McCormack 'gutted and angry' over stoppage time miss

Hatters midfielder Alan McCormack conceded he was left feeling ‘gutted and angry’ after missing a glorious chance in stoppage time against Coventry City yesterday.
Alan McCormack wins possession against CoventryAlan McCormack wins possession against Coventry
Alan McCormack wins possession against Coventry

With minutes remaining, Town were awarded a free kick on the edge of the box, that Elliot Lee fired goalwards, his shot rebounding to the unmarked McCormack’s feet just six yards out.

However, with virtually the whole goal to aim at, the experienced Irishman could only blast straight at visiting keeper Lee Burge, who had already gone to ground, with the ball lodging between his legs, as the scores remained 1-1.

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Speaking about the opportunity afterwards, McCormack said: “I wasn’t even supposed to be there.

“I said to myself, ‘they hadn’t got anyone outside the box, so I’m going to go on the end of the wall, spin and then get the rebound off the keeper or any little knock downs.’

“Then when I’ve spun and checked, the ball is right in front of me and I don’t know, I kind of rushed it a little bit.

“I smashed it, thinking the keeper was going to go the other way, but I should have just placed it in the corner where there was too much space.

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“I’m disappointed, gutted and angry and feel not that I’ve cost the team three points, but one little tap-in there, we could walk away with three points.

“That’s the one little disappointing factor we’ve not been at our best but to walk away with three points would have been tremendous.”

Luton chief Mick Harford said: "There was a lot of balls going in and around the box, a lot of balls flying around.

"Alan McCormack will be disappointed, he found himself in a real strange position and he’s just unlucky that the ball never hit the back of the net."

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It wasn't just McCormack who could have won it either, with Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu shooting wide and James Collins' low effort also saved by Burge.

Goalscorer Matty Pearson added: "You can name those chances, and there's a few more you can think of off the top of your head that we should have scored.

"Another day one of them goes in and we win 2-1.”