Lee desperate to get his chance with Luton

The 22-year-old has played just 31 minutes of league football for the Hatters since arriving for his second spell in the summer.

However, he has started both Checkatrade Trophy ties and netted a delightful strike, coupled with being named as man of the match during the 1-1 draw in midweek.

Speaking afterwards, Lee said: “I’m always looking to impress the gaffer. I’ve had a few chats with him and he’s told me to be patient as I missed a year of football last year.

“So my sharpness is still coming back and it will come when I get in the team and start playing week in week out, I know it will.

“I can only keep doing what I’m doing, scoring goals and hopefully get my chance.”

On what has been discussed in his meetings with Jones, Lee continued: “He keeps telling me to be patient and to be fair the team are playing well.

“Hylts (Danny Hylton) is scoring goals, Collo’s (James Collins) scoring goals, so I can only be patient and wait for my chance and when it comes I’ll take it.

“The competition is healthy for the team and I’ll keep pushing them as I know when I get my chance, I’ll take it.”

Lee has missed a few weeks with various niggles and he feels it is down to such a long period of inactivity at Barnsley last year.

He said: “As a footballer you need to playing, especially with my body.

“I know my body well enough now, I need to be playing week in week out and keeping my fitness.

“We had a reserve game last week and I picked up a little calf niggle that put me out for a week, so little things like that don’t help, but I’m feeling good and I’m ready to play.

“I’m happy with my performance tonight, and it’s really good to be out there with the boys playing football as that’s all I want to do.

“I’d like to think I put something in the gaffers mind and hopefully I’ll get my chance.”

Lee’s goal when it came was a superb strike too, as he had been denied by the woodwork a few minutes prior to netting his second goal of the campaign.

He said: “It just opened up. I think there was a little mistake from one of their players, and I’d just hit one before and it hit the post.

“So I thought I’d cut in and do the same again, and fortunately it went in.”

It looked like Lee had won it in the final moments too, only to be denied by a fine stop from Craig Ross, as he said: “I thought it was in.

“Cookie put me and I thought I’d put it in the bottom corner, but it was a great save from the keeper to be fair.”

On his striker’s display, boss Jones said: “Anywhere in and around the box he’s a real threat, that’s why he’s been brought here for.

“He was unlucky late on as the keeper made a fantastic save, he did everything right, showed good pace, good energy, got in behind and kept his shot low.

“It’s pleasing for him, he’ll be sharper for it, we didn’t envisage him doing 90 minutes, but he felt good so I’m pleased with that.”

Meanwhile, keeper James Shea added: “It was a good goal, he almost scored an absolute worldie before it as well.

“He looked impressive, he looked a threat all night to be fair to El and we could have won the game in normal time.

“Their keeper has made three or four good saves to keep them in the game, but thankfully we got the win on pens in the end.”