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Football

Stoke City

vs Luton Town. Sky Bet Championship.

7: 45pm, Tuesday 8th April 2025.

Bet365 Stadium Attendance: Attendance21, 226.

Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Stoke City and Luton Town at the bet365 Stadium on Tuesday night; Millenic Alli scores in stoppage-time to earn a point for relegation-threatened Hatters. Tuesday 8 April 2025 23: 14, UK Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Millenic Alli netted a vital stoppage-time strike as Luton rescued a late point in their fight against the drop in a 1-1 Championship draw against relegation-rivals Stoke. Lewis Baker's free-kick put the hosts on course for three points at the bet365 Stadium, but Hatters substitute Alli struck in the first minute of second-half added time to ensure the spoils were shared. The result ensures Stoke remain 20th and two points above the bottom three, while Luton stay second-bottom and maintain their two-point gap to safety. Mark Robins kept faith with the same Stoke team which picked up a point away to Preston over the weekend, while Hatters boss Matt Bloomfield made one change from the draw against Leeds as Tahith Chong replaced the absent Elijah Adebayo. Isaiah Jones' early penalty appeal was ignored by referee Dean Whitestone, while Mark Mc Guinness was booked after bringing down a breaking Sam Gallagher inside four minutes. Gallagher's header from Baker's corner was claimed by Thomas Kaminski before the referee later turned down Bae Junho's penalty claim after going down under Jones's challenge. Luton had a half-chance to go ahead before 20 minutes from Jordan Clark's corner but Christ Makosso's header looped over Viktor Johansson's goal.

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Gallagher nodded Million Manhoef's cross well off-target, while Thelo Aasgaard's fierce dipping volley from the edge of Stoke's box landed just wide of Johansson's goal five minutes before the break, with the encounter goalless at half-time. Within moments of the second half starting, the already-booked Carlton Morris charged down and appeared to catch Ashley Phillips who went to ground, but referee Dean Whitestone did not dismiss the striker, instead booking Stoke's Junior Tchamadeu for his protestations. Shortly after, Manhoef's low effort was deflected just wide, while Luton substitute Alli's shot was diverted away by Ben Wilmot's intervention as Mc Guinness nodded off-target from the subsequent corner. Johansson claimed Clark's free-kick before the hour mark arrived, while Kaminski's blushes were spared soon after - at the other end - as he slipped and watched Gallagher's low effort trickle harmlessly wide. Kaminski parried Baker's well-struck 67th-minute effort to safety as Stoke survived a goalmouth scramble at the opposite end soon after, involving Phillips heading Alli's goal-bound header clear of danger. But Baker broke the deadlock with a 74th-minute free-kick which took a deflection off Reece Burke in Luton's wall to wrongfoot Kaminski and put the Potters ahead. Johansson was called on to deny Alli's 83rd-minute effort to preserve Stoke's lead after the Hatters man cut inside from the left wing, before fellow substitute Lasse Nordas stabbed wide from a low cross. But substitute Alli struck at the death to clinch a late leveller after controlling the ball in the box and finishing calmly past Johansson to claim a point. Stoke's Mark Robins: "It was really disappointing. It just flattens everything because we've dealt with everything really they've had to throw at us. They've thrown a lot today. "They've made the game really difficult, as you'd expect, you've got to expect that, which we did. "The last two games have been very similar - to be fair - in terms of the way they set up but the ball was in the air a lot more today, which isn't ideal but you've got to deal with it and we did that pretty well until the last bit. "He should never be able to get any space, it's a slither of space and he should never be able to get it into the near post. "I had to look twice, I couldn't believe it was in the back of the net. I'm really disappointed but emotions out of it, we've got to take the point and make it into a better one on Saturday. " Luton's Matt Bloomfield: "We hope it's a big one. I think away from home you've always got to respect a point. "Stoke have been in good form at home and a real tough opponent and you find yourself 1-0 down with not long left, we have to be really pleased with a point. "It's the least we deserved, so to find that moment late on, if you're going to draw you'd rather come back and equalise late rather than concede, so hopefully that's a big moment for us. "I thought we were excellent. I think that's the best away performance in my time as manager at Luton Town. The first half was very even, but second half, I thought we were the better team. "It was a bit deflating to go behind to a deflected free-kick. "I think (goalkeeper) Thomas (Kaminski) gets it if it doesn't get deflected and then you're thinking the worst. But it felt like we were in the ascendancy so to find that moment for Milly at the end, I'm really pleased. " The £250, 000 is up for grabs with Super 6, and as always it is completely free to play. Entries by 3pm Saturday.

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