City win a 'big moment' for Wilshere as Hatters boss hails Kenilworth Road crowd
Town defeat Leicester thanks to late Marshall goal
Luton boss Jack Wilshere felt Town’s last-gasp 2-1 victory should be heralded as ‘big moment’ in the club’s season, hailing the Kenilworth Road atmosphere as one of the best he has experienced during his time in charge.
The Hatters made a bright start to the contest, Tudor Mendel, Kasey Palmer and Nahki Wells all denied by imposing Foxes keeper Alex McCarthy, although City believed they had taken the lead on the half hour, Emil Riis’s close range attempt initially given and then disallowed for offside by referee Martin Woods.
The hosts went on to break the deadlock on 39 minutes, Jordan Clark dispossessing Caleb Okoli and finding Wells to sweep home his eighth of an increasingly prolific campaign. After the break, it looked like Town were on their way to victory when visiting skipper John Lundstram was sent off for his second booking with five minutes to play, sliding in rashly on the recalled Izzy Jones.
Leicester then thought they had salvaged a point as Josh Cullen curled an exquisite first-time shot home from the edge of the box in the 90th minute, before the Hatters went back on the attack, grabbing what turned out to be the winner when Callum Marshall nudged Emilio Lawrence’s deflected cross-shot into the net from close range.
An elated Wilshere said: “The players deserve it, as it's been a long week. We were sat here after MK Dons and it was challenging. The boys were down, and rightly so, it was a game where we felt we should have got more out of, but then to bounce back like we did in the last two games, it’s credit to them and their belief.
"I want the players and I want everyone to feel it as a big moment. Listen, we’re not getting carried away, we want to stay humble and stay consistent, but when you look up at the clock in the 88th minute and you're playing against 10 men who have just scored, that’s tough, that’s tough. You've got a decision to make, you can go into your shell and just see the game out and get a point, but I didn’t feel like that.
"We had an opportunity before that where we put the ball across the front of goal and everyone was on the front foot, everyone knew we wanted more out of this game. We can review the game tactically and everything, but emotionally and desire and passion, everything we need to be successful in this league, it was there and credit to the players for that.”
With Luton’s supporters, who haven’t been overly pleased with what they have witnessed at times this term, creating a terrific noise inside the ground throughout the 90 minutes, giving their players a brilliant ovation after the full time whistle, then it was music to Wilshere’s ears, as he continued: “At the Kenny it’s up there and one of the best I’ve experienced.
"I’ve experienced the Kenny where there’s been disappointment and fully understood it. I’ve experienced the Kenny when its been full of energy like today and we need them. I understand and the players understand that it’s our responsibility to give them consistency and give them something to get behind the team. That’s what we’re chasing and that’s what we’re fighting for, and they definitely help when they’re like that.”
The victory meant that, having also beaten Barnsley 2-1 in midweek, it was the first time that Luton had picked up back-to-back wins this season, something Wilshere has been demanding in recent weeks. Having done that, with struggling Doncaster Rovers heading to Bedfordshire on Tuesday night, the boss added: “That’s important, that’s consistency.
"The most important thing now is that we reflect a little bit as coaches, but the players recover. They go home, they spend time with their family, as on Tuesday, it’s going to be one of the hardest of the three, it always is, then we have to go again next Saturday. We’ve done back-to-back, but we want to go again and not get carried away with ourselves.”