Exciting times! In the final of the Premier League promotion play-offs, Luton and Govanelli fought a 120-minute tug-of-war, with the score remaining at 1-1. In a nail-biting penalty shoot-out, Luton won a thrilling 6-5 victory and claimed the final ticket to the Premier League. This team, which used to play only in the regional league, has made a leap in just ten years, and midfielder Ruddock has become the first player in the history of English soccer to make four consecutive jumps, composing a piece of myth in the football world.
Despite suffering a setback in last season's promotion play-off quarter-finals, Luton dominated this game. However, in the 12th minute of the match, captain Lockyer suddenly fainted without any physical contact and was rushed to the hospital for treatment. 23 minutes in, Jordan Chille broke the deadlock for Luton, and in the second half, Ko Ung Dee stepped up their attacking efforts, and in the 66th minute, Gustavo Hammonds leveled the scores with a quick counter-attack. In the end, the match was decided by a penalty shootout, with Luton hitting all their shots, while Coventry's Dabo missed in the 6th round, allowing Luton to make a dramatic promotion to the Premier League.
Luton had dropped into the Regional League in the 08/09 season after being docked 30 points for financial woes, but quickly rose to the top, winning the title with 101 points in 2014 to be promoted to League Two, then moving up a level to League One in 2018 and storming into the Championship the following year. After last year's play-off exit, Luton have finally achieved their long-held dream of promotion to the Premier League, having last featured in England's top flight back in 1992, before the Premier League was formed.
Ruddock, 29, has witnessed Luton's fairytale journey throughout, joining the team 10 years ago and experiencing a magnificent run of four promotions to become the first player in English soccer history to go from the regional league all the way to the Premier League. After the match, the star from the Democratic Republic of Congo joked: "I've accomplished all my footballing missions and I feel ready to retire! It's been a journey full of ups and downs, but I've always believed in myself and now I'm a Premier League player!"
