Lockyer labels both penalties 'incredibly harsh' during Luton's opening day defeat against Brighton

Luton defender Tom Lockyer labelled referee David Coote’s decision to award two penalties during his side’s trip to Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday as ‘incredibly harsh’, with Town’s first foray into the Premier League ending in a 4-1 defeat at the Amex Stadium.

With 71 minutes on the clock and Luton only trailing 1-0 to the Seagulls, home attacker Joao Pedro burst into the box and went down dramatically under the challenge of Lockyer.

The Welsh international’s arm was across the chest of the former Watford forward, but it wasn’t enough to send him to the floor in the manner it did.

Unfortunately for the centre half and his team-mates, Coote saw it otherwise and awarded the spotkick, Pedro dusting himself down to just about beat Thomas Kaminski from 12 yards and double Brighton’s lead.

Speaking afterwards, Lockyer said: “Goals change games don't they.

“We were well in it at 1-0, but the penalty is incredibly soft, I don't know why he’s actually given it?

“It might just be the high arm, but apart from that, he’s dived into me.”

Town did have their own spotkick with 10 to go though, sub Jacob Brown’s impressive cameo seeing his cross cannon into the arm of Lewis Dunk as he went to block, with Coote once more pointing to the spot.

Lockyer continued: “We get a soft one at the other end, I don’t know whether they cancel each other out.

“I’ve seen their one back as well and I think that’s incredibly harsh as well, what’s he meant to do?

"So two incredibly harsh decisions and at least it’s evened itself out today.”

That was a view agreed with by Town manager Rob Edwards, who said: “I thought both were harsh if I’m being honest.”

Although VAR checked the awarding of Luton’s spotkick that saw Carlton Morris step up to find the net and score Town’s first-ever Premier League goal, Lockyer hadn’t expected it to come to his rescue a few minutes earlier, adding: “No, we had the VAR meeting before the season and they’re not really going to get involved.

“As soon as he gave it, I knew they weren’t going to overturn it, they like to stick by the referee’s decision.”