Hatters midfielder Campbell felt Luton should have got something out of Stoke defeat

Returning Scot knows lack of quality in the final third let his side down
Allan Campbell closes down Joe Allen on SaturdayAllan Campbell closes down Joe Allen on Saturday
Allan Campbell closes down Joe Allen on Saturday

Town midfielder Allan Campbell felt his side deserved to get something out of Saturday’s 1-0 defeat against play-off chasing Stoke City.

The visitors came to Kenilworth Road with something of an Indian sign over the Hatters, unbeaten in 10 previous encounters with them and extended that stranglehold courtesy of Jacob Brown’s 34th minute goal.

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Luton huffed and puffed in search of an equaliser, Admiral Muskwe off the bench to hit the bar in the second period from fellow sub Fred Onyedinma’s cross, but time and time again their final ball let them down on a highly frustrating afternoon.

Campbell, who was making his first start since suffering ligament damage in September, said: “When you look back it, first half we were maybe a wee bit off it, not quite as aggressive as we wanted to be.

"But we came out the second half and looked to get something from the game, just that last bit of quality in the final third just let us down.

"We should have got something from the game, but we need to look back at the positives and work on the negatives."

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Barring Brown's strike and an earlier effort from Leo Ostigard that was superbly blocked by Gabe Osho, City barely threatened another goal, until two late corners from sub Mario Vrancic, one tipped over by Sluga.

Campbell continued: “The only chance they had was probably the one they scored from, after that I don’t think they had much.

"For us it’s that wee bit of quality in the final third that if we got that right today we would have got something.

“The small margins of the game didn’t go our way today and it was frustrating, but just need to take it on the chin, move on and make sure we get back firing again.

“It’s football, it’s part and parcel of the game.

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"Sometimes you can score four, five and then sometimes you just struggle to get that little bit of quality.

"We’ll look back at it, work on the training ground and make sure we come back the next game firing.”

The visitors went on to suck the life out of the game at times with their timewasting tactics, delaying play at every conceivable opportunity, having two players booked by the 70th minutes for slowing the match down.

Campbell knew it was something Town were going to have to deal with, adding: "They’re an experienced team with some experienced players, we expected that to happen, but I still think when you look at the game, we should have got something out of it.

"It’s frustrating but again it’s football isn’t it.

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"It’s experience, teams are going to do that to try and hold on to a lead, so you just need to try and keep calm, do what you’re doing on the park and don't bother with it."

“We just need to take the positives from it, we’ve had a good start to the season, we could have done better, so we have to work on it and make sure when we get back from the international break we’re ready to go again."