Goalscorer Chong vows to play with even more freedom for the Hatters

Goalscorer Tahith Chong is determined to take manager Rob Edwards’ advice on board and play with a greater deal of freedom for the Hatters this season.

Despite scoring on the opening day of the campaign, the Luton winger, who starred during the latter stages of Town's Premier League campaign, has struggled to quite hit the kind of heights he was showing in the top flight. However, after winning a penalty for the Hatters in their 3-2 defeat against Coventry City last month, he doubled his own personal tally when finding the net with unerring accuracy against West Bromwich Albion on Friday evening.

Pressing brilliantly to intercept a sideways pass from Alex Mowatt inside his own half, he beat Darnell Furlong to the ball and then sized up former Everton defender Mason Holgate before drilling a low shot beyond ex-Town loanee Alex Palmer to level the scores. It came about after a half time chat with Edwards who had told him to get at his opponents more, as the former Manchester United youngster said: “That’s something we talked about a bit more, my game, how I play, how I like to play is really instinctive, off the cuff, trying to go and be creative.

"Some games this year maybe I’ve been thinking too much and trying to find that perfect ball where it doesn’t really have to be perfect all the time, but again that’s the gaffer as well, speaking to him and installing that belief and confidence in me. We said at half time to go after them and go and press a bit more, but without Amari’i (Bell) as well backing me up from behind, that goal doesn’t happen, as if he doesn’t come across, I can’t go yet.

"So that’s compliments to him and the whole back-line just shuffling across, allowed me to go and press. Once I got it, I saw the defender was backing off a bit, so I was just trying to get it on my left foot and trying to find the bottom corner which I did luckily, so it was good.”

Edwards himself was also thrilled to see the instinctive nature of the goal too, as speaking after the game, he said: “Our pressing is ridiculous and he was really good. We know he’s got it, he won a penalty for us last week, scored tonight, he’s got loads of qualities. We just want him to believe, not think as much maybe at times, just be a bit freer once he gets in those areas. Just do it, that’s exactly what I said to him at half time actually, just do it, and a really great goal. So I’m really pleased that he’s had a big impact for us.”

Chong might have had a second goal too as on his right foot this time he fired low, the ball taking a slight nick off a covering defender and forcing Palmer into a terrific save to prevent the Hatters from taking the lead. The midfielder, who moved to a left wingback role at times felt had it beaten the Baggies stopper for a winner, it would have been no more than his side deserved, continuing: “It went underneath the defender’s leg and then the keeper did a good save which was unlucky.

"Second half we probably deserved a bit more, but for us it is about turning good performances into wins as well as we want to win games. Last year as well, I played a couple of times there (wingback) at the end of the games so it’s compliments to the gaffer to change that and put me there. And the boys as well, trying to find me and me just trying to go one v one or try to create some bits, but it’s compliments to the manager for trying to change it up.”

With Chong, who has seven goals in 50 outings since arriving from Birmingham City last summer, having sent 14 shots at goal so far this term, with four on target, then Edwards would love to see him become more of a regular on the scoresheet now, saying: “I hope so, it will be great now if he can really go on a run. It was something we spoke about before Cov where he won the penalty, we had a good chat.

"He’s brilliant for us the way he works, his pressing, winning a lot more duels and things like that, basics, the things we really want from him. Now if he’s providing assists, goals, again he’s another one who’s becoming a really, really important, complete player. So it will be great if he can really go on a run as I think he always gets a chance or two in the game. If he can show the quality he did the other day, there’s no reason why he can’t get a lot of goals for us.”

Edwards also hopes it’s not just Chong who has a more instinctive attitude in the final third either going forward, the Town chief adding: “You saw it the other night, too many touches and that split second too long. It can be a little bit of confidence, can be a little bit of over thinking, Chongy just freed his mind a little bit and had conviction in what he was doing, and it was a great finish. He took it early, surprised the goalkeeper a little bit, so sometimes it’s timing and doing things a little bit quicker.

"We’ve got to make sure we arrive in the right numbers. If we keep suffocating defenders and winning the ball back really quickly we haven’t got to find the perfect through ball, it might be from a really quick regain, so that’s another area that we continue to work hard on. Less thinking and just do it. Not too many touches, just being positive and brave with it, and having conviction.”