Hatters striker insists there was definite contact when winning decisive penalty against Boro

Hatters striker Carlton Morris rebuked claims that he dived to win the match-winning penalty against Middlesbrough last night, insisting there was definite contact from opposing keeper Zack Steffen.

With 66 minutes gone and the scores 1-1, Morris was sent away by midfielder Jordan Clark, a heavy first touch looking like it had taken the ball away from him.

Visiting stopper Steffen came rushing out to try and get there ahead of Town’s top scorer, who managed to nick the ball past him, then going over the USA international’s sprawling challenge inside the box, despite the Manchester City’s loanee trying to avoid the contact.

Referee Graham Scott awarded a penalty to the hosts, despite some heated protests from the visitors, with Morris himself getting up to slot home from 12 yards and make it 2-1 with his 20th of the season.

Asked whether there had been contact from Steffen afterwards, he said: “Absolutely, my first touch has to be better if I’m honest with myself, I expect high standards from myself especially in that sort of situation.

“Clicks has played me through, my touch is a bit heavy, but that leaves the keeper to commit.

“I got there first and felt some contact from his knee on my leg, then momentum just took me down.

“I won’t go into too much detail with my plan, but my plan was to get a heavy touch to try and make him make a decision, but I just got a bit too carried away with it.

“There was contact, how much there was is neither here nor there.

"I felt contact and when you’re moving at those sort of speeds, it doesn’t take much to put you off your stride pattern.”

Asked if he had already been going over before Steffen reached him, Morris simply continued: “Not really, no.”

Hatters boss Rob Edwards was also of the same opinion as his forward, saying: “There's some contact there on Carlton.

"I’ve watched it back a few times, you need a certain angle, but there is contact so he's gone down.

"If I was in their position, you look at certain angles, then of course you'd be disappointed, but from the angle I've seen, there's contact, he's gone down, penalty.”