Patient Holmes is eager to take his opportunity in the Hatters back-line

Town defender Tom Holmes is relishing his opportunity in the Hatters first team having had to bide his time waiting in the wings after arriving on a permanent basis from Reading this season.

The centre half had been snapped up from the Royals back in January, returning to the Madejski Stadium where he had an injury-hit end to the campaign at his boyhood club, featuring in just a handful of games. Having had a pre-season with the Hatters, Holmes couldn’t force his way into the first team at Kenilworth Road, playing a mere 14 minutes of league football minutes in Town’s opening nine matches of the season.

However, a succession of injuries to Amari’i Bell, Teden Mengi and Mads Andersen, with Reece Burke also out now, then the 24-year-old was called upon to start Saturday’s 3-0 victory over Watford. Although he only last 45 minutes due to a nasty blow to the head, Holmes was able to recover and keep his place in the side when Sunderland headed to Bedfordshire on Tuesday night.

Despite the result going against Town, the defender produced a marvellous individual performance, defensively impressive, while also leading the Hatters’ press at times, going close with a late attempt himself that he rifled over the bar. After completing a full 90 minutes for the first time since January 23, then speaking to the club’s official website, Holmes said: “I’ve had to be quite patient, unfortunately there's been some injuries but it’s meant there's been an opportunity there, so I’m just enjoying it, taking each game as it comes.”

Despite being a doubt for the contest, Holmes was relieved that he wasn’t adding to Town’s already fairly hefty list of absentees, the defending saying: “It was quite a heavy impact. I was unsure whether it might be concussion, I didn’t feel comfortable going out to play the second half, so I came off and then recovered on the Sunday, felt a lot better on the Sunday and then managed to train, so I felt all right.”

Having made his full debut during Town’s biggest victory over their local rivals since 1981, Holmes couldn’t speak highly of the emotionally charged aura that was created by the Luton faithful, continuing: “I’d say it was the best atmosphere that I’ve been a part of in football, it was incredible. I’ve seen bits, seen previous derbies, seen bits in games, so I kind of had a feel of what it was going to be like and then to play it was electric. It's vital (the crowd), it really adds 10, 15 percent to our game. I think they’re definitely the 12th man. It's like no other place in the English league, so we can really use that to our advantage.”

Frustratingly, the Hatters were unable to carry the momentum on result-wise in midweek, beaten 2-1 by league leaders Sunderland. The outcome was incredibly harsh on the hosts though who were the better team and should have at least taken something, which Holmes felt was the case too, saying: “From start to finish I think we were the better team.

"Second half there was a little spell where we didn’t quite match the energy. They capitalised on their chances, but on the whole I think we really deserved at least a point from the game. Performance wise, the last two games, I think the energy and the intensity, the way we're playing, that’s typical of Luton teams that I’ve played against in the past, so I think that will stand us in good stead moving forward.”

Town do have a quick opportunity to get back to winning ways when heading to Coventry this afternoon, Holmes adding: “It's just the standard cliche, recover the wounded soldiers in there and just attack them, keep the intensity, keep the energy to our performances.”