Luton boss Rob Edwards said it was “frustrating” not to claim victory at Blackburn Rovers due to a late Hayden Carter leveller, but insisted it’s now all about taking momentum into the play-offs.
The Hatters had already qualified for the end-of-season shake-up, and they’d had third place in the Championship confirmed before they’d even kicked a ball at Ewood Park, due to Middlesbrough’s 1-0 defeat at Rotherham.
Tom Lockyer’s second in two games, soon after half-time, put Town in the box seat for a second win on the spin. But Carter’s header from a corner meant a share of the spoils, even though each side hit the bar.
“Overall, a draw might have been a fair result”, said Edwards. “But after going one-nil up and then conceding late to a set-piece is a bit disappointing for all of us. The game as a whole, we didn’t start well. I thought we reacted brilliantly at half-time and deservedly went one-nil up and then not to see it out was a bit frustrating but overall, really pleased.”
That game still had something riding on it with Rovers realistically needing a victory to maintain hopes of joining Luton in the play-offs, but for the Hatters it provided an opportunity to get minutes into the legs of some of their previously injured players.
Edwards said: “(It was) good to get Fred (Onyedinma) and Pottsy (Dan Potts) back on the pitch, and again, Clicker (Jordan Clark) getting 65 minutes was great, Freeze (Luke Freeman) getting more minutes again, being able to get Marv (Nakamba) and Carlton (Morris) off as well, overall, things were really good.”
Asked if some of his other injured players, like Cauley Woodrow or Reece Burke, would have to feature in the final day of the regular season against Hull on Monday in order to be considered for the play-offs, Edwards said: “Not necessarily.
“For the play-offs, there’s obviously two games guaranteed. I won’t rule anyone out yet, but we’re hoping to have a couple of them in contention for next week, which would be great for us.”
But for the Luton manager, there’s one thing is key.
“I want to stress, we want to keep momentum, we want to keep this run going, it’s really important going into these (play-off) games,” said Edwards.
“Our thinking over the last couple of weeks is to try and keep the run going and keep performing well, but at the same time we want to be fit and fresh and arriving into that (play-off) game, which we know now will be on a Saturday, the first one.
“There’s a bit for us all to think about, but I know the lads will back whatever decision we do make and give us everything.”
The draw at Blackburn did however stretch Town’s unbeaten run to 13 games, while on the road that record stands at 12.
And whatever happens in the next month, Town have already improved on last term’s sixth-placed finish, making it the seventh season in a row that the club has improved on their previous campaign.
Edwards told the BBC: “It’s a big credit to everyone at the club. To build on the brilliant work of last season, to go higher again for I don’t know how many seasons that is in a row that the club have done that. It’s amazing.
“So, I’m really proud of everyone, the players and the supporters that came a long way even though the game’s one TV, so thank you to them, they were great.”
