Walsh hopes he has redeemed himself to Luton fans by sending Town to Wembley

Midfielder Liam Walsh hopes he has now fully redeemed himself to Town’s supporters after scoring a late winner to send the Hatters to Wembley on Wednesday night.

The 28-year-old had joined Town in the summer of 2024 on a free transfer, but was then sent off just 36 seconds after coming off the bench on his sixth appearance for the club, guilty of a reckless challenge on Oxford United’s Siriki Dembélé at Kenilworth Road. Banned for three games, Walsh played another four matches, when introduced just after the hour mark at Blackburn Rovers, he lasted just 11 minutes, dismissed for a rash tackle on Yuki Ohashi, with skipper Carlton Morris shoving his team-mate off the pitch, having to sit out another four fixtures.

Writing a message to the club’s supporters on social media to apologise for his indiscretions at the time, Walsh said: “As a football fan myself I understand how much I’ve let you down and I own up to that, there is no excuse. I have made not one but two mistakes now that I know myself are not good enough and not up to the standards expected as a professional.

"I’ve had a week or so to think how I can make it up to the fans of this great football club, because Luton Town is a club I want to be at and succeed at. I will be working hard so I am ready to come back to the pitch to help the boys, and also showcase to you fans how much you mean to me. I know a lot of people won’t take my apology well and rightly so, but I look forward to playing in front of you Hatters again, backing up my words and helping this club go on to success."

The ex-Everton youngster now hopes he has gone someway to doing just that, as with the Vertu Trophy semi-final scoreline against Northampton Town locked at 1-1, and with eight minutes to go, he was picked out by Kal Naismith’s short corner, unleashing a first time strike that deflected off Cobblers defender Dean Campbell to beat keeper Ross Fitzsimons and fly into the net for what proved to be the winner.

His maiden goal for the club means Luton will be heading to the home of English football next month where they will meet Stockport County in the final, and speaking to BBC Three Counties Radio afterwards about being the man who took them there, Walsh said: “That's football for you, you can have up and down one week and up again the next week.

"I think the position I was in last year, I said after all that happened that I did owe the fans something and I hope that they remember I said that now by taking them to Wembley. There is a saying that tough moments don't last and tough people do. I always found a way to come out the other side and I’ve got good people around me to help me get where I am today and I’m just glad I can pay the fans back with a good trip.

"I said earlier on to my mates in the group chat and my parents that I’ve always dreamed about playing at Wembley. I’ve never been there. Whether you’re going to there to win or lose, it’s the pinnacle of football, playing at Wembley, so what a day for me to get my first Luton Town goal. I’ve always wanted to get there, so the fact I’ve got the winning goal to get there and all the lads there, is even better.

Walsh hopes that starring against the Cobblers doesn’t just help with his own redemption, but that of the team as a whole too, the Hatters seriously underachieving this season, as with just 12 games to go, they find themselves six points adrift of even making the play-offs, something that the midfielder knows is not good enough for a side who were in the Premier League two years ago.

He continued: “It’s been an up and down season for us and I think this just gives us the little boost that we've needed. We said early on in the week we owe the fans everything really and they have stuck by us lately as we haven’t been doing as good as we want to in the league. I'm just glad we’ve got there and it's going to be a good day out.

"Our expectations have been through the roof for ourselves and we know we haven't hit them yet. There’s still a little bit to go in the season, this moment for us just puts all the tough games behind us and we just go forward from now. A trophy is a trophy and a day at Wembley too. This game is going to be massive for us, even from early on in this competition we knew where we could get. We're here now so we're going to give it everything and hopefully get a win on the day.

"Even coming in 1-0 down at half time we said we were good on the ball and the past few games we’ve been good on the ball into the final third, but we haven't been creating enough chances, shots on goal. We felt like we were well in the game, but we thought conceding that goal, we had to turn it up a gear. The talk at half time off the gaffer was just that really, give it the extra 10 percent and the goals will come.”

Playing in the deep-lying midfield berth suited Walsh to a tee on the night, as he was able to get the ball from his defenders and start Luton playing through the third, also take up some good positions in the Cobblers’ half as well, his wonderfully-executed pass finding the run of Jordan Clark who in turn picked out Nahki Wells to open the scoring.

It wasn’t the first time Walsh was able to release Clark during the contest, as happy with the role manager Jack Wilshere has given him, he was also quick to praise Naismith for his hand in the winner too, adding: “It’s a position that I like. Everyone knows I love getting on the ball and trying to control the game. The way we play out, is perfect for me. I’m enjoying it every time and if I can get on the ball, I know I can create something and it's the movement of the lads up top ahead of me that helps me out to find passes. Everyone would underestimate that pass from Kal too, as it could bobble to you and spin, but the pass was perfect for me.

"Then it’s just all about getting a good connection on the ball with all the bodies and just trying to get it on target. The pass from Kal was brilliant, and Pilks (Kevin Pilkington, head of goalkeeping) on the side mentioned it to us literally just two minutes beforehand. It wasn't planned or anything, he’s been watching the corners in the game and noticed I could get a free shot on the edge and it just worked out.”