Luton slide into Championship relegation zone despite Preston draw in first game under Bloomfield

Luton Town have slipped into the relegation zone in the Championship after a 0-0 draw with Preston North End in Matt Bloomfield’s first game in charge.

Bloomfield’s first game as Hatters boss after replacing Rob Edwards earlier this week saw Luton look likelier to win a scrappy contest with North End, but they were unable to find a way through in a tight contest.

While the game did at least see Luton end a losing run after defeats in each of their previous four outings, wins elsewhere for Hull, Cardiff and Portsmouth saw all three jump above the Hatters and dump the Bedfordshire club into the relegation zone. They now sit 23rd in the table, though this is on goal difference as they have the same points as Hull and Portsmouth in the two places immediately ahead.

Luton did have a few early chances in Bloomfield’s home debut, with Mark McGuinness shooting wide after the ball fell his way during some penalty box pinball before Jordan Clark had a strike kept out by Preston keeper Freddie Woodman.

In a tight game, neither side created many opportunities, with Preston in particular having issues creating chances as they had just two off-target strikes through the 90 minutes.

Some opportunities had fallen Luton’s way, with Carlton Morris denied by Woodman before the keeper made late stops to deny Clark and Elijah Adebayo.

But the game would ultimately end with no breakthrough, as the two teams ended up sharing the points and no goals.

Luton’s next assignment will be to try and arrest their dismal away form, which has seen them lose their last 10 away Championship games. The Hatters will seek to get a first result other than a defeat on the road since September when they travel to Oxford on Tuesday night.