Jordan Clark’s eighth goal of the season and a fortunate spot-kick denial saw off Blackpool as Luton ended some frustration and a three-game winless run in League One.
After losing by the same scoreline on all three of their last away days, Town dominated the Seasiders until the breakthrough, but had little spark.
Unlike at Huddersfield there were multiple pops on target but nothing to worry keeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell, but it took an under-hit clearance from Zac Ashworth to provide the assist for a grateful Clark who slammed in with the help of a slight deflection.
Luton boss Jack Wilshere said: “We spoke about him playing as a nine in the week and he didn’t play as a nine today, but one of the reasons was because he understands where the ball’s going to drop. He smells it. He’s got experience of it and then, the most important thing, he’s calm in that final moment to put the ball in the net.”
Clark’s goal woke up a Blackpool side that had come for a draw and seen the plan A disintegrate. And from relative comfort, the Hatters were forced to defend a bombardment.
Late on, a ball flashed through the hosts’ penalty box and Kasey Palmer upended Niall Ennis, but though referee Martin Woods had a clear sight of it and seemed to raise the whistle to his lips, he bizarrely decided in Luton’s favour.
Blackpool boss Ian Evatt claimed afterwards that the official was minded to give Ennis a caution for diving.
Wilshere said he hadn’t seen the incident again, but added: “I’ve spoken about the refs a lot and I don’t think they’re against us or anything. I just think that there are a lot of decisions that they get wrong. I think back to the Plymouth game, probably a handball in there. Maybe in the Huddersfield game, a handball.
“So yeah, Blackpool will feel frustrated and it’s easy for me to sit here and say that the ref ref has a tough decision. I’m sure if it was against us, I’d be the other way, but I do think they’ll even themselves out over the season.”
Either way, it was a huge let-off for Luton, but they should not have been in that position against a side that didn’t register a single shot on target.
It was a rather more frantic – and extended – finale than Luton had hoped for because of two injuries from Teden Mengi and Cohen Bramall.
The former got up after treatment, but the latter left Luton’s efforts on a stretcher after a strong tackle from Olly Casey took the winger’s standing foot.
The Hatters will await the damage but it didn’t look good for Bramall, though he managed to give the applauding fans a thumbs up as he left the pitch.
Wilshere said: “He’s got a massive cut down his leg and on his ankle. Hopefully it’s just that and he’ll be OK, but you never know until you get a scan or an X-ray.
“I know what the medical team will do, but it’s not a good tackle in my opinion either, but hopefully he’s OK.
“If VAR looks at it, it’s a red card. But I also understand that this is League One, the bar’s slightly higher for tackles like that, but I still think that we have to, as much as we can, protect the players.
“I’m quite passionate about that. Obviously, I was a player who had who had a lot of injuries and I love a player to go in tough and win duels and try to be tough in those moments, but there’s also a line.”
Bramall’s exit made way for the return of Isaiah Jones after two months out injured with an ankle problem of his own, 24 hours after Wilshere had revealed he plans to play the former Middlesborough man as a right back. Not today though, but his return was a positive, as was Ali Al-Hamadi’s cameo off the bench.
With Luton announcing the signing of striker Devante Cole from Port Vale prior to kick-off, there’s a role for both strikers, because for so much of this game there was possession without threat, without a focal point upfront.
In one key moment Clark – so often a talisman in tough times – provided it , and though Luton still need to solve their firepower problems, it was very much a case of a win is a win.
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