Luton boss reveals selection 'curveball' after Town defender pulled out of Hull clash

Luton boss Rob Edwards revealed how his side had to deal with the ‘curveball’ of an injury to defender Amari’i Bell just before yesterday’s 1-0 victory over Hull City at Kenilworth Road.

The 30-year-old had been in the starting line-up to go up against the Tigers having come through two 90 minutes for Jamaica in the international break when facing USA in a CONCACAF Nations League quarter-final. However his name was absent from the teamsheet that was announced, which meant with Alfie Doughty out after suffering ligament damage too, and Reuell Walters nursing a broken foot, the hosts went four centre halves in a back four, Mark McGuinness and Tom Holmes central, with the fit-again Reece Burke at right back and Teden Mengi deployed in an unusual left back role.

To their credit, the hastily arranged back-line managed to keep a fifth clean sheet of the season, as Edwards said: “We had the curveball of having to change the team not long before the game as well. It kind of sums us up at the moment and has done for quite a long time, but full credit to the lads that went out and played, went over that line, they were brilliant, subs included as they made a good impact as well.

“The plan was because of the way they build, looking at our out of possession and pressing first, we thought a back four was the right way to go and then because we prepped that way and we had to make a change we thought it was still the right thing to do, so let’s try and keep that going. But then we had to shuffle a few people about, so credit to the lads as we hadn’t practised that necessarily yesterday.

"We didn’t get loads of chances to be on the ball and get any kind of rhythm, I suppose conditions didn’t allow us too much either, but we wanted to try and create more shape when we got the ball. Hull pressed hard as well, we struggled to get into too much of a rhythm and that’s understandable. We’re fighting at the moment, so a few out of position and a few digging in and doing what you have to do.”

Asked for an indication of what the problem was for Bell, who has suffered with hamstring injuries in the past nine months, Edwards continued: “I don’t know too much at the moment, I’ll find out.”

Having so many centre halves on the pitch meant Town were always a threat from set-pieces, even without Doughty on the pitch. Shandon Baptiste took them during his hour on the field, setting up Mengi early on, while his next delivery took a nick for McGuinness to score what proved to be the winner. After the break, and with Baptiste substituted, Liam Walsh’s also caused some real problems, McGuinness crashing another into the top corner only to find the ball had gone out before reaching him.

Edwards added: “We’ve got some really good physicality in the team, especially from set-pieces at the moment, we’re a real threat. We had another good chance before that from Teden and we knew we had that threat. Shandon’s were bang on really and then Walshy’s when he came on as well. A lot of physicality in the team in the right areas and it was nice to get another set-piece goal.”