Shinnie happy to make a quick recovery from knee injury

Town midfielder Andrew Shinnie was relieved that his absence from the team lasted only a couple of games after he made his return against Derby County last weekend.
Andrew Shinnie shields the ball from brother Graeme in Town's 2-0 defeat at Derby last weekendAndrew Shinnie shields the ball from brother Graeme in Town's 2-0 defeat at Derby last weekend
Andrew Shinnie shields the ball from brother Graeme in Town's 2-0 defeat at Derby last weekend

The 30-year-old hadn’t been available against either Blackburn or Millwall after what boss Graeme Jones had described was pain in the ‘fat pad of his knee’.

It only kept Shinnie out for a short space of time though, as he said: “It doesn’t mean I’m fat!

“I’ve been gutted to miss a bit of game time, but it was there for a few weeks and it was getting gradually worse.

“I had to take a bit of time out or it would have just continued to get worse and I could have been out for a longer period.

“So unfortunately I had to take some time out, I hate missing games and training, but I rested it up, did some strength work on it, it’s been better.

“I did some training Wednesday and Thursday and played today, it felt fine, it felt okay in the game, and I could have got through 90 if I need to so I’m happy with that.”

Shinnie felt that his side’s display at Pride Park gave further evidence that the Hatters aren’t just happy to make up the numbers in the Championship this season either.

Although ultimately defeated, going down 2-0 after two errors from goalkeeper Simon Sluga, Luton more than matched their hosts for long period and could consider themselves unfortunate to leave empty-handed.

After beating Blackburn and drawing with Millwall going into the contest, Shinnie said: “It’s a disappointing points tally for the week because every game I feel like we played well.

“Blackburn, Millwall midweek and then here we played well as well.

“I don’t feel we deserved to lose the game, maybe we didn’t deserve to win it, but I felt like we played well and we showed with three games this week we can compete at this level and we’re a good team

“We want to win games, we don’t just want to make up numbers in this league.

“We feel we can come to places like Derby and win so that’s the disappointing thing.”

Despite trailing 1-0 in the 11th minute after Sluga carelessly let Matty Pearson’s backpass roll evade his control and roll into the empty net, Luton then managed to get a grip on proceedings.

It was they who were threatening a leveller in the second half before Sluga was beaten once more, allowing a Tom Lawrence cross to fly in at his near post.

Shinnie continued: “They had possession first half to be fair, we maybe sat off a little bit too much.

“But Derby have possession at Pride Park, it’s tough to come here, it’s difficult.

“Once we went more aggressive, pressed them higher, second half their fans were getting a bit edgy as well.

“I felt everything was right in the game for us to go and get an equaliser and try and win the game.

"I was actually enjoying the game, it felt like we were moving the ball well, creating chances, we had a couple we should have done better and the second goal kills it.

“It’s a strange feeling really, obviously it’s a bad feeling losing the game, but we were always in the game, second half we were dominating the game, controlling it, just trying to get that equaliser.

“Then we’ve been sucker punched with the second goal and it’s difficult to get back in the game from them.

“We acquitted ourselves well and we’re just disappointed as we feel we can come to places like this and win.”