Wilshere didn't think 'tired' Hatters were guilty of trying to hold on against County

Luton boss Jack Wilshere was disappointed that his side’s lengthy wait for a clean sheet continued during what he felt was at times a ‘tired’ second half performance against Stockport County yesterday, although didn’t think on this occasion it was down to Town attempting just to hang on to the points as they have been guilty of in the past.

The Hatters had impressed greatly during the opening 45 minutes at Kenilworth Road, as up against a visiting side who were sitting inside the top six, and an opposition they really needed to defeat in a bid to get above the dotted line themselves, they looked the better of the two teams, going close through Kasey Palmer’s 20-yard shot and then taking the lead courtesy of Emilio Lawrence’s wonderful first senior goal, the Manchester City loanee hammering in from just outside the area.

Town then went close to second, but after the break, as they have done on a few occasions recently, especially against Burton Albion and Doncaster Rovers in particular, never really threatened finding the net again, Kal Naismith’s looping header easily tipped over by Corey Addai. Although looking comfortable, Wilshere opted to take off a tiring Kasey Palmer as of a triple substitution on 72 minutes, Lawrence and Devante Cole also making way for Gideon Kodua, Davy van den Berg and Ali Al-Hamadi.

However, just five minutes later, Stockport then won a free kick by the touch-line, Ollie Norwood able to catch Josh Keeley out at his near post to restore parity, while as had happened Reading, Luton almost lost it in the closing stages, Naismith doing superbly to repel a ball in that flashed across the area at the back post with a visiting attacker waiting for a tap-in.

Although Town couldn’t see the result out in what was their 11th game in 36 days, Wilshere didn’t think his side had been simply looking to cling on, saying: “You can feel it in the first half, that was our moment because it feels like at the moment we probably have to score two goals to win a game. That being said, if we do defend like that going forward, especially in and around our box and our half, I think we will keep clean sheets.

"We’re frustrated because we haven’t had a clean sheet for a while. We’ve spoken about that and it’s not just a defender’s thing, we defend with 11 players and we have to improve that. Today’s goal is different. We have given away too many goals and too many cheap goals recently, so we have to look at the second half and take the positives out of that and look at how we defend, show the players that, because we stopped them.

"They had a lot of the ball, there’s no doubt about that, but they didn’t hurt us, they didn’t play through us. When they played into our box we defended it really well, when we were in one v one situations outside, we defended it really well. We doubled up at times, they gave a lot of energy into those moments, and the goal is a moment of quality. We’re frustrated, of course we are, but I think it’s probably an isolated moment where maybe we can look at the foul, we don’t have to maybe give a foul away in that area.

"We’re frustrated with it, but a lot of positives from the defending side of it as well. I think we can use the ball better, as if you don’t use the ball you’re forced to defend and when they have a player like Norwood, he kept dropping out and if you haven’t got the energy, which I thought we looked tired in the second half which is understandable, if you haven’t got the energy to press and push up the pitch, then at times you have to let them drop out and dictate.

"It becomes difficult to put pressure on the ball and then you have to defend in your unit, be compact with your team-mates and I thought we did that with some real positives in there, closing the inside, forcing them outside, so I don’t think we held on, because we couldn’t use the ball well enough we were forced to defend and we did that really well. I would say a different way of trying to see out a game but I thought that we were there and not just trying to hold on.”

Despite the result, which saw Luton lose huge ground in the race for the top six, now seemingly unlikely to be able to catch either of the teams who are fifth and sixth, who both have games in hand, Wilshere still there was lots to be positive from his side’s performance, particularly in the first half, adding “Especially as a lot of the players were asked to go again after a three game week, on a higher profile game, on TV, I thought the boys were excellent. I thought we were aggressive, thought we had variation in our attack, thought a lot of the time they were trying to close off our central passes, but I can think of Izzy (Jones) getting in a few times, Emilio getting in a few times.

"We had a lot of variation, but just frustrating that we probably scored the harder opportunity. Really happy with the first half and also the second half as I thought we stuck together, we were compact, we didn't let them play through us which they were trying to do when they came into our box. We defended crosses, yes we have to use the ball better and when we counter-attack we have to make better decisions, but a lot to like.”

Not getting the second goal was key for Wilshere though, who felt the inability to do so was a real opportunity missed, adding: “Yes, you could feel it, I could feel it in the first half it was the moment to really keep our foot on their throat and get the next one and then potentially get the next one. I thought the pleasing thing was that we were still there and still trying to create opportunities and good opportunities as well, but the frustrating part was that we didn’t hit the back of the net.“