Hatters chief Graeme Jones hailed match-winner James Collins as a player who epitomising ‘everything good’ about Luton as his tenth of the season saw off Sheffield Wednesday to lift the club off the foot of the Championship.
The striker could have scored after 13 second when Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu was tripped in the penalty box, but his cracked his spot-kick off the crossbar.
But Collins was on target in the 23rd minute, having robbed the ball off Dominic Iorfa and converting a cross from Harry Cornick, who had rounded Owls stopper Cameron Dawson.
Town’s top scorer could have had a first half hat-trick had he not lifted another chance over the bar, soon after his goal, but his contribution to Town scrapping to their second win in four game games did not go unnoticed.
Jones said: “James Collins represents everything that is good about this club.
“He doesn’t know when he’s beat, and always gives everything he’s got. He’s optimistic even under circumstances that don’t allow you to be optimistic. and he got his reward tonight.”
Town should have been 4-0 up at the break, with Izzy Brown also missing a golden chance, but they did not relinquish their advantage, with a resolute second half showing to claim just their second clean sheet in the league this season.
“What pleased me was it was the same level of performance we got on Saturday, just tonight we got rewarded,” said Jones.
“The level of performance has been there for the last five games and I’ve got a group of players that I’m proud of, I love their honesty.
“People have tried to fraction us many, many times and the group’s together and it’s such a powerful tool.
“I’ve not felt it in a dressing room really since I’ve played, I thought it had gone out of the game.
“Results is one thing, performances is another, and our performances since Birmingham at home, where we learnt our lessons, have been totally acceptable.
“It’s just another variable against us, I can give us a list now if you want, nobody makes any excuses and the boys keep coming back.
“My staff work their backsides off every single day, players work their backsides off, to try and keep the club in the Championship.
“So, I’m delighted with the standards, as that’s all I spoke about in the dressing room on Saturday, but can we learn our lessons, can we take our chances when they come along?
“There’s only one, but one’s enough, we didn’t get one on Saturday. Then it’s can we manage the game better when we’re under pressure, on 60 minutes?
“We spoke about, firstly, can we do it with ball and composure, if not, we need to gain territory, so human beings learn their lessons, that gives me enormous pleasure.”
