Chris Powell Calls for VAR After Luton Town's Defeat to Stevenage
Chris Powell says Luton Town’s bruising defeat at Stevenage should be “a case for VAR” – a League One flashpoint that has left their coaching staff furious and their manager banned from the dugout.
Jack Wilshere was sent off in the 2-1 loss at Broadhall Way after exploding in anger at Stevenage’s opener, convinced Liam Walsh had been fouled in the build-up before Dan Kemp swept the hosts in front.
The incident lit the fuse on a bad-tempered afternoon.
A case for VAR
Luton’s assistant manager Powell did not hide his frustration at the two key decisions that went against the Hatters, arguing that technology is now needed in the third tier.
“I get it, referees have a tough job. But surely there is an argument for VAR at this level,” he said. “It can cost teams points, it can cost people jobs.”
Powell felt the first goal should never have stood, pointing to what he called a “blatant” foul by Stevenage midfielder Dan Phillips on Walsh before Kemp struck.
“Everyone in the stadium is expecting the referee to blow, I know you shouldn’t stop,” he told BBC Three Counties Radio. “But it’s quite clear what happened, the replays just confirmed what we saw.”
Luton’s sense of injustice deepened when Josh Magennis made it 2-0. Powell described that second Stevenage goal as a “clear offside”, the kind of call he believes VAR would have corrected in seconds.
“They’ve scored two goals and won a game when actually they’ve had a helping hand,” he said.
Luton rally, Stevenage climb
To their credit, Luton did not fold. Kasey Palmer dragged them back into the contest when his effort deflected in off Mads Andersen, giving the travelling support a lifeline and shifting the momentum.
Alex Revell’s Stevenage, though, held their nerve. They dug in, protected their lead and saw the game out to climb to fourth in the early League One standings.
For Luton, the numbers tell a mixed story. Two wins, two draws, two defeats from their opening six league games leaves them eighth – solid, but hardly spectacular for a club with ambitions of pushing higher.
Tough to take – and Wilshere banned
Powell struck a measured tone on the officials, even as he laid bare his disappointment.
“It’s tough for officials, I get that. They get a split second, we have the advantage of seeing it again – they don’t,” he said. “But you just hope that the way they work, there are four of them, with the assessor, that they make these decisions. It’s just a tough one to take.”
The consequences extend beyond a single afternoon. Wilshere’s red card means the Luton boss will be banned from the touchline for their next League One fixture, at home to Bradford City on 19 September.
A contentious defeat, a manager in the stands, and a simmering argument over VAR in the lower leagues – Luton’s response against Bradford will say plenty about where this season is really heading.
