Luton came away from Deepdale disappointed with a 1-1 draw from a contest they dominated from start to finish last night. Here are our takeaways from the game.
Classy Clark continues to excel
There is so much to like about watching the Hatters these days and right up at the top of the list is the pure brilliance of Jordan Clark, a man who is really excelling in his position at the minute.
Undoubtedly helped by the arrival of Marvelous Nakamba, which allows Clark to operate in more dangerous areas, the winger-turned-central-midfielder absolutely bossed this game, picking up the ball and recycling it quickly or going past a man as if he wasn’t there.
The only thing his game lacked on the night was a goal and it took an excellent late save to deny him that. Forget what the stats tell us, our eyes can see Clicker is one of the best players in the Championship and vital to this Luton side.
Outstanding Osho offers food for thought
With Dan Potts missing for the last few matches with injury, Gabe Osho has played the last two games in the left centre-back position and might be beginning to make a genuine case for keeping that position even now the man he is deputising for is fit again and was back on the bench at Deepdale.
While there is a lack of balance in the side when the right-footed Osho is there, the defender has the pace to recover if someone goes on his outside but to counter the absence of balance his comfort on the ball and use of it are traits which suits a Rob Edwards team perfectly. Osho displayed some brilliant passing at Deepdale but was always on hand to mop up defensively too. He looks in great form right now.
Magic Morris back on the scoresheet
When you consider how regularly Carlton Morris was scoring earlier in the season, the former Barnsley forward had been enduring a mini-drought by the high standards he has set so far in his Hatters career.
He ended that at Deepdale with a header from an inch-perfect Amari’i Bell cross. That was the third good chance Morris had but while the others that were missed cost the Hatters in this match, the one he scored could outweigh that in the coming games if the dynamic striker restores his confidence and returns to being unplayable again.
Midfield depth is unprecedented
Think back nine months to when Luton were in the play-offs with midfielders clearly hampered by injuries and compare that to the present day where the depth on offer to manager Rob Edwards is at a whole new level.
He once again began the match at Preston with a midfield trio of Marvelous Nakamba, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu and Jordan Clark and was able to bring the fit again Henri Lansbury and Luke Berry off the bench, while Allan Campbell remained on it. With no place in the squad for either Louie Watson or Elliot Thorpe and Luke Freeman working his way back to fitness, Edwards’ midfield options are stacked both in numbers and quality.
Ruthless edge all that is holding Luton back
Edwards cut a frustrated figure after the final whistle at Deepdale and rightly so after seeing his side dominate every aspect of play only for them to drop two points.
Edwards has improved so much about this Luton side in his three months in charge. Defensively, the only goals Luton have conceded in the last five league games have come from the penalty spot, so if he can bring out similar improvements and a ruthless edge at the top end of the pitch this season can deliver everything everyone dreams of it doing.
Two points dropped but the bigger picture looks bright
There is no hiding from the fact that Luton dropped two points against a Preston side who were there for the taking on the night, however, the point kept Town in fourth, four points clear of seventh and very much looking up rather than down, and two-thirds into a Championship season no Town fan can ask for any more than that.
