Clark calls on Luton to cut out the individual mistakes that led to Mansfield loss
Town midfielder urges his side to take their chances when on top
Luton midfielder Jordan Clark felt that individual mistakes were at the root of Town’s 2-0 defeat against Mansfield at Kenilworth Road on Saturday.
The Hatters went into the game looking to give new manager Jack Wilshere the boost of his opening victory of his tenure having replaced Matt Bloomfield in charge on Monday, with Town’s fans turning up in their numbers expecting that to be the case against a side who were a place below them in the table, and without a clean sheet on their travels this term.
After a nervy start to the contest, an unmarked Tyler Roberts denied by Josh Keeley, Luton started to up their game around the 20-minute mark, Clark himself denied by a superb save from visiting keeper Liam Roberts, while just after the half hour mark, he was then fouled inside the box for penalty that Nahki Wells fired too close to the visiting stopper, missing his second spotkick in succession.
It wasn’t long before the ball was then in the back of the hosts’ net, Wells’ misplaced pass not finding its intended target of Kal Naismith, allowing Rhys Oates to turn Teden Mengi and curl into the top corner from the edge of the box. After the break, the Stags, who had already hit the bar and seen a clear penalty turned down for a foul by Milli Alli on Roberts, were then awarded a penalty of their own on the hour mark when Mads Andersen’s outstretched arm made contact with the ball and Roberts easily doubled the lead from 12 yards.
With Town’s confidence already at rock bottom, they never once looked like hitting back to grab anything resembling a consolation, Zack Nelson putting their best chance over the bar late on, leaving the Kenilworth Road crowd extremely disgruntled after the final whistle. Speaking about why he thought his side ended up leaving empty-handed for the third game in a row, Clark said: “We’re frustrated and angry as in the first half, we were feeling positive.
"We got the pen and obviously we never blame Nahki, you can’t blame him for that, it’s unlucky. It’s a good save from their keeper again, so disappointing, but we were full of belief. We thought we were playing well, thought we were getting into good areas and we’d only had a couple of days with the new gaffer, but we were feeling good. There’s still little things to work on and we’re going to tidy up and get better at, but we’re disappointed to concede the goals like we did, which has obviously become a thing for us this season.
"It’s something we need to address and sometimes it comes down to individual errors I suppose. We’ve got to cut those out, stick tighter as a team, just get together now and keep working. For a couple of moments instead of going in 1-0 down you could be 2-0 up. It’s football, but it’s on us again. We’ve got to be better in those moments and worst case you go in 0-0 at half time, you regroup and you’re not chasing the game.
When Town were having their best moments in the game for a 10-minute spell during the first half, once again they couldn’t make the most of them, Gideon Kodua sidefooting into the side-netting from Christ Makosso’s low cross. Clark then had two chances of his own, one shot deflected and another brilliantly stopped by Roberts, before Wells fluffed his lines from the spot. The fact that the Hatters couldn’t make the most of their period of ascendancy is also something that Clark thinks has been hindering them for a while.
He added: “That’s the thing we’ve had, especially since I’ve been here a long, long time now, when we’re on top we’ve always scored. Even though we might scrape a 1-0 win we’ve always scored when we’re on top and at any level that’s so important, especially in the lower leagues as teams can come back and put 10 bodies, 11 bodies behind the ball which happens.
“Little moments in football change the game. You score the penalty and it’s a whole different game. If my shot goes in, the keeper has pulled off a worldie, you can probably go in 2-0 up at half time, but the goal we gave away, a hell of a finish from their lad, but sloppy from us. It can happen when players are low on confidence and things aren’t going well for us this season.
“They probably should have had a penalty before and then he gives the penalty, it’s a bit harsh, it did hit his hand, it’s one of them. You think he’s given it because he didn't give the other one, but I’ll never blame a referee, you’ve always got to look at yourself first. It’s just getting back to the drawing board now, working with the new gaffer, the new staff and just trying to stay positive now and look forward to next week.”