Luton keeper Sluga misses out on monthly award to Addicks defender

Luton goalkeeper Simon Sluga has missed out on the Sky Bet Championship Player of the Month award for June, with the honour going to Charlton Athletic defender Jason Pearce.

The Addicks captain had been the lynchpin of a defence which kept three clean sheets in as many games, while also heading home the winner against Hull City as well.

Announcing the winner, Sky Sports’ EFL pundit Don Goodman said: “With such a tight fight for survival this season, small margins can make all of the difference.

“Returning from the lockdown with a steely determination that it wouldn’t be them to face the drop, Pearce and the rest of the defensive unit were resolute against everything that was thrown at them through June.

“But it was Pearce’s first goal of the season – after driving himself to Hull on the morning of the game so he could be with his pregnant wife overnight - that proved to be the most valuable to Lee Bowyer in delivering a massive three points and taking them out of the relegation zone that they’d only just dropped into in the final game before lockdown.”

On Sluga, who had only conceded twice in the three games, with a clean sheet during the 1-0 win at Swansea City and some magnificent saves when Town held leaders Leeds United to a 1-1 draw at Elland Road, Luton boss Nathan Jones said: "He had a really good June in terms of the games we had.

"As a team we had a really good June, we were defensively solid, did very, very well in those games, picked up five points from three difficult games.

"So we're very happy with him, it kind of was a bit of a surprise the Reading result and the goals we conceded because that was out of character, but he’s had a good return to playing."

Meanwhile, Brentford boss Thomas Frank has been named the Sky Bet Championship Manager of the Month for June.

The Bees won all three of their matches, including games with Fulham and West Bromwich Albion, without conceding a goal.