How many more decisions will Vincent Kompany be able to take? It’s another one that has gone against Burnley. Unbelievably, really.
In the 92nd minute here, Clarets keeper James Trafford was impeded by Elijah Adebayo when coming for a cross. If Trafford had collected it, Burnley would probably have seen out a fourth victory of the season.
Instead, Adebayo knocked him out of the way. Substitute Carlton Morris calmly headed in the equalizer and Turf Moor was again feeling that sense of foreboding, that unjust treatment. VAR looked but agreed with referee Tony Harrington that there was no infringement on Burnley’s No 1.
Kompany must be despairing. Burnley have not done themselves many favours on this return to the Premier League but they are getting no help either. A win into a draw has huge ramifications on their relegation problems.
Not that Luton’s Jordan Clark will care one jot. He turned 30 a few months ago and his path is one trodden by only a few. Down into non-league with Hyde United, through each division via Accrington Stanley and latterly the Hatters.
Gudmundsson made a nuisance of himself, blocking the goalkeeper, and the effort trundled over the line, with nobody quite sure who to credit the goal to.
At this point, with only Sheffield United having scored fewer goals than his team this season, Kompany won’t care.
David Datro Fofana, the Chelsea striker whose loan at Union Berlin was cut short this month with just one goal to his name, sat in the stands ready to complete his temporary switch over the weekend. But given his record, it is perhaps unfair to expect Fofana to fire the Clarets away from relegation alone.
They need others chipping in more regularly and that is going to need to change quickly. Luton, though, will not have believed how this was panning out.
Ross Barkley had run proceedings, yet more evidence of his renaissance under Rob Edwards. Trafford kept him out once, while Josh Cullen twice charged down the former England international’s efforts.
Either one of Cullen or Josh Brownhill had to engage Barkley higher up the pitch or Amdouni dropped off the front to cut supply because Burnley had no answer. Kompany pushed Brownhill slightly further forward and Luton wasn’t quite as slick.
Odobert was at it again later, jinking inside Chiedozie Ogbene before his deflected shot sent Kaminski scrambling to palm wide, while Lyle Foster went close. Then Luton chucked a cross in, Trafford was barged over and Morris helped himself.