It’s the hype that kills you! Jack Wilshere’s honeymoon as Luton manager came to a crushing conclusion as his side were the masters of their own disastrous downfall against Mansfield.
Nakhi Wells had a first half five minute spell to forget as he saw a penalty saved by Liam Roberts – his second spot-kick miss in successive home games – and then misplaced a pass to Rhys Oates who ruthlessly punished the error with a stunning top corner curler.
Just before the hour mark, Mads Andersen was then adjudged to have handled the ball for Tyler Roberts to seal Luton’s demise from the spot with 30 disappointing minutes left to play.
“I definitely learned some things from today,” Wilshere said when asked if the defeat showed him the size of the task.
“I saw some things, and when you’re actually there and you feel it, you understand a little bit more. We knew that coming in here.
“When you come from the Premier League straight to League One in two seasons, there obviously is something. So. we knew that. We have to find out what it is. I think we know what it is. We just have to find ways of being able to give the players more belief, to give them more confidence.
“I’ve said to the players before, that I want them to really, really feel the belief I have in them, and that doesn’t change.”
The trouble is that, for a sold out Kenilworth Road, who had suspended their disbelief in a positive week of PR since Wilshere’s appointment, many of the old issues quickly reemerged. Though their team trudged off for their first half-time team talk from their new boss just one goal down, it should really have been three.
Tyler Roberts squandered an early gift and an unmarked Will Evans skied over from close range just before the interval. In between those, Jordan Clark, who also won the penalty, saw keeper Roberts pull off a stunning save to tip onto the post and deny him what Oates would succeed with, five minutes before the break.
With little improvement in the second period, Luton had two let-offs when Roberts hit the bar and then got nothing from referee Ross Joyce when Milli Alli impeded him in the box.
But it was third time unlucky when Andersen was adjudged to have handled just before the hour mark. Two years ago in the Premier League VAR may have overturned that, but we’re not in Kansas any more, Toto!
Here in the third tier of English football, Roberts did what Wells could not and sent keeper Josh Keeley the wrong way from the spot to double the Stags’ lead.
From the buoyant pre-match mood around Kenilworth Road, a fan frustrations were laid bare every time Town players misplaced passes, which happened far too frequently. More awaited the players at the final whistle. The disconnect is quiet stark.
But there was never a signicant sign that the Hatters would claw their way back into the game. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Rarely in the modern era has a new manager bounce actually been the reward in the new incumbent’s debut Luton game. You’d have to think back ten years to Andy Awford’s temporary stint between John Still and Nathan Jones for a victory. So there is historical hope that things can improve for Wilshere from here, but the real time evidence showed that the manner of this latest defeat was broadly what has happened for 18 long months.
Defensive blunders, unforced errors, getting ruthlessly punished and, once behind, Town’s inability to create chances, let alone score them, was laid bare. Quality and confidence have long since left the building. Still, Town have only won in this division when they’ve kept a clean sheet – and there’s only been one of those in the last six outings.
The last 30 minutes for Mansfield was a cake walk. For Luton, it was a familiar misery and a third defeat on the spin in all competitions as they slipped to 11th in the division, just four points above the drop zone.
Wilshere’s job was always going to be a sizeable task but now, after this baptism of fire where he’s seen all that League One does not have to offer, his job just got a lot harder.
