Hatters chief credits Pilkington as Town improve set-piece threat against Imps

Luton boss Jack Wilshere was quick to credit head of goalkeeping Kevin Pilkington for the way in which he made sure Town’s threat from set-pieces were greatly improved against Lincoln City at the weekend.

The former Hatters stopper, who made 33 appearances when he was a player at Kenilworth Road over two spells between November 2009 to July 2012, returned to the club as goalkeeper coach in 2021, before having his duties upgraded to head of the department, as he is now an important member of the first team coaching under Wilshere, having a big part to play whenever Luton win a free kick or corner.

With Town getting 13 corners during their Vertu Trophy 2-1 defeat against Swindon Town last Tuesday night, and never making the most of them, Robins keeper Lewis Ward relatively untroubled apart from one back post header from Nigel Lonwijk that flew wide, then it was something that according to Wilshere, Pilkington clearly took to heart.

Eager to make sure things improved when the Imps to Kenilworth Road on Saturday, it was definitely the case, as winning just eight on this occasion, Luton looked far more threatening from deadball situations throughout the afternoon. In fact, with the Hatters trailing 2-0 after just 22 minutes, they got back into the game when Liam Walsh’s deep corner beat the imposing Lincoln defence, with an unmarked Gideon Kodua rising highest to power his downward header into the net.

Nahki Wells was also on target from open play to make sure Town swapped ends level at 2-2 and asked about the manner in which the Hatters’ halved the Imps’ advantage, Wilshere said: “Credit to Pilks, Kevin Pilkington, the goalie coach as after the Swindon game we spoke about what we will review like we always do as coaches. He was clear that we need to review set-pieces, he took the meeting, he delivered it, because they’re so important.

"You see it at any level now, but especially at this level, he targets areas and tries to free up someone. I won’t give away too many secrets, that’s on Pilks. I knew he was suffering a little bit after the Swindon game as he knew we could have done better and he was right. But we worked on it, we delivered it and we should have had the winner from a set-piece as well.”

That was very much the case as well, as Luton showed they were a threat from the opposite flank too, young defender Joe Johnson curving a number of impressive deliveries into the area that should have seen Town move 3-2 in front. After one was punched over his bar by keeper George Wickens, the 6ft 5in stopper then lost the flight of Johnson’s next attempt which was headed in by Mads Andersen.

Unfortunately for the Danish centre half, referee Scott Oldham fell for the theatrics of Wickens who, replays show, hit himself in the chest and then threw himself dramatically to the turf, as the official disallowed a strike that would have seen Town ahead with 18 minutes left. On the corner though, Wilshere continued: “It’s all about the delivery, that was something that Pilks spoke about and we’d be having different conversations if the delivery was not right.

"Whether it’s been Sav (George Saville) taking it that side, whether it’s JJ, whether Walshy’s taking it on the other side, the deliveries are good and they practice them. They put them on the right spot and then it’s down to the players in the box to have the mentality to go and attack it. When you review something and it happens and you’re much better at it, it’s credit to the players as they want to get better at it.”

Although Town’s offensive set-pieces were something that pleased Wilshere greatly, he had been less impressed at the other end where both of Lincoln’s goals came from crosses into the box that weren’t defended properly by Town’s back-line, the second a free kick of their own from near the corner flag that saw Tom Hamer get up above Nigel Lonwijk, his header cannoning off Rob Street and crossing the line.

It very much demonstrated the kind of tactics that the Imps deployed all game, getting the ball into the box whenever possible, from virtually anywhere on the pitch, and then trying to win knockdowns, a style of play that has been very successful this season, taking City to second in the table. Wilshere added: “You have to respect them a little bit as well, credit to them, that’s what they do, that’s what they’re good at.

"They don’t have any interest really in possession or trying to create chances any other way, but they are really good at playing direct, landing on seconds, creating chaos around there. We have to do better in that moment. I thought the second one, Kal (Naismith) was probably fouled before he then gave the foul away, but still, we have to deal with the moment.

"I think back at it and I think we had two players in the wall and sometimes maybe you want to defend that moment like a corner, but also you have to try and put someone in front so he can’t put it in the near post. We’ll review it and I know the players feel that disappointment in there as if you take away those goals there’s only one team that will win that game, so we’ll review those moments.”