Apologies for the short delay in bringing you this match report. When we arrived at Luton the press box was already flooded and none of the phone points were working. Sleet and hail then fell directly onto the press area knocking out the laptop with a wireless internet connection just before half-time!
Cheltenham Town secured a vital point at Kenilworth Road with an equaliser nine minutes from time from Steven Gillespie.
Luton had by far the best of the first half and took the lead after 24 minutes but Cheltenham came back well after the break.
They defended strongly with Shane Duff and Richard Keogh in form at the back but it was Gillespie who came up with what might prove a vital goal on a day when relegation rivals Gillingham and Crewe Alexandra both won.
Cheltenham striker Paul Connor, who had been inked in to replace the departed Steve Brooker, reported ill with a stomach bug first thing in the morning so Damian Spencer took on the lone striker role with Ashley Vincent drafted in on the left-hand side of midfield.
The match kicked off in atrocious conditions of hail and sleet and a swirling wind around the Kenilworth Road ground.
Luton adapted well to the conditions in the first half and charged forward on the soaking turf with Cheltenham looking unsure of themselves.
David Bell and Lewis Emanuel both shot just wide in the opening stages and former Swindon Town striker Sam Parkin saw a shot well saved by Shane Higgs.
Higgs then held a shot from Matthew Spring and Cheltenham's only real chance of the first half was an effort from Scott Brown that flew high over the crossbar.
Luton took the lead on 24 minutes when Craig Armstrong lost the ball in the midfield mud and former Swindon Town striker Sam Parkin saw a shot deflected wide off Shane Duff.
Bell delivered the corner from the left and Parkin arrived to rise above the defence and plant an unstoppable header past Higgs.
Cheltenham struggled to get going at all during the first half and they almost fell further behind in the minutes leading up to half-time when a free-kick from Bell was deflected off Armstrong and Higgs touched the ball over the bar at full stretch.
Cheltenham's goalkeeper then dived to parry a shot from Paul McVeigh shortly before the teams went in for the half-time break.
Eight minutes into the second half Gillespie moved up front alongside Spencer to form a 4-4-2 shape and Cheltenham's best chance to date arrived two minutes later.
Spencer was fouled by Spring right on the edge of the box. David Bird curled the free-kick around the defensive wall but Luton goalkeeper Dean Brill, who must have seen it late, pulled off a spectacular save.
Emanuel saw a free-kick deflected wide at the other end but Brill had to make another good save mid-way through the second half, this time charging out to block a Spencer effort after an Alan Wright free-kick had been deflected to him.
Spencer, who has been struggling with a slight knee problem, was withdrawn with 23 minutes to go and replaced by Michael D'Agostino and Cheltenham immediately put together a good passing move that ended with a Jerry Gill long-range shot that flew just wide.
Then, with 17 minutes left, a great chance came and went. Gill and Gillespie combined to send David Bird away down the right. His cross found Vincent two yards out with an open goal but he headed it over the bar. Protests followed that Vincent had been fouled as he jumped for the ball but the referee was unmoved.
Cheltenham had looked stronger as the second half progressed and the three-pronged attack of D'Agostino, Gillespie and Vincent had given the home defence a few problems.
With nine minutes left the equaliser arrived and it was Gillespie, who had been quiet for long periods of the game but always looked capable of coming alive and creating something, who came up with the goal.
Vincent did a lot of the spadework, making ground on the left then slipping a pass beyond the full back to Gillespie, who raced into the box at and angle before rolling a shot beyond the advancing Brill and inside the far post.
With three minutes to go the game was held up when Luton substitute Drew Talbot fell awkwardly after a challenge for the ball and required a stretcher to take him off the pitch. Luton had already used all three subsitutes so they had to see out the remaining time with 10 men.
LUTON TOWN (4-4-2): Brill; Jackson, Keane, Perry, Davis (Andrew 86); McVeigh (O'Leary 81), Spring, Bell, Emanuel; Parkin, Charles (Talbot 69). Subs not used: Hutchison, Currie
CHELTENHAM TOWN (4-5-1): Higgs; Gill, Keogh, Duff, Wright; Gillespie, Bird, S.Brown (Reid 79), Armstrong, Vincent (Lindegaard 84); Spencer (D'Agostino 67). Subs not used: S.P.Brown, Connolly
REFEREE: A.Taylor (Greater Manchester)
ATTENDANCE: 6,087 (235 from Cheltenham)

















