Luton boss Matt Bloomfield wants his side to deliver a performance worthy of Kenilworth Road’s 120th birthday today as the old ground’s milestone is marked when Plymouth visit.
The Hatters resumed rivalries with the Pilgrims after both sides got relegated from the Championship last term, when Argyle’s unlikely point in LU4 was one of a number of nails in Town’s survival hopes.
Luton have not beaten the Devon outfit since they were last in the division in 2018 when a James Collins hat-trick was part of a resounding 5-1 victory for Town, that came early on in a 28-game unbeaten run that led to the title.
Two promotions and two consecutive relegations since that triumph and Luton are hoping to inject some more feel-good factor into the early season after their biggest victory in 11 months sent them into the international break on the back of a 3-0 win over Burton Albion.
“It’s what our focus is on. We want to celebrate such a good day for the anniversary of the ground, 120 years of such an historic and characteristic football ground,” Bloomfield said of Kenilworth Road’s big bash, adding: “It’d be lovely to put on a real good show and we are focused on performing the best we possibly can and trying to pick up the points.”
Town’s solitary point last term against a Plymouth side who finished rock bottom of the Championship were two of the significant Luton results that ensured this fixture repeated again this season in the third tier.
This time, the Hatters won’t be coming up against a Miron Muslic side after the manager left Home Park in May to be replaced by an old adversary in the shape of Tom Cleverley, who last season was in charge of arch-rivals Watford.
Against the former Manchester United midfielder, Bloomfield suffered one of his more painful Hatters defeats with a 2-0 derby day drubbing that was done by half-time. So, he hopes Kenilworth Road is in full birthday voice to welcome his opposite number and his men in green.
“I like him, I think he’s a good guy, but it’ll be a good atmosphere on Saturday,” the Town boss said, adding: “I really hope it’s going to be a good one. I want our fans to really get behind us. I know they will and I hope we can put on a show that inspires them as well.”
After a rocky start, where Plymouth lost their first four games of the season, Cleverley’s team, despite shipping the division highest 15 goals, have managed two wins out of their last three league outings, the last of which was a high-scoring 4-2 triumph over Stockport County, who were one of the bookmakers’ pre-season favourites for promotion.
But the Pilgrims have lost every League One game away from Home Park this term, as like Luton, they’re still adjusting after a summer rebuild where the signed 14 new players, including the signing of Town striker Bim Pepple, who failed to make a first-team appearance at Kenilworth Road.
While the Canadian is yet to score in eight appearances, Bloomfield name-checked Caleb Watts and Lorent Tolaj who, between them, have netted half of Plymouth’s eight league goals so far this term.
“Watts a real good player. Tolaj, obviously we know him. I saw him at Aldershot and went on to Port Vale and is climbing the leagues and looks like a real potent threat, so they’ve got players that can hurt us,” Bloomfield warned.
“We saw that as well with shots from outside the box last weekend [against Stockport]. They scored two, so they’ve got players that can offer a real threat. They’ve got a nice athletic profile about them. They’re a good team that’s obviously growing and improving week by week as well, so it’s a tough test for us.
“Like ourselves, [they’ve had] a big turnover in the summer. So Tom’s trying to get his group together and settling them down into a system and a formation and a way of playing that he believes in, but also integrating a lot of new players.
“But they beat Stockport last weekend and we know Stockport’s a very strong team in this league. It’s going to be a real stern test for us. They’ve got some real good players and we have to be we have to be ready.”
Bloomfield has been boosted by the return to fitness of defenders Mads Andersen and Teden Mengi, while midfielder Marvelous Nakamba is set to be welcomed back into the fold, though his return from international duty yesterday may mean the Plymouth game is too soon for the Zimbabwean who has not featured at all since April.
But with Kenilworth Road celebrating 120 years today and the Hatters eyeing a club-record Football Leaguer defensive run, the clash promises atmosphere and significance in equal measure.
