Pelly believes Newport win could be a turning point

The former West Ham man won the late penalty which was converted by Cameron McGeehan as Luton turned what would have been a frustrating second successive home draw into three valuable points.

When asked if he thought the team could build on the result, Mpanzu said: “We can. Last season, we might have drawn or might have lost, considering we got a red card.

“But a new season, new team, a couple of new players, we’ve shown we’ve got a steely determination to come away with three points.

“Teams have got to catch us, so if we can keep putting in the performances, teams have got to catch us.

“If we came in with a draw, it might have been all right draw, but three points gives us more momentum to go on to Saturday after this victory, so we can kick on and hopefully take three points.

“Then later on in the season, we can say, that game with Newport gave us the three points and look where we are.”

Team-mates Cameron McGeehan echoed his fellow midfielder’s thoughts, saying: “Those games are really tough. They’re the ones we’ve struggled with over time. We’ve done all right against the big teams and we get right up for them because it’s a better quality of game and more to our style.

“But we’ve got to adapt it when we play against those teams; mix it up, go longer, win our physical battles.”

Mpanzu knows Town will have to improve their finishing though, to avoid needing to rely on last minute winners, as he, Danny Hylton and Jack Marriott missed chances in midweek.

He added: “It wasn’t just me that needs finishing, Jack, Hylts, we all had chances, but we’ve got to go back on the training ground and do some finishing.

“Because if we put the chances away in the first half, maybe (Johnny) Mullins wouldn’t have got a red card and the game is easier, not a 2-1 victory, it could be three, four, five.

“But three points is three points and we stay top of the table.”