IF revenge is a dish best served cold then Luton Town will have enjoyed their snowed-off Saturday lunchtime rematch with play-off semi-final conquerors York City.

Having been pelted with coins on their last visit to Kenilworth Road, the Minstermen faithful were left feeling short-changed on their return to Bedfordshire after the game’s inevitable abandonment in the 56th minute.

Showing a flagrant disregard for City supporters, Luton and referee Andy Hendley ignored police advice to stay off the roads and advance weather warnings, choosing instead to try to defy the elements and stage a Blue Square Bet Premier clash, despite the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea postponing their fixtures – the latter with more than 24 hours notice.

After dragging themselves out of their beds early on Saturday morning for a noon kick off, made necessary by the Hatters’ ungracious reaction to defeat back in May, fans of the Bootham Crescent club will have been lucky to have got back home for midnight due to gridlock on the M1.

All in all, ridiculous and irresponsible – but do not hold your breath for a meaningful FA inquiry.

Despite the conditions, the game itself saw both sides resist the temptation to play percentages, eliminate risk and go direct but, having avoided defeat in four meetings with the Hatters last season, City again looked to have the measure of their hosts before the weather intervened.

In just over four-and-a-half matches, free-scoring Luton have now netted just once against the Minstermen and Michael Ingham did not have a save to make on Saturday, even if Andy Drury did rattle his crossbar with a free-kick moments before the game was called off.

At the other end of the pitch, Michael Rankine and Ashley Chambers showed more determination than their attacking Luton counterparts, whose front four looked disinterested other than lively left-winger Amari Morgan-Smith.

The visitors also bossed possession for long periods with one particular spell of keep ball leading to a restless reaction from the home crowd.

Luton fans had earlier taunted the 200 travelling supporters with chants of “On the pitch” and “We want our money back” in reference to last season’s unsavoury scenes.

Regrettably, the opportunity to respond with “2-0 in your Cup final” was missed but, maybe, it was best not to rise to the bait.

City’s players did their talking on the pitch with recalled midfielder Jonathan Smith forcing a tenth-minute save from 25 yards. After Morgan-Smith and Drury both shot well wide from distance, Rankine then called home ’keeper Mark Tyler into another save with an edge-of-the-area effort that skidded off the surface and was parried out.

Chambers also curled wide after exchanging passes with James Meredith before Daniel Parslow survived a penalty scare when he appeared to clip Drury’s heels in the box.

The rest of the half belonged to City with Neil Barrett shooting wide after the ball fell to his feet on the edge of the penalty area and Rankine heading over having been picked out in the six-yard box by Chambers’ excellent left-wing cross.

Luton boss Richard Money paid City the compliment of changing tactics to mirror the visitors’ formation for the second half, withdrawing striker Danny Crow and bringing on an extra midfielder in Godfrey Poku to try to compete better in the middle of the park.

As the weather rapidly deteriorated though, there was only time for Drury to hit the bar with Ingham probably blinded by the snow and beaten.

Seconds later, City midfielder Robbie Weir limped away from a challenge after the unpredictable surface caused him to overrun the ball and, on that note, referee Hendley decided he had seen enough.

Match facts

York City: Michael Ingham 7, Daniel Parslow 7, David McGurk 8, Chris Smith 8, Chris Carruthers 7, Robbie Weir 7, Neil Barrett 8, Jonathan Smith 7, Ashley Chambers 8, Michael Rankine 8, James Meredith 8.

Substitutions: None.

Not used: Djoumin Sangare, Jamal Fyfield, David McDermott, Leon Constantine, Andre Boucaud.

Key: 10 – Faultless; 9 – Outstanding; 8 – Excellent; 7 – Good; 6 – Average; 5 – Below par; 4 – Poor; 3 – Dud; 2 – Hopeless; 1 – Retire.

City’s star man: Rankine – a real handful for the home defence and looked like the game’s most likely marksman.

Luton: Mark Tyler, Ed Asafu-Adjaye, George Pilkington, Zdenek Kroca, Jake Howells, Claude Gnakpa, Keith Keane, Andy Drury, Amari Morgan-Smith, Matthew Barnes-Homer, Danny Crow (Godfrey Poku, 46).

Subs not used: Craig Hinton, Jason Walker, Alex Lacey, Dan Walker.

Booked: None.

Shots on target: Luton 1, York 2.

Shots off target: Luton 2, York 3.

Corners: Luton 3, York 3.

Fouls conceded: Luton 6, York 8.

Offsides: Luton 0, York 2.

Referee: Andy Hendley (Halesowen). Rating: sensible during the game but his decision to pass a 10am pitch inspection should come under scrutiny considering the forecast.

Attendance: 6,125 (201 away fans).

Shot of the match: Rankine’s skidding shot that warmed Tyler’s hands.

Move of the match: It did not lead to a chance but the first-half spell of keep ball saw a normally partisan home crowd turn on their team.


Head to head - David McGurk v Matthew Barnes-Homer

The City defender will not have put off his suitors at Kenilworth Road with another commanding display at the heart of the visitors’ defence. Luton’s 11-goal top scorer Barnes-Homer did not get a sniff of goal. McGurk also won all his aerial battles with the former Kidderminster striker.