Luton's two-goal hero reveals it was a 'miracle' he was able to make Wembley final
Striker had been a huge doubt with groin issue
Hatters’ two-goal hero Nahki Wells revealed it was something of a ‘miracle’ that he was able to take to the field at Wembley at all yesterday, let alone score the double that saw Luton lift the Vertu Trophy when beating Stockport County 3-1.
The 35-year-old had been a serious doubt for the fixture after going off just six days earlier in the opening 15 minutes of Town’s League One fixture at AFC Wimbledon with what was diagnosed as a groin strain. Having treatment on it all week and barely venturing out for training at the Brache, Wells was then somewhat surprisingly named in the side at the home of English football to take on the division’s other Hatters.
Clearly concerned by just how things would go, boss Jack Wilshere named two strikers on the bench in Devante Cole and Ali Al-Hamadi, but he needn’t have been worried, as the forward looked strong from the word go, on target in either half to ensure Town lifted the trophy for the second time in their history.
Asked just how touch and go he was to not starting, Wells told BBC Three Counties Radio: "Close, I don't think I’ve ever been into a football match where I've had such uncertainty on how the game will go. I've been very lucky and fortunate in my career to be quite healthy for large parts, but today was a tough one, that's no surprise and a big, big credit to the support staff, the physios, the doctors to get me right as the last two weeks, I probably trained once.
"I knew I was playing this morning, but if you asked me a day ago I wouldn't have been so certain. Today was about trying to battle through whatever adversity and difficulties as in moments like this you always find a way. I woke up and I felt as ready and rejuvenated as much as I possibly can. I've done as much prep as I can to help get me to that and accomplish 90 minutes, and after the few weeks I’ve had, it almost feels like a miracle, but a higher power has definitely played its part.”
Having seen Stockport move 1-0 ahead with a breakaway finish early on, Wells almost had a chance to draw his side level, Kal Naismith’s wonderful cross from the left seeing Josh Stokes get there just ahead of him to flick a diving header against his own post. However, it was then 1-1 soon afterwards when Emilio Lawrence burst clear to fire through the legs of Corey Addai, before Wells got his moment on 39 minutes, brilliantly taking another terrific Naismith pass out of the air with an exquisite first touch and then sending Addai the wrong way to find the net.
On his strike, the forward continued: “The first one is I’ve just got a really good touch, something I wish I could do more often, but it's all about that. It's fallen into my path and the second bit’s the easy bit, just putting it away. I’m just grateful, happy to do that as it really gave us a lift. Big, big credit to Emilio who got the first as that shifted the momentum and then mine’s put us in front. Everything came full circle and I just felt like we were at it today and we weren't going to let it slip from that moment.”
Any thoughts about his capacity to keep going in the second period were put to one side as despite Town being under the cosh at times, he still appeared fresh and was able to occupy the County centre halves. With the 90 up and into the first of 10 minutes added on by referee Martin Coy, Wells’ stamina was rewarded, picked out by substitute Shayden Morris, as his first shot was blocked, but not the second, firing past Addai to make sure of victory.
He continued: “This season has been one of them, a lot of games haven't ended like that as we haven't had that killer instinct. We haven't gone and solidified the game and we’ve had to ride out to the last second or we've conceded, but experienced from the occasions and from the trauma that we've had this year, us being able to really go to the end. Thankfully it dropped and I was able to get the goal as at that point that was when I really believed, okay we've done it. Up until then we had to deal with a lot and credit to them, they went to the very end.”
Wells had gone into the game with three appearances at the home of English football behind him, two memorable and one less so. The striker had been part of a Bradford City side who were thumped 5-0 in the Capital One Cup final by Swansea City in February 2013, although did then score in the Bantams 3-0 League Two play-off final victory over Northampton Town a few months later.
He was also part of Huddersfield Town’s Championship play-off final victory over Reading on penalties in 2017, as on what it meant to lift the trophy with Luton, he said: “I’ve been here in the Capital One Cup final and it’s gone significantly wrong, but that was a great achievement for a League Two side. Then League Two promotion, scoring, Championship play-off, because that’s the pinnacle of all our careers, trying to get to the Premier League, that one was amazing. I didn’t score in that, but today is up there. A couple of goals at Wembley, lifting a trophy, a real high and a big day in my life and my career.”
Meanwhile, Hatters chief Wilshere admitted he owed his forward, who is now up to nine goals for the campaign, a debt of gratitude for putting himself up for selection and delivering the goods, as he added: “I’m really happy for him and I’m really grateful to him because he didn’t train this week. He came off on Monday with a tight groin, he trained a little bit yesterday and we wanted to wait for him for his experience, his know-how, his ability to lead the group.
"He’s probably by his own admission not scored the goals he wanted, but I’ve spoken so many times about how much more he brings. Of course we want him to add goals and he got that today, but he’s a leader and his energy around the place, we’re really grateful for that. His first was a top goal. I’ve always said it about Kal, he’s a good footballer, he’s a really good footballer, and he can play. At times he’s made some wrong decisions this season, but I completely trust him when he’s driving forward and he’s got the ball at his feet.
"He’s got a lovely left foot, then to find Nahki and Nahki for his first touch to set it up like he did and have the composure to give the goalie the eyes and put it in was a top goal. That was in my opinion a top number nine goal as he understood that it wasn’t an easy ball to control, then he had to control it, and the quicker he did that the more time he had to set himself. It was a top finish but a top pass as well and you could see how much it meant to them.”