Jamie Donley bagged a sweetly struck brace as Luton brushed aside Doncaster Rovers, with boss Jack Wilshere revealing pride for his players over a third straight victory that propelled them to the precipice of the play-off places.
In a dominant display, until a shaky final 10 minutes, the Hatters showed few ill effects of a congested fixture schedule, with Callum Marshall – back in the starting XI for the first time in over a month – setting Town on their way from the spot, having bagged the late winner against Leicester City on Saturday.
This wasn’t the same thrilling, swashbuckling show, but Town grew into the game and produced a solid, professional display with the occasional sprinkle of stardust.
Wilshere said: “We had to get hold of that and find our way in the game, which can happen, after a big performance on Saturday and the game ends in the way it did, which takes a lot of emotional energy and then the players have to go again.
“We need players that can do that because that is the demands at this level, but it’s not easy. I know that from my experience as a player, it’s not always easy to go in that third game.
“I’m happy for the players and proud of them for that because we found a way in the first half. I thought we deserved our lead at half-time.
“And then that was a message at half-time because if we go to the next level, we can take this game away from them because we also knew that it was their third game in a week. Credit to the players because that took a lot.”
Kasey Palmer, in particular, was crucial to that step up in quality. He ran the show, and there is now a body of evidence to show that the Jamaican international is back to his best.
As too was Kal Naismith among a host of strong performances, which included Nahki Wells until he went off injured just before the break.
The Bermudan had pulled up holding his hamstring after trying to tee up Marshall, but a few minutes later Palmer had his collar felt in the penalty box by Jamie Sterry and the young Irishman fired his second in two games, stepping up from spot-kick understudy to Wells.
It was what Luton deserved at the break, having survived only one Rovers chances early on. But what a chance it was as an unmarked Neill Byrne headed over at the back post from a set piece.
But six minutes into the restart, Jake Richards – the second of two changes to the starting XI – teeing up Donley whose strike from the edge of the area was a sumptuously hit arrow into the bottom corner.
The Northern Ireland international repeated the feat on 72 minutes, wrapping his left peg around a loose ball after a Rovers mistake gave him the slightest glimpse at goal. He took it.
He’d also fired in during the first half from an acute angled free-kick but the goal was bizarrely disallowed as it clipped Wells on the way in. Wilshere was equally as baffled by the decision afterwards.
Town really should’ve seen out a comfortable evening, but they got sloppy in the final ten minutes and that elusive clean sheet went begging in when Bayley McCann looped a header over James Shea. It’s eight weeks and counting since Luton’s last shutout, but with forward play now producing the goods, it was a minor gripe in a good evening.
Rovers substitute Jordan Thomas caused problems too, but Town weathered the late stand to move within one point of the top six with a game in hand on fifth placed Plymouth.
What a difference 10 days makes. After the misery in Milton Keynes, now, at last, Luton’s season has lift off.
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