Boss Matt Bloomfield hit out at decisions that cost his ten-men Hatters as they got thumped by Burnley after Kal Naismith was sent off with 72 minutes remaining.
Town will now be without the suspended Scot for the crucial relegation six-pointer at Cardiff on Tuesday – the preparation for which couldn’t have gone any worse. But, then again, when things can go wrong for Luton, they inevitable have – with bells on.
Bloomfield disputed Naismith’s first caution, but the second was naive from an experienced campaigner. With him back in the dressing room Town held out until 30 minutes when substitute Mark McGuinness, introduced to try and add some stability to the depleted backline, put through his own net.
Though the Clarets had just seen 12 straight consecutive clean sheets spoiled in midweek, they still had six straight shutouts at their impenetrable home, so the own goal was effectively game over from there – but referee Stephen Martin and his assistants still made it worse, certainly for goals two and three.
“I feel angry. I feel disappointed for our players and our supporters,” Bloomfield told LTFC+.
“There were a number of decisions that have gone the wrong way today and they’ve had a big impact on the result of the football match, there’s no getting away from that.
“I’m not usually the one to say it, so maybe I shouldn’t because it’s not the right look, I don’t think, but it’s inevitable after a game like that, the main talking points are around decisions that have gone against us.
“They’re major things that affected the result of the game. I thought, with 11 men, the game plan was absolutely fine. We were sound, we were solid, we were secure. There was no threat on our goal.
“In my opinion, and I was stood five yards away, Kal’s got the ball with his first challenge. In my opinion, Zack’s [Nelson] had to try and dribble around the referee and go tackled as a result.
“In my opinion, the ball was a yard off the pitch [for the third goal]. In my opinion, Christ [Makosso] got kicked in the box and we don’t get a penalty.”
If there’s one ground this season where a visiting team needs every bit of luck they can get, it’s Turf Moor, but Luton’s perpetual lack fortune or favour was laid bare again.
Lyle Foster made it 2-0 just before half time, with Luton players protesting down the tunnel after Mr Merchant had got in the way of Nelson. Josh Brownhill made it three early in the second period, though the assist was supplied from beyond the byline, and Jordan Clark was booked for his protests. Then Ashley Barnes bagged a fourth with virtually the last kick of the game.
For a Clarets side that have hardly been free-scoring this term, they’ve notched 16.33 per cent of their entire season’s haul against the Hatters.
Bloomfield told the BBC: “I’m not going to criticise my players. It’s not my style. I’m not going to do it. However much I’m asked, I’m not going to criticise them.
“The boys’ discipline, structure, shape, was excellent for the first 18 minutes and with ten men it’s going to be tough, but we defended the goal.
“I’m very proud of the way the boys kept going with ten men. It would have been an easy second half to go under and they didn’t. The boys stood up to be counted. They were fighting.
“And we have to recognise that irrespective of the result and the emotion of the occasion, we have to recognise that the boys fought and they kept running and they’re actually looking for a goal back in, even at 3-0 down towards the end of the game.
“We had a couple of corners. Milli [Alli] came on, gave us energy. I thought he was excellent. Lamine [Fanne] came on, gave us energy. He was excellent. Jacob Brown came on, gave his energy.”
But from the highs of a first win as Hatters boss, last week against Portsmouth, this was another blow in their battle to beat the drop.
This game was never going to decide their fate, but it does heap huge pressure on Tuesday’s trip to the Welsh capital, with Cardiff effectively six points ahead of them but still the team to catch.
Bloomfield said: “It’s about what we do between now and the end of the season. That would’ve been the same irrespective of the result today. It’s about what we do. We have to keep focused and not let anything else affect our work. That’s simple and that’s how I conduct myself and that won’t change.”
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