take.”

For Luton, it was a night where frustration over key decisions overshadowed their efforts on the pitch.

Wilshere’s early dismissal left his team without their manager on the touchline, while Stevenage capitalised on the moments that mattered.

The visitors did find a way back into the contest through Palmer, but they could not find the equaliser.

Stevenage held on for a 2-1 victory, leaving Luton to reflect on a game Powell believes was ultimately decided by two contentious decisions.