Morrison's earlier shot had clearly boosted the confidence of Coventry's striker.
Their head coach was being too cautious, at least, that's what Morrison thought. He didn't agree with Coleman's conservative approach.
If it was that easy to create a scoring opportunity, then surely the quality of this team was only at a second-tier level! Morrison chose to ignore Coleman's shouting from the sideline.
Once we score, Coleman will realize he's been wrong all along!
Morrison moved laterally to the top of the penalty area, and at this point, Henderson had the ball.
Wanting to connect with Morrison, his close friend and a stronger option than the other striker, Henderson looked for a way to pass to him.
On the sideline, Gao Bo straightened his posture, leaning forward to get a better look at the field.
His eyes locked on the gaping hole in Coventry's midfield. Vardy had already reached the center circle, and there was not a single Coventry player within ten meters of him!
If we can steal the ball here...
Gao Bo glanced back toward his own half.
At that moment, Henderson passed the ball to Coventry's other striker, L-Best, then ran into space and received the return pass.
This time, Henderson tucked the ball toward Morrison.
Kanté!!
Gao Bo's fist clenched slightly...
Just before Morrison could receive the pass, Kanté was already there. In fact, he'd been lying in wait for that exact moment.
He hadn't dared to get too close earlier, cautious not to startle the "skittish cat." But now that Henderson's pass had gone out, there was no turning back!
Kanté sprang forward to challenge Morrison. Henderson, realizing the danger, shouted to warn him, but it was already too late.
Before Morrison could react, Kanté had snuck in from the front and intercepted the pass!
Henderson knew this was mostly his fault, so he gritted his teeth and rushed forward, trying to win the ball back.
But Kanté didn't give him a chance. He had already mapped out the passing lanes in his mind before making the challenge.
He intercepted cleanly and sent a precise through ball with his right foot straight to Vardy!
Vardy was now exactly where Henderson had been defending. And with Henderson fully committed forward, Vardy now had a clean run directly at the back line!
Coventry's center-back, Dann, stepped up to cover Henderson's space but didn't dare to lunge, if Vardy got past him, the entire backline would collapse. So Dann held his ground, waiting for reinforcements.
Coventry's other midfielder, Eastwood, had been positioned wide and was still making his way back into the center. He wouldn't make it in time.
On both flanks, Luton's wingers, Kevin Keane on the right and Lewis Emanuel on the left, had surged forward at full speed. Behind them, Drinkwater and Kanté also advanced, drawing Coventry's midfielders away.
"Luton's counterattack!!!" Letkinson exclaimed in shock!
The tempo on the field changed in an instant. From the earlier slow, cautious play, the game now exploded into a full-speed assault!
Lewis Emanuel, Vardy, Drinkwater, and Kevin Keane surged forward in a four-pronged charge toward Coventry's box. Right behind them, Kanté and Hassan Ali followed up. Even Luton's defenders were beginning to push higher.
From defense to offense, it all happened in the blink of an eye!
Their defense was solid as steel.
Their offense, like a wildfire!
Gao Bo's eyes gleamed with anticipation. This is it... this ball...
Vardy didn't hold onto the ball for long. Drinkwater crossed paths with him, and just as they switched lanes, Vardy passed the ball to Drinkwater and darted into the penalty area, dragging a central defender with him.
That move freed Drinkwater from his marker. With Vardy drawing away Coventry's attention, the midfielders slowed slightly to avoid colliding with him. Now Drinkwater surged down the left side with space.
Coventry's right-back, White, had no choice but to abandon Lewis Emanuel and close in on Drinkwater, who had possession. After all, the player with the ball posed the greater threat.
But in doing so, he left the wing completely exposed.
Drinkwater saw the opening and sent a sharp pass wide to the left, Lewis Emanuel raced onto it and cut into the box!
The Coventry fans groaned and shifted nervously in their seats. The tension in the stands was palpable.
"Luton four versus four!!" Letkinson shouted, now standing in the commentary booth.
Coventry's backline was thrown into chaos. While they had looked decent during the deadlock, the moment they faced this rapid transition, their individual weaknesses began to show.
Two defenders, center-back Dann and right-back White, closed down Lewis Emanuel. That pulled Coventry's entire backline toward the near post!
Inside the box, Vardy and Kevin Keane charged in. Coventry's other center-back, Turner, and left-back Hall followed them tightly.
A gap had opened up in the penalty area!
Gao Bo nearly shouted.
Lewis Emanuel spotted the crowd collapsing toward the near post and quickly pulled the ball back, a perfect cut-back pass to the top of the penalty area!
Drinkwater had arrived unmarked!
"Drinkwater!!!!" Letkinson's voice echoed in excitement.
Without hesitation, Drinkwater swung his right foot and fired a low shot!
The ball skidded across the grass, curving low toward the far corner!
The Coventry keeper, Westwood, dove desperately and managed to get his fingertips to the ball, but it wasn't enough!
The ball kissed the inside of the post... and spun into the back of the net!
"GOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAL!!!! What a stunning strike!! A perfect counterattack!!!" Letkinson's voice roared through the stadium speakers.
Gao Bo leaped to his feet, clenching his fists and roaring out loud, unable to hold back his joy!
On the pitch, Drinkwater took off in celebration. The Luton bench was close to Coventry's goal, and he sprinted straight toward it, diving into Gao Bo's arms!
"Beautiful, Danny!!!" Gao Bo shouted as he ruffled Drinkwater's hair.
The rest of the team rushed over, swarming around Gao Bo and Drinkwater in a group hug.
"It's the 26th minute," Letkinson said excitedly. "After twenty minutes of slow play, Luton suddenly flipped the switch! A blazing counterattack! Coventry's defense couldn't keep up! Absolutely clinical!!"
The players quickly returned to the pitch after celebrating.
Gao Bo straightened his wrinkled black suit, then calmly took a seat again.
Luton had taken the lead. Now, Gao Bo could confidently return to his defensive counterattack strategy. And Coventry, trailing, no longer had the luxury of playing safe.
Gao Bo glanced across at Coleman's bench, the pride on his face impossible to hide.
Now, the ball was in Coleman's court.
And Gao Bo's focus returned to the pitch.