Kodua completes Luton comeback in 4-3 League One win over Reading

Gideon Kodua scored in the sixth minute of added time to give Luton Town a 4-3 victory over Reading in their League One opener. The English-Ghanaian midfielder’s late finish completed a remarkable recovery after Luton had trailed 3-1 at half-time.

Luton took the lead through Jake Richards after six minutes, but Reading responded almost immediately. Jack Marriott equalised in the eighth minute before adding two more goals in the 31st and 38th minutes. His first-half hat-trick put Reading in control at the interval.

Luton’s response came soon after the restart. Kasey Palmer scored in the 50th minute and struck again two minutes later, bringing the hosts level at 3-3. The two goals changed the direction of the game and left the visitors facing sustained pressure.

Kodua came on in the 81st minute, replacing Palmer, and had the decisive touch late in the contest. Richards created the opening, allowing Kodua to meet the chance from close range. The midfielder’s right-footed effort went into the bottom-right corner to complete the turnaround.

The result gives Luton three points from their first League One fixture and makes their opening-day comeback the defining feature of the match. Reading, meanwhile, leave the contest empty-handed after surrendering a two-goal half-time advantage.

For Kodua, the goal marked a decisive contribution after entering the game with only nine minutes of normal time remaining. His finish secured Luton’s 4-3 win and capped a contest in which the home side overturned Reading’s early control.