Football: Saviour Steve

STEVE ADAMS struck deep into stoppage time to earn leaders Plymouth a dramatic point against 10-man Luton.

Chris Coyne's first-half strike looked to have sent Argyle slipping to their first defeat since Paul Sturrock's departure, but Adams capped a spirited second-half fightback with a stunning 93rd- minute equaliser.

Plymouth caretaker boss Kevin Summerfield handed a start to Nathan Lowndes after the striker scored within 10 minutes of climbing off the bench against Peterborough in midweek, with Marino Keith making way.

Opposite number Mike Newell brought in Alan Neilsen for his first start since November in place of the suspended Sol Davis.

Luton could have taken the lead with just two minutes on the clock.

Having forced a corner down Plymouth's left, Steve Robinson swung the ball in and Steve Howard outjumped his marker - only to see his header sail over the crossbar.

Both sides spent much of the first half getting used to the blustery conditions, although Micky Evans tried to use the swirling wind to his advantage when he tested Morten Hyldgaard in the Luton goal from all of 30 yards.

Plymouth should have forged ahead on the half-hour mark when the overlapping Paul Connolly got behind the Luton defence and centred for David Friio.

Unfortunately for the away side, the 13-goal Frenchman headed wide from close range.

Lowndes was the next to try his luck, but drew a point-blank save from Hyldgaard before the Danish keeper kept out a David Norris snap- shot. And Plymouth were regretting their wastefulness in front of goal three minutes before the interval when Town took the lead against the run of play.

Adams gave away a free-kick down the Plymouth right and Robinson sent over a pinpoint cross which Coyne headed past helpless goalkeeper Luke McCormick.

Shell-shocked Plymouth almost gave away a second shortly afterwards, when Paul Hughes skipped through, but his effort was turned around the post by McCormick.

The second half started badly for the hosts as Kevin Nicholls was dismissed for violent conduct after a clash with Lowndes.

Goalscorer Coyne was sacrificed for defender Curtis Davies as Newell attempted to stem the inevitable Argyle onslaught, while Summerfield threw on another attacker in Martin Phillips.

Peter Gilbert squandered an excellent chance to level on the hour- mark, when he skewed wide from a tight angle following Paul Wotton's far-post corner.

Summerfield's final throw of the dice was to make a double substitution, sending on Marino Keith and Blair Sturrock in place of Lowndes and Evans.

Keith was soon in the thick of the action, sending a close-range header just wide, and Phillips fired over the top before Adams headed Connolly's cross the wrong side of Hyldgaard's upright.

However, the defender got it right when a Wotton cross came over and he headed past Hyldgaard to rescue a point.

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