Hatters boss relieved to see Town come through 'dangerous' Tangerines clash

Luton boss Rob Edwards praised his side for coming through what he felt was a ‘dangerous’ fixture against relegation-threatened Blackpool this afternoon.

The visitors, whose time in the Championship appears to be running out, had arrived at Kenilworth Road sitting second bottom, and seven points adrift of safety, having seen manager Mick McCarthy leave Bloomfield Road on Saturday.

With rookie Stephen Dobbie in charge, the game looking like a home banker on paper, but in the build-up Edwards had been keen for both players and supporters, still on a high from beating Watford last time out, to guard against complacency.His pleas were heightened when the Tangerines, who appeared a better side than their lowly position suggested in the first half, went ahead on 28 minutes through Andy Lyons’ header.

Town managed to rise from their slumber to level when Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu caressed his finish into the bottom corner, while after the break, Carlton Morris’s 17th of the season and a more typical Mpanzu banger was enough for Luton to take the points, much to the relief of Edwards.

He said: “We talked about the expectancy today and we had to deal with that.

“I know I appealed for the atmosphere, it was never going to be like the previous home game.

“The expectancy is we’re third, they're in the bottom three, so just turn up and win and we know it’s not that.

“We had lots of control in the game, but they had real threats with individual quality on the counter attack and we were a little bit open at times in that first half.

“Then when they got that first goal from a set-play, which is unlike us, the job’s doubly difficult.

“The timing of the equaliser was key I think, it gave everyone a lift, the crowd a lift, some belief for the boys as well, and we were able to get into them and say, ‘we expected this’ and we were able to find a way second half.

“Every game’s different, every game gives us different challenges.

“Today I felt it was dangerous as well and we’d spoken openly to the boys about it and to you (the press) as well.

“I don’t worry about us against Sheffield United and Sunderland away, or Watford here.

“The lads are up for it, the crowd’s up for it, the environment and atmosphere takes care of itself.

“These games are always dangerous and to then go 1-0 down, I thought we showed great character and belief in what we do as well, to find a way.

“So in the end now, delighted, but at the time and during the game, I think we all sensed it, it was a dangerous game that.”