Returning Deeney's pride as U's defeat sees Luton U18s crowned champions

Luton Town U18s were crowned EFL Youth Alliance South champions last week following nearest rivals’ Oxford United’s 2-0 defeat against Portsmouth.

The Hatters had finished their 27-game campaign with an 8-1 thrashing of Newport County, but the U’s still had two games to play and even though they could not match Town’s 68-point haul, if they won both they would triumph on a points-per-game from their 26 fixtures. However, a defeat to Pompey meant those hopes were dashed, as boss Joe Deeney, himself a former Luton scholar and young professional, who returned to Kenilworth Road from Dunstable Town in the summer, leading the youngster’s to 22 wins, two draws and three losses, told the club’s official website: “I’m very proud.

"Coming back to the club, the ultimate aim at the start of the season was to make sure we won it. I think it was harder this year with it being over a 27 game season, as opposed to what they've done in the past, as a sort of halfway point in the South-East Division, then you join the South-West for a Merit Division. So it's been ups and downs throughout the season across the whole of the south. We didn’t start off the season great – we got beaten 3-0 away at Oxford, but the growth has been excellent.

“If you look at the last six weeks, we’ve scored six goals in injury time, which have been big, big moments when you actually reflect on it. Going into injury time against Bromley 3-2 down and coming back to win 4-3. Stevenage in the 92nd minute, we had MK Dons, somehow losing 1-0 in injury time and won 2-1. Even last week at Forest Green, to go there and be 2-2 going into the last minute and score a late penalty, sums up really where the group’s been.

"The group and all of the staff have been really good with that mentality, the spirit, never to quit. It’s been very difficult, especially when you knew it was going to semi-fall out of our hands, because Oxford could have actually won the division, having played a game less but on points per game. The players deserve a lot of credit. We’ve had to chop and change at times this year with the Under-21s needing players, and we’ve had 18s stepping up there, and the Under-16s stepping up to us.”

The youngsters, who received a fine ovation on their lap of honour around the Kenilworth Road pitch during the half-time break when Luton beat Coventry City 1-0 on Saturday, could also make it two pieces of silverware this term, as Deeney added: “We’ve got the Under-17 cup final at Swansea on Sunday and as I said to the players, well done, enjoy these moments because to win anything is difficult in football, but don’t now go, ‘well that’s the season finished’. That’s the big message they’ll be getting. Don’t go ‘Oh, we won one, but had the disappointment of losing a cup final’.

"Let’s go and win a double, and that’ll speak volumes of the work the lads have put in. The demands have been high. We want to finish the season on a positive and want to go to Swansea and win, complete the double. Ultimately, I don’t want this to be the biggest achievement of their careers, and that’s the message to them. Now the demands become harder.

"We are not in beach mode, if anything, the expectations are higher and it’ll be great for us because what we will see is how well do they handle a big environment? How well do they handle a big stadium? A different kind of pressure? So hopefully by May fourth the football club will be celebrating more than just another cup final.” » Luton U16s, coached by Jack Cartwight, have also won their EFL Youth Alliance South Division League.