Hatters defender insists Clarets display proves Luton can reach the play-offs

​Town defender Gabe Osho insists his side’s performance during their 1-0 defeat against league leaders Burnley on Saturday proves Luton have every chance of achieving a top six finish this term.

Although beaten on the day, Ashley Barnes’ late penalty sealing what was an undeserved win for the Clarets, it was the Hatters who had looked the more dominant force for large periods of the game, particularly in the first half.

They couldn’t take advantage though, Elijah Adebayo and Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu denied by keeper Arijanet Muric, with Adebayo then putting the best chance over the bar from close range.

Town paid the price for their missed opportunities after the break, Osho handling Vitinho’s flick with 12 minutes to go, giving the visitors a spot-kick they converted to take a further step towards the Premier League.

Although the defeat means Luton have now gone three matches without a win, they are sixth in the table and have a game in hand on those around them, as a confident Osho said: “I think today (Saturday) and the league shows we can go head to head with every single team in the league.

"We’ll take confidence from that, obviously the result’s disappointing, but we move forward and try to win the upcoming games.

“We’ve got 14 games left and we’re playing everyone that’s below them in the table, so you’d imagine if we can replicate that kind of performance against the majority of teams we’re playing, we’ll win a lot of games.

"That’s what everyone believes in, so that’s what we’ll try and do and hopefully that will be enough.

“The team looks good, we feel good as a team going into every game that we can outplay, outscore, outwork literally every single team that we’re playing at the moment.

"It’s just keep it going, the results will turn.”

It was the second game in a row that Town didn’t get what they deserved, following a 1-1 draw at 10-man Preston the previous Wednesday, in which they dominated only to once again concede a late penalty.

Although there was no disgrace in being beaten by a side who will be playing in the top flight next term, and have only lost twice all season, the dejected look amongst the players afterwards told a story, as Osho continued: “I think just shows how much the team wanted it and how much we believed we could win the game.

"As the game wore on it became more and more apparent that we could actually win the game, so it’s just really frustrating.

“It’s disappointing, especially the last two results as they could have been wins and then the table looks completely different, but the manager just said, if we keep performing at that level, when we’ll get where we want to get to, so hopefully we’ll get the rub of the green pretty soon.

“It’s fine margins at the moment, that’s just football, some go your way and some don’t.

"Midweek against Preston was the most where we’ve been completely dominant in the game and not to come away with three points.

"Today was always going to be tough and we knew they’d have spells as they’re a good team, but I think we outplayed them, so not to come away with the three points again is frustrating.

"At the moment it’s not quite going our way but as the gaffer said if we just keep believing in the process and doing the right things, eventually it will turn and we’ll turn those draws and losses into wins.”

Although the winner came from the penalty spot, the third one Town have conceded in three successive games, it is the only way they have been breached in their last six matches, as Osho added: “The manager works on stuff like that, so we’re doing well as a back unit, a midfield and from the front.

"There are positives to take, but not getting the result, that’s the main thing at the moment.”