Manager Nathan Jones said naive defending cost Luton in their clash against play-off rivals Huddersfield, but urged fans not to put any blame on Elijah Adebayo after he missed a crucial penalty.
The Terriers took the lead when Jon Russell lobbed Hatters keeper James Shea, but they had a chance to get back on terms when James Bree was tripped by Daniel Sinani.
However, top scorer Adebayo missed the target and the hosts went on to seal victory at the death when Baby Sarr had a free header at the back post.
“It’s two naive bits of defending and that’s cost us and, yeah, that’s been further compounded by a penalty miss when we were really in the ascendancy. So that has changed the direction of the game but that’s what Championship football is.”
It was the second time this term that Adebayo has missed from the penalty spot and Jones admitted that his star striker wasn’t quite at the races in the televised top-six clash.
“He was way off it, for his own standards. He sets high standards and when he’s like that it’s further compounded,” said Jones.
“It’s similar to away at Forest when he missed a pen at a key time. Those are big things. It could be an extra three points or an extra four points and then it’s a different thing.
“We can’t afford to do that because we’re at our limit, but he’ll come back. He’s been excellent this year, so let’s not put any blame because he’s been wonderful. He’s been a really good focal point for us and we go again on Friday. He’s going to be back at it.”
Town host the another play-off rival and the division’s form team in Nottingham Forest on Good Friday, when their ability to bounce back will be severely tested, not least because of what Jones told the club’s website is a “catastrophic injury list”.
Already without key midfielder Jordan Clark and with Luke Berry, the defeat at Huddersfield saw Henri Lansbury (neck) and Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu (knee) depart early, further depleting Town’s squad.
Jones said: “We’re picking up injuries and having to make subs in the first half. We’re missing midfield players and having to put makeshift people in there. It’s catastrophic at the minute in terms of what it’s doing but we’ve got to roll with the punches.
“We’ve got big players who are missing. We’ve got Luke Berry and Jordan Clark who are coming back, who are big players, have energy and quality and these are not quite ready to go yet.
“We’re losing people. We’ve had centre halves who are out but we’ve got to contend with it, as I’m sure others are, though not quite as bad, I think.
“But we’ve been the victim of our own downfall tonight. One, if we score the penalty it’s a different goal. Two, if we defending certain situations, which are basic situations, because they didn’t have to work hard for them, then it’s a different game.”
But the reverse was Luton’s first in five games and, perhaps more concerning, extended their winless run to three games since returning from the international break.
It strengthened Huddersfield’s play-off place, moving them up to third in the Championship while Luton are in fifth with just a two-point cushion.
However, eighth-placed Middlesbrough can leapfrog them if they win their game in hand by three goals.
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