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VENUE Kenilworth Road ATTENDANCE 7,500 REFEREE UnKnown MATCH DATE 23 July 2004 KICK OFF TIME 19:45

LUTON TOWN Marlon Beresford   Dino Seremet 75   Kevin Foley   Alan Neilson   Curtis Davies 45   Chris Coyne   David Bayliss 64   Sol Davis   Courtney Pitt 59   Keith Keane   Lee Mansell 45   Steve Robinson   Paul Hughes 45   Kevin Nicholls   Michael Leary 64   Paul Underwood   Ian Hillier 81   Steve Howard   Steven O'Leary 81   Enoch Showunmi   Ahmet Brkovic 73   SUBS NOT USED

AJAX AMSTERDAM Bogdan Lobont   Nigel de Jong   Johnny Heitinga   Daniel de Ridder 45   Julien Escudé   Maxwell   Tom de Mul   Steven Pienaar   Wesley Sneijder 45   Anthony Obodai   Rafael van der Vaart   Zlatan Ibrahimovic 45   Tom Soetaers   Nicolae Mitea 75   Wesley Sonck   SUBS NOT USED Victor Sikora   Yannis Anastasiou   Maarten Stekelenburg

Match Report	23 July 2004
Luton Town 0 - 4 Ajax Amsterdam

LUTON TOWN 0 N/A  AJAX AMSTERDAM 4 Steven Pienaar '9 Wesley Sonck '39, '71 Maxwell '45

DUTCH CLASS TELLS AS AJAX EASE TO LUTON WIN...

Luton Town were beaten 0-4 by Ajax Amsterdam at Kenilworth Road in a pre-season friendly between the Hatters and the Dutch giants.

Ajax included their Euro 2004 stars – Dutch duo Johnny Heitinga and Rafael van der Vaart and Sweden's Zlatan Ibrahimovic – as well as Belgian international's Wesley Sonck and Tom Soetaers and South African international Steven Pienaar.

Roenald Koeman's side outplayed the Hatters throughout the match, as would be expected, in front of a crowd of 7,543 at Kenilworth Road.

Luton Town lined up with Marlon Beresford in goal and a back four of Kevin Foley, Alan Neilson, Chris Coyne and Sol Davis. Keith Keane, Kevin Nicholls, Steve Robinson and Paul Underwood made up the midfield and Steve Howard was partnered in attack by Enoch Showunmi. Amongst the substitutes were trialists Avun Jephcott and Courtney Pitt, and new signing, Slovenian goalkeeper Dino Seremet.

The Dutch champions blew away Mike Newell's side with their slick passing and movement and a brace from striker Wesley Sonck and goals from South African Steven Pienaar and Brazilian Maxwell gave Ronald Koeman's side the win.

Ajax fielded a strong side and had the Hatters chasing shadows from the off with Dutch international Rafael van der Vaart outstanding behind front man Sonck and Tom Soetaers and Tom de Mul looking lively on the flanks.

The visitors took the lead in the ninth minute when Soeters raided down the left and from his cross, Sonck miss-kicked, but Pienaar made no mistake from seven-yards.

Ajax dictated the play before Sonck made it two in the 40th minute as he smashed home de Mul's right-wing cross on the half-volley from eight-yards out.

"In first-half injury-time, Van der Vaart fed Maxwell and the full-back took his time to turn Neilson inside out before firing home"

In first-half injury-time, Van der Vaart fed Maxwell and the full-back took his time to turn Neilson inside out before firing home low from the edge of the area past Marlon Beresford.

"Substitute Swedish international Zlatan Ibrahimovic played in Sonck who sent a left-foot shot screaming into the top corner from 20-yards"

The Hatters stepped up the tempo in the second period as Ajax sat back. But the Dutch side made it four when substitute Swedish international Zlatan Ibrahimovic played in Sonck who sent a left-foot shot screaming into the top corner from 20-yards.

Another substitute, Nicolae Mitea, hit the post in the 78th minute before Luton Town pressed in the dying stages with full-back Kevin Foley – the only Luton player to stay on the field for the entire 90 minutes – saw his left-foot shot superbly pushed aside by goalkeeper Bogdan Lobont when a consolation goal had seemed on the cards.

Newell's Comments	23 July 2004
Luton Town 0-4 Ajax Amsterdam "It was nice to watch. It is nice to watch anyone who is at the top of their tree do what they do best, but it was more of a fitness exercise for us. We weren't expecting miracles out there. The young lads and the old ones will all have got something from that game. They are an example of what you can achieve, they have talent but they all work hard for each other when they haven't got the ball and when they have got the ball. "I am not disappointed. The lads had a go and they created some chances through decent football, not through Ajax making mistakes. Once we got the ball I thought we passed our way through. If we can take anything from the game it is a nice fitness exercise and it is good for the supporters to see a top European team. "No-one likes to get beaten, but when you go from Rugby, St. Albans and Hitchin to this, it is a big jump. "We play Falkirk during the week and that will be more of a level test for us. Then we have Charlton and they are a decent side but we'll be a little bit fitter by this time next week and it will be a competitive game."

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