Ethan decided to change the tempo of the game in the 30th minute.
Nottingham Forest's head coach, Billy Davies, had a similar thought. However, he wasn't particularly impressed by Luton's attacking threat. In his view, it was natural for a lower-division side like Luton to adopt a defensive approach against Nottingham Forest. Though he acknowledged their defensive organization, he didn't see it as anything extraordinary.
Ethan, however, had a different plan. He used all three of his available tactical cards for this match.
In addition to a blue game card that increased interception ability by 13%, he also activated two white cards earned after the first round:
White Card: Increases heading ability by 2% (assigned to one player before the game).
White Card: Increases passing ability by 3% (assigned to one player before the game).
Though these boosts seemed minor, every little advantage counted. Ethan assigned the heading boost to Jeffrey, a strong aerial presence, ensuring the team could defend and attack set pieces more effectively. The passing boost went to Kevin Keane, Luton's most precise distributor, helping him deliver even better service.
While adjusting his tactics from the touchline, Ethan noticed Nottingham Forest's assistant manager making a move. Moments later, Billy Davies stepped up to the technical area, motioning for his team to push forward.
Ethan smirked. The opposition had run out of patience.
He quickly signaled his own instructions, and the Luton players responded immediately. Just as Nottingham Forest attempted to push higher up the pitch, the pace of the game shifted dramatically.
Luton had been relatively restrained in their pressing, but now they intensified their defensive aggression. Nottingham Forest's midfielder Radosław Majewski received the ball but was quickly closed down by N'Golo Kanté and Danny Drinkwater, pressing from both sides.
Majewski spotted Drinkwater closing in but failed to notice Kanté's approach from behind. Before he could react, the ball was stolen cleanly.
Rather than holding possession, Kanté immediately offloaded to Drinkwater, who turned with a swift pull-back and played a diagonal pass to Kevin Keane on the right flank.
Keane controlled the ball and sent a precise pass forward. Jamie Vardy had already started his run, accelerating past the defense.
Billy Davies reacted furiously on the sidelines.
Too fast.
Luton's counterattack was blistering.
In just three passes, the ball had traveled from Luton's defensive half to Nottingham Forest's penalty area.
Vardy latched onto the ball on the right side of the box. The Nottingham Forest defenders were already trailing behind.
Chris Gunter, Nottingham Forest's center-back, raised his hand, appealing for offside. He had practically stopped tracking back, convinced the flag would go up.
But the assistant referee kept his flag down, and the referee didn't whistle. The home crowd erupted.
"Vardy is through on goal!!"
At the Luton training ground, Magis shot up from his seat, clutching his radio with both hands.
Nottingham Forest's goalkeeper, Lee Camp, a shot-stopper with Premier League experience, rushed off his line, spreading his arms wide in an attempt to make himself bigger. He was known for his reflexes and composure in one-on-one situations.
Many strikers would panic under such pressure. But not Vardy.
He remained composed, took a touch to push the ball forward, and lined up his shot.
"He's going for it...!" Even commentator John Aston couldn't hide his excitement.
Vardy faked his shot with his right foot, forcing Camp to commit, then calmly shifted the ball and slotted it into the empty net with his left.
"The goal is wide open!!"
The ball rolled effortlessly into the net.
BOOM!
The stadium exploded in celebration.
John Aston punched the air, roaring into Ethan's ear.
"Brilliant!! Absolutely brilliant!! This kid is a natural-born striker!!"
Ethan barely managed to avoid his assistant's ecstatic spit-flying shout.
If only they knew—Vardy would go on to win the Premier League Golden Boot one day.
For now, though, he was the undisputed star of the night. The entire stadium was chanting his name.
In his first official match, Jamie Vardy marked the occasion with a stunning hat-trick. Now, facing a team from the English Football League, Vardy once again delivered, breaking the deadlock for his side!
At this moment, no one dared to ridicule Vardy as just an amateur player—if anything, calling him an amateur now felt like a compliment.
Outside the stadium, Luton fans filled the streets, clad in the home team's signature orange kits. Though they weren't inside the ground, they lived every moment as if they were. When the roar of the stadium echoed through the city, they erupted in unison, chanting:
"Luton! Luton!!!"
Among them, Magis, listening to the radio, leapt to his feet, cheering wildly. As he settled back down, the commentator's voice exploded through the speakers:
"JAMIE VARDY!!!!!! GOOOOOOOOOOOAL!!!!!! He's done it again! It's 2-0!!!"
Inside the stadium, pandemonium erupted.
Luton's second goal had come in quick succession, catching everyone off guard. When Vardy found the net for the second time, commentator Wright-Kinson hesitated. The deafening roar of the crowd and the frenzied celebrations in the stands made the TV cameras shake. He couldn't confirm whether the ball had crossed the line.
But then, he spotted Luton's head coach, Ethan, sprinting out of the dugout in celebration, followed by his jubilant players.
There was no doubt—the goal had been given!
"Unbelievable! Before the 29th minute, Luton seemed content to hold out for a draw and take their chances in a penalty shootout against Nottingham Forest. But in just two blistering minutes, they've struck twice! And it's Vardy again! This incredible striker, discovered in the lower leagues by Luton's Chinese manager, has become the hero of the city! It's simply astonishing! What kind of magic does this coach possess to unearth such a gem from non-league football?"
Of course, Ethan wouldn't tell Wright-Kinson that he possessed knowledge a decade ahead of this timeline.
On the touchline, Ethan clenched his fists and raised his arms in triumph.
His tactics were working—tactics ahead of their time!
"Did you see that, John?!" he roared to his assistant. "Our game plan is flawless! Nottingham Forest can't break us down. Their possession is sterile, and they have no answer! We don't need to dominate the ball—we just need to score goals!"
Even against a Championship-level opponent, Luton had proven they could win.