Hatters forward was convinced his first strike against Huddersfield would go down as an own goal

Hatters striker Elijah Adebayo conceded he fully expected his first goal against Huddersfield Town last night to be taken away from him and go down in the record books as an own goal.

With Luton behind to an early aberration of their own, Carlton Morris flicking Sorba Thomas’s corner beyond Ethan Horvath on 11 minutes, the summer signing then set about making amends, picking up the USA international’s drilled clearance straight down the middle of the pitch just seven minutes later.

Lofting a ball into the area, it found strike partner Adebayo, who impressively sidestepped Luke Mbete, leaving him one-on-one with Lee Nicholls.

His finish was anything but true, scuffing past the keeper, as his shot struck covering defender Michal Helik whose deflection took it over the line, for what looked like the second own goal of the game, with the forward barely celebrating.

However, with the attempt being on target, it went down as Adebayo’s goal, ending a lengthy drought to the season spanning 10 games, as speaking afterwards, he said: “I’m delighted, I didn’t celebrate as I wasn’t too sure if I was going to get the goal.

“I one hundred per cent thought it was going to be an own goal, my only saving grace was that it was a shot on target!”

If there was any confusion over the first, there was absolutely none whatsoever about Adebayo’s second, as yet again Morris was the architect, hooking a hopeful ball over the top of the defence.

Once more Adebayo got the better of centre half Mbete, showing great strength and determination to out-muscle his opponent, eventually replaced at half time, then seeing off another last-ditch challenge to coolly slot past the onrushing Nicholls, unveiling a full kneeslide in front of the Hatters’ ecstatic supporters.

The striker continued: “The second one was no doubt, it was my goal, there was no doubt about that

“As soon as the ball bounced, I thought, especially after the first goal, the defender was in trouble as the one rule as a defender is you don’t let the ball bounce.

"It’s an error which I’ve capitalised on and I was happy to take my opportunity again when it arose.”

Having already opened his account and being in a far better frame of mind going into the contest meant Adebayo was in the kind of mood to show the sort of finishing prowess that had seen him him score 17 goals last term.

He said: “Strikers live by their goals, a striker who scores goals is going to be 100 per cent confident.

“I wouldn't say I was not as confident before I came into the game, but the last week or so in training has given me that extra bit of confidence that I needed.

"I was just raring to go today, even from the first whistle.

“I knew it was bound to happen too, especially playing with Carlton Morris and Harry (Cornick), and CJ (Cameron Jerome) as well.

"We’ve got players and a team that are going to keep creating chances for the strikers and it’s just about hanging in there and not getting disheartened by how many games its taken you.

"Eventually you’re going to get a chance and it’s just literally about taking them when they come.

"Yes you’re going to go through spells where you might not get some, but you’re going to get chances and you’ve just got to take them.”

Adebayo could and probably should have completed his hat-trick in the second period too, as twice he was picked out by James Bree’s corners, but both times put his header over the bar, the second opportunity one he might have expected to convert.

The striker said: “It’s always tough, they were having a lot of joy from set-pieces and were were getting our heads on things, but we just weren’t keeping them down.

"It’s just timing thing and we’ll work on that in training.

"I’m sure Sheez (Alan Sheehan, first team coach) will have some new routines to go through to try and get us some more goals from set-pieces.”