Bloomfield felt fury of Luton's fans following relegation was 'totally understandable'

Luton boss Matt Bloomfield felt the reaction of Town’s furious travelling fans to witnessing a second successive relegation at West Bromwich Albion on Saturday was ‘totally understandable’.

Just over 2,500 Hatters supporters had made the trip to the Hawthorns in the hopes of seeing the visitors secure the victory that would have ensured their place in the second tier for another year. A draw or defeat might have been enough too, but those aims took a blow early on when Tom Fellows put the hosts in front, beating Thomas Kaminski at his near post. Milli Alli levelled straight away to make it 1-1, before news filtered through that relegation rivals Preston were winning at Bristol City, with Hull taking the lead at Portsmouth, results that dropped the Hatters back into the bottom three.

Town’s future began to look bleak when some shambolic defending saw Daryl Dike rise unchallenged to head in from close range, with the back-line then parting to allow Fellows to race clean through and make it 3-1 just after the half hour mark. With the Baggies dominating and Luton’s players showing no real appetite for the battle in front of them, the mood in what had been a previously boisterous away end prior to kick-off darkened, the visitors’ jeered before the break and again when the half time whistle went.

Early in the second period, news came through from Fratton Park that the hosts had equalised, meaning another goal for Pompey and Luton could climb above the dotted line once more. Attention then turned fully to the south coast when Town shipped a fourth and fifth, putting the result beyond doubt in the West Midlands, defender Teden Mengi also receiving a negative response when substituted with six minutes left, potentially seeing a sour end to his time with the Hatters.

Even though Town had pulled one back by then through Jordan Clark, Alli also on target in the closing stages, they couldn’t get to the 5-5 scoreline they needed to stay up, which saw further boos at the full time whistle from a number of disgusted supporters in the away end who were experiencing a second successive relegation, Luton dropping out of the top flight last term.

As the Hatters players and management staff trudged over to applaud their fans for what has been a woeful campaign, they were met with a torrent of abuse, along with chants of ‘you’re not fit to wear the shirt.” Asked about it afterwards, Bloomfield, who had started to gain some goodwill when appearing to turn things around with three straight wins, and six victories from 11, said: “It’s totally understandable. The frustration, the disappointment and the anger is totally understandable as we needed a big performance and we didn’t deliver one. We have to understand that there’s going to be a reaction off the back of it. We’ve done so well to drag ourselves back into this position and to fall at the final hurdle is particularly painful for everybody involved.

"I totally understand the disappointment and the anger right now as to live through two relegations is a particularly painful experience and I totally understand their frustrations. We need to make sure we’re better. The message is we apologise for the performance, we’re sorry for the situation they’re having to live through right now and the disappointment, but the message is that we’ll come back fighting.”

Striker Carlton Morris, who had to go off at half time due to a back injury, was also gutted for the club’s followers, who will now have to gear up for League One once more, adding: “I don’t know what else you’d expect really. They’re not going to be singing out names and clapping us off the pitch after what has happened and I’m heartbroken for the fans, I’m heartbroken for the players as well, it means a lot to the lads, but the fans of the football club it’s devastating for them. I’m heartbroken for our fans, seeing that sea of orange, I just wanted to give them more.”