Rea hits the target to answer Luton chief's pre-match plea

Glen Rea carried out his manager Nathan Jones' wishes to a tee after scoring from a set-piece at Yeovil Town on Saturday.
Glen Rea climbs highest to head his side 3-0 in front at YeovilGlen Rea climbs highest to head his side 3-0 in front at Yeovil
Glen Rea climbs highest to head his side 3-0 in front at Yeovil

The 22-year-old rose highest to cushion a header from Alan Sheehan’s free kick past Artur Krysiak and make it 3-0 to the visitors on 55 minutes, notching his third of the season and first since November.

Rea, who had come close in the first half too, seeing an effort cleared off the line, now doesn’t want the wait to be as long for number four, saying: “I need to start scoring more really, that’s my aim really.

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“I tried to head it back across, and it went in, so I’m buzzing with that.

Glen Rea celebrates netting his third goal of the seasonGlen Rea celebrates netting his third goal of the season
Glen Rea celebrates netting his third goal of the season

“For me personally, scoring a goal again was good, but the main thing is the team performance, that’s the most important thing.

“We got the clean sheet, got the win and move on to the next game now.”

Boss Nathan Jones admitted he had spoken to his side’s defenders about netting more efforts from such situations prior to the match, as he said: “We scored from a set play which was again very, very pleasing.

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“We’d talked about that in our pre-match meeting. Our back four, can one of them score? And we did that.

Glen Rea celebrates netting his third goal of the seasonGlen Rea celebrates netting his third goal of the season
Glen Rea celebrates netting his third goal of the season

“So there’s a lot of pleasing aspects.

“To come here and win 4-0 and put in a performance like that is so pleasing.”

Striker Danny Hylton was pleased to see the goals being shared round too, as he said: “The gaffer’s on them a lot to be fair, especially Glen.

“He gets his head on a lot of set-pieces and the ball just doesn’t go in.

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“It’s nice for him, a great header and a great ball by Sheez, it just looped in.”

Rea’s goal made it 3-0 to Hatters on the day, but it was the quickfire start that gained them complete control, with Hylton on target twice by the half hour mark.

The summer signing from Brighton said: “That’s what we needed, the gaffer said start bright, start well and I thought we did that.

“He said get a clean sheet, get the first goal and win the game, so we’ve done all three.

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“We got the two goals, go in at half time, come out again and got another two goals, it’s pretty much perfect really.

“There are a few things we’ve got to work on but it’s just a good day for us.”

To add the icing on the cake late on, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu notched his first goal of the season, with Rea adding: “He’s been playing really well, so has everyone to be fair, I’m buzzing for him to get his goal.”

Although finishing the game as the holding midfielder, Rea had begun alongside Scott Cuthbert at the heart of Town’s defence.

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With that in mind, he was quick to bask in some of the glory of a first away shut out since the 2-0 win at Blackpool in December.

He said“I claim the clean sheet 100 per cent!

“Obviously I’d rather defend anyway, so I’ll defend in midfield. Keeping the clean sheet is the main thing, getting the goal is just a bonus.”