Wilshere rues further missed chances for his misfiring Luton side at Fleetwood
Town are knocked out at The Highbury Stadium
Luton boss Jack Wilshere knows full well that there comes a point where his side simply have to start taking their chances after another disappointing performance in front of goal saw the Hatters crash out of the FA Cup after a second round exit on penalties at the hands of League Two side Fleetwood Town on Saturday.
Having put four past Exeter in the Vertu Trophy a few days beforehand, Lasse Nordas scoring a double, hopes were high that Town could take that clinical edge with them to the Highbury Stadium when going up against a Cod Army side who had only lost once on home soil this term. With Nordas starting again, it was he who was played through on goal twice in the first half, rounding keeper David Harrington only to then slip on the sodden surface as the chance went begging, also denied by the stopper’s legs when connecting with Lamine Fanne’s threaded pass.
Zack Nelson and Milli Alli both sent shots wide, as Town had the majority of the possession in the opening 45 minutes, but still swapped ends with the scores goalless. After the break, although the goals did begin to flow, at both ends, it was a similar story, as they continued to look the more likely, only for Ethan Ennis to open the scoring when his volley squirmed through James Shea.
Luton did hit back through Jerry Yates, while Mads Andersen put a header over, as Ennis then put the Cod Army back in front, only for centre half Teden Mengi’s stoppage time cracker to ensure extra time. During the added half an hour, Shayden Morris tested Harrington, as Kal Naismith, Gideon Kodua and Fanne were all off target, meaning when the shootout rolled around, the visitors went out 4-2, Jacob Brown and Liam Walsh seeing their efforts saved.
A frustrated Wilshere knew it should have been the Hatters’ number in the hat for round three though, as his side finished with 63 percent of the ball, and 21 shots, seven on target, as Fleetwood had the same amount from just 11 attempts. Town also forced 10 corners to the hosts five as although Wilshere thinks he has seen an improvement in front of goal during his time in charge, with five games still to come before the transfer window opens and he can finally look to bolster his forward ranks, he knows they need to start being better in the final third, saying: “They were (Fleetwood) good and we knew that.
"I know their manager (Pete Wild) and his energy and attitude towards football is never say die so they’re always going to be in it and they made it difficult in moments. We had to expect that and we did expect that and we have to take our opportunities. It’s frustrating, it’s not an individual thing, it’s a team thing, because it’s been probably a few games where it’s been like that.
"They don't need to do much to create and score a goal and then we create so many moments where we don’t quite take it and we probably score the most difficult ones. We have to keep working towards it. The most important thing is we arrive there but then there gets to a point where you have to score. We’ve been working on it a lot and to be honest with you I think we have improved.
"It looks like we are a little bit more calm in front of goal and I still think there has been an improvement where we’re calmer, but we have to finish the action. It’s not always easy to be fair, it’s the hardest thing to do in football and you don’t score loads and loads and loads of goals, especially in this league, especially against teams that make it difficult for you.
"We have to keep working and keep practicing it and just take our moments. The most important thing is we are creating them, and hopefully something will change our luck. We have to keep working on it, keep practicing in training, keep finding different finishes, different ways to arrive, as it’s frustrating.”
The manner in which Town did score pleased Wilshere though, especially the first goal that saw Reuell Walters’ long ball over the top perfectly in the path of Kodua who was able to bring it down and cross for Yates to tap home from a few yards out. Wilshere added: “That’s what we spoke about at half time, playing a little bit more behind them as they had a high line and sometimes they were jumping out in certain areas. It was nice that again the subs came on and made an impact. We’re fortunate we have a squad who can do that, we can change the three front men and three new players can come on and make a difference, so we’re happy with that.”