Defiant Still calls on Hatters fans to stick by their side

Luton took their illustrious opponents to extra time after producing a performance chock-full of endeavour and no little quality as well, which was lapped up by an appreciative Kenilworth Road crowd.

It was in stark contrast to Town’s previous display in front of their home supporters, with the players booed off after losing 1-0 at home to Bristol Rovers.

Still’s side had also come in for some criticism after squandering a 2-0 lead at Yeovil on Saturday, to make it four League Two games without a victory.

But speaking afterwards, the Luton chief called for some perspective about the campaign ahead, saying: “It’s my third season here, the players have taken some stick which I don’t think is deserved.

“They haven’t started well, they never started well when I first came, we never started well last year.

“It might get worse before it gets better, but we will get better, we will get stronger and we will end up a really, really good team.

“The more supporters stay with that and 99 per cent of supporters do, then the quicker that will happen.

“I’ve got nothing but admiration for my team, nothing but admiration for my staff and nothing but admiration for the football club, but this is football, sometimes it don’t go well for you.

“Well two years at this football club, one promotion and one just outside the play-offs, this club has made unbelievable strides and will continue to do so.

“It doesn’t need 99 per cent support, it needs 100 per cent support to help its on its way.”

Still acknowledged that fans will always have a right to voice their opinions, but wished they would take a longer term view of the situation, as he continued: “The support was fantastic, but when we don’t do well, we’re going to get criticised and I understand that, I’m a football supporter as well.

“But I think some people have short memories, I’ve never started particularly well, can’t help it, but I always finish well and have always won trophies and always won promotions.

“I think people should really understand the big picture and not the short term. The support was unbelievable this evening and unbelievable on Saturday, but players get criticised and managers do get criticised and that doesn’t bother me, because I’m a dinosaur.

“But get behind your team, support your team, it’s a long season. The guy that starts off the front of the marathon doesn’t really win it a lot.

“This team will get stronger and stronger, as I said it might get worse before it gets better, but give it your support and it will get better.

“We’ve played four league games, we might get worse before we get better, but the players showed they are good players players.

“You can’t be up one minute and down one minute, you can only keep that level head, that never too high, never too low.

“We were shocking a few games last year and in the year we came up too, well look at the big picture, don’t look at the game, look at the big picture.

“Look at 10, 15, 20 games, then you’ll see the picture, but that picture when it starts is a bit murky as it has been most of my career, but I know what I’m doing, or do I? I don’t know.

“We’re not there yet and I can’t make any apologies for that, but we will be, and when we do, we’ll really push on, really push on and really push on.

“So lets give the team everything it deserves, it deserves every, every every bit of encouragement it can get.

“I really enjoyed the game for everybody, I was proud of the football club, proud of the supporters, proud of the players, lets be proud every week.”