Kasey Palmer believes Devante Cole made the most of a rare Hatters opportunity after the striker continued his recent scoring run with his first league goal for Luton in Saturday’s 4-1 victory at Wycombe Wanderers.
Cole scored at Adams Park to take his tally to three goals in his last three games, having previously gone the first nine months of his Hatters career without finding the net, and previously not making the League One match-day squad at all this term.
The forward had scored twice in successive EFL Trophy ties before pouncing from close range as Emilio Lawrence’s shot was parried into his path at Adams Park.
Palmer, who scored a stunner, believes his team-mate has done everything asked of him as he now looks to establish himself in Jack Wilshere’s plans.
“It’s not been that easy for him, but he’s popped up with two goals in the Vertu [now renamed the Jersey Mike’s Subs’ Trophy], and then he gets his chance, and he scores again. So he’s done everything right,” Palmer told the BBC.
“If you speak to him, he knows it’s not really gone for him, but he’s worked hard, and [his] fortune’s change. As you can see, the last three games, he scored three goals, and there’s not much more he can do. And I think now he’s asking Jack the question of, ‘when’s my next chance gonna come?’
“That’s football and hopefully, it can keep going for him. We need everyone firing, and if Devante starts going, Marshy [Callum Marshall], Nakhi [Wells], it adds a lot to the team, and we know we’ve got goalscorers, that can score goals.”
Wilshere was also pleased to see Cole’s persistence rewarded after a difficult start to life as a Hatter, explaining that the striker had continued working on his finishing even when the goals and games were not coming.
The manager said: “He’s scored goals his whole career, especially at this level. And he then comes here and it doesn’t quite work for him, but he sticks to his process. He works hard, but that still doesn’t quite work out for him. And then all of a sudden he scores two in two and he looks a different player. And that’s the life of a number nine.
“A number nine will go through the phases. He worked on finishing all the time, but it just wouldn’t quite fall for him. And that affected his confidence, but he looks a different player.”
The 31-year-old’s return to the league squad for the first time this term came at the expense of Callum Marshall, who Wilshere confirmed was absent from the Wycombe trip because of a personal issue.
“I want to give him all the time that he needs and protect him,” the Hatters boss said, adding: “He’s a young boy and he’s one of us. So yeah, unfortunately it wasn’t right for him to be here [Wycombe] today. Hopefully he’ll be back with us soon.”
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