Brabin urges fans to be Luton secret ‘weapon’

Trailing 1-0 from the initial tie at Bootham Crescent, in which Town ended the game with just nine men, Luton boss Gary Brabin remains confident the Hatters can win through to a Wembley final and has urged Town’s supporters to get right behind them at Kenilworth Road today.

Speaking at yesterday’s press conference, he said: “It does have a big impact on the players, that’s a fact. I think when we have had supporters who have been really supportive and vocal and backing the lads through thick and thin.

“You’ve got the lads who are digging in and giving real spirited performances, I think it’s important when you get a connection through supporters and players it gives the whole place a real lift and I think that could be a real weapon for us tomorrow.

“Luton Town Football Club is a really, really powerful tool if it connects. Fans, players, team, all getting together through thick and thin and supporting and backing each other, it really is a powerful, intimidating tool.

“We can’t guarantee we are always going to play great football, we can’t guarantee we aren’t going to make mistakes.

“I know from the supporters’ point of view they’ve been through it all thick and thin so I know they’ve got it in them to do that.

“I think this stage in the season if everyone can get together, the last 10 games plus other games outside the league, tomorrow’s game and hopefully three games in the play-offs.

“If we can get the supporters backing us the way they can I think it’s a really, really powerful tool going into the run in.”

But Luton won’t be throwing the kitchen sink at the Minstermen from the off as they look to get back into the tie.

Neither though will they start too slowly, with Brabin adding: “I think it’s a little bit of both. We can’t go straight into the first minute panicking that we’ve got to get a goal back.

“But at the same time we’re not going to sit down and be patient and sit back, we are going to play the way we normally play.

“We play at a tempo which, when we are on form, we are a real good team and we have a lot of belief in that.

“At times we haven’t performed at that tempo and fell short at times.

“So it’s important we play at the tempo we know we are capable of and I’m confident we can back it up with the right result and right performance.”