Soccer Football - Premier League - Luton Town v Crystal Palace - Kenilworth Road, Luton, Britain - November 25, 2023 Luton Town's Teden Mengi scores their first goal Action Images via Reuters/John Sibley
LUTON, England (Reuters) -Jacob Brown scored a first Premier League goal for struggling Luton Town as they secured a precious 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace at Kenilworth Road on Saturday, earning his side a maiden home win of the campaign.
Teden Mengi put the Hatters ahead on 72 minutes but Palace drew level shortly afterwards when Michael Olise scored his first goal since January with a brilliant equaliser.
The visitors looked the more likely to go on and win it, but Brown took advantage of indecision in the Palace defence as Chiedozie Ogbene swung in a cross and prodded the ball into the back of the net.
Luton stay in 17th place with nine points from 13 games, but have opened up a four-point gap with the relegation zone. Palace have lost four of their last five Premier League games and lie in 13th on 15 points.
The home side had to hold on at the end as Palace created numerous chances, with Jefferson Lerma striking the frame of the goal in the 103rd minute with a header he should have buried.
"It's a mad feeling to get my first goal and the main thing was getting that three points. We've earned it," Brown said.
"There's been a few times where we've scored and conceded after. We knew we had to give it our all to hold on at the end.
"As the season has gone on we've got better and better. We're all working hard each week."
A dismal afternoon for Palace was compounded when they lost Eberechi Eze and Cheick Doucoure to injuries early in the second half. Eze walked off, Doucoure left on a stretcher.
Luton went ahead on 72 minutes through Mengi but the lead lasted barely two minutes as Olise picked up the ball on the right wing, cut inside and unleashed a thunderous strike with his left foot.
Palace created several more chances but Brown had the final say with a winner on 83 minutes.
"Obviously it's disappointing. In the first half we weren't up to the level we can be," Palace's Joel Ward said. "We gave ourselves an uphill battle. We did enough in the end to come away with at least a point.
"In the Premier League you always come up against this sort of run. But we know the quality we possess and we'll keep working hard to try to make that right."
(Reporting by Nick Said; Editing by Clare Fallon and Mike Harrison)
