Town's character is the main positive for Wilshere during cup exit

Luton boss Jack Wilshere felt yet another display of his side’s much-improved character was the main positive to take away from Saturday’s FA Cup exit at the hands of Fleetwood Town.

For the second weekend running, the Hatters conceded the first goal of the contest, Ethan Ennis’s back post volley somehow beating James Shea midway through the second half. Earlier in the season that would have been that for Town, but they were able to bounce back on this occasion, substitute Jerry Yates tapping home from close range after Gideon Kodua’s inch-perfect cross from Reuell Walters’ well directed ball over the top.

The Cod Army then went back in front with seven minutes left, Ennis on target again, netting a terrific finish past Shea, but Luton refused to let their heads drop, levelling the tie once more in stoppage time thanks to a wonderful Teden Mengi equaliser, the centre half arrowing home from just outside the box.

Although the Hatters couldn’t make their dominance count in extra time, and were subsequently knocked out 4-2 on penalties, the fact that they were able to hit back twice when going behind was a plus for Wilshere, who said: “That’s the positive and we’ve said that so many times, we’re going to need that this season.

“We speak about it all the time, moments, we have to take our moments as they’re coming back and what are we like at suffering? Do we have the quality in the final third? We did at times and we have to keep practicing at it and keep being more consistent with it because we know we will face some more games like that when teams are in a block, they make it difficult for us and we need to find a way to win games like that.”

With torrential rain greeting the players for the majority of the contest at the Highbury Stadium, plus a swirling wind, Town were still able to get the ball down and play when possible, as they looked good in the first half, creating some decent chances that Lasse Nordas and Zack Nelson in particular should have done better with, while Milli Alli also went close

Swapping ends with the scores still goalless was frustrating for the visitors, but Wilshere had been satisfied with their opening 45 minutes, as he added: “I was happy in the first half, I was happy with our performance. We spoke at half time about playing a little bit more behind them, a little bit more tempo, and they did in the second half. We just lacked a little bit of quality at moments or we missed an opportunity and then we gave away cheap goals. You think about the second half, we score and it’s 1-1, we’re pushing, pushing, pushing, they breakaway and they score a wonder goal almost. We showed character to come back, but still, we have to take our opportunities and we win that game.”