Kal Naismith insists Luton’s players were excited rather than nervous ahead of their historic trip to MK Dons, but admits the 2-1 defeat was a sore one after the Hatters created so many chances.
The Town captain said the players had gone into Saturday’s League One fixture determined to build on their emphatic 4-1 victory at Wycombe Wanderers the previous weekend, with more than 6,000 supporters making the short journey to Stadium MK.
Luton recovered from going behind to an Alex Gibley wonder strike to level in the second half through Jordan Clark. But just as Town looked capable of taking control, George Johnston conceded a penalty to see his side leave empty-handed against a side that had not won in the league all season.
The result prompted boos from the larger than usual travelling support at half-time and full-time, with Naismith accepting that fans had every right to voice their frustration, while praising the backing they had given the team during the match.
The build up was dominated by talk of the controversial football history Luton and Milton Keynes, stretching back more than 40 years to when fans fought a proposed bid to relocate the Hatters to Buckinghamshire, before that fate ultimately befell Wimbledon two decades ago.
Asked whether there had been any nervousness given the occasion, Naismith said: “No, honestly, there was just excitement. We’re coming off the back of that Wycombe game. It was, ‘all right. This is who we want to be, we’ll kick on now’.
“The excitement all week at how many fans that were coming to the game. We knew they were going to to be right behind us and then the atmosphere before the game during the game, everything was top and they’ve got a right to voice their opinion after the game, but you can’t question the support during, they gave us absolutely everything.
“They respond when we score, one each, it’s amazing in that support. So, no, I don’t think there was any pressure. It’s a privilege to have a fan base like that, and we just wanted to get that win to nail the consistency to kick on and go into Tuesday [against Barnsley] and the atmosphere be bubbling again.We need to respond, and we will.”
Naismith said the mood in the dressing room immediately afterwards was understandably low, with the skipper saying: “Everyone’s pretty down, as you would expect. It’s a game where we had so much pressure, so many chances, attacking their box and to come away getting nothing, it’s a tough one to take. It’s a sore one but we need to bounce back.”
The defender felt there had been plenty to encourage the Hatters after their previous win, but was frustrated that they had again allowed a promising position to slip away.
“Last week [at Wycombe] was exactly what we wanted to be. There were signs there [at MK Dons] that were exactly who we want to be as well.”
Naismith admitted that Gibley’s strike from 35 yards out was, “a goal of the season contender, which everyone seems to score against us.”
He added: “We came out in the second half, and we just dominate, we score. The energy then, that fans give is incredible and you think there’s only one team going to win, and that’s football, you get hit again.
“Just after the game, and some respect to them, they’re fighting well, how have we lost that game? That’s why the atmosphere is so low. We have been here before and the lads, to be fair to them, have always bounced back, so I’ve no doubt that we’ll go again on Tuesday.”
Naismith said the immediate aftermath of Luton’s equaliser had shown the impact the supporters could have, but felt some carelessness on the ball had helped MK Dons regain a foothold before scoring their second goal.
“With respect to them [MK], they’re a good side, but when we score, 1-1, and then you hear the roar from a crowd and how much energy it gives us, it’s like, right, I’ve been here before, we just go again and go again and, fully in my mind, thinking positive, like I do, I expected to go and win the game.
“It’s disappointing, because we scored and we get that energy, but then we fell back into it a little bit, giving the ball away and a little bit of sloppiness, it gives them a bit of something. Then they scored and then instead of going again, we give the ball away and it’s just a tiny bit of sloppiness, just started to creep in, whether that’s concentration, but we’ll keep going, stick together, we keep working with it and need to bounce back.”
The captain also backed George Johnson to recover from the mistake that contributed to the defeat, praising the defender’s wider performance and character.
“He’s down, but I said to him he’ll bounce back, I know he will, he’s that type of character. I spoken about his character. As good as he’s played, and he’s been outstanding, for me, and he was outstanding [on Saturday]. I thought the two centre halves were incredible. They won absolutely everything against two strikers that they leave up constantly.
“George was amazing and it’s a little mistake that he knows, and then you try and rectify the mistake. I been there, I’ve done it, but he’ll bounce back. He’s been outstanding, but more importantly, is his character around the place, and I know that won’t faze him.”
Luton will aim to respond tonight when when Barnsley visit Kenilworth Road.
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