In the most difficult of weeks for Luton Town, a 1-0 win against Newcastle United embodied everything special about their stricken captain Tom Lockyer and this gutsy club.
‘Do it for Locks’ was the call after the Welshman suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch seven days ago and his team-mates lived up to the request.
“I’m an emotional wreck at the moment aren’t I? my kids are going to be hammering me for crying again, I’ve got to stop, but I’m just immensely proud of everyone,” said manager Rob Edwards.
“This has been a really challenging week for everyone and they don’t teach you this on the coaching courses, how you deal with stuff like this. I’ve needed my team around me, I’ve needed my staff, Gary (Sweet), the CEO, the board, the players, they’ve been amazing, really brave and we’ve rallied around each other.
“I’ve got to be honest, it’s been hard to concentrate on a game of football this week with everyone that’s gone on and my focus has been on Tom and his family. Then there’s been a job to do, an important Premier League game, but we’ve all helped each other and the performance today I thought was incredible.”
The highlights reels will show a first Hatters goal for Andros Townsend and holding aloft Lockyer’s number 4 shirt in celebration. They’ll show a maiden clean sheet for keeper Thomas Kaminski. They might also show the crossbar rattling from a Ross Barkley blast after another midfield masterclass, or even Alexander Isak’s disallowed goal for United on the tightest of VAR decisions.
But the lasting memories for those inside an emotional Kenilworth Road will be off the likes of Gabriel Osho – back in the team in place of Lockyer – Teden Mengi, Amari’i Bell, Mads Andersen, Issa Kaboré and Alfie Doughty all throwing their bodies on the line to thwart the Magpies to such an extent that there can be no qualms about the result from the Toon Army.
They played a classy part though, unfurling a banner before kick-off that read ‘Get well soon, Tom. NUFC’.
They will have seen their injury blighted boys taken to task by the relentless running of of Doughty and Townsend and the outstandingly complimentary partnership between Barkley and Albert Sambi Lokonga at the heart of the action.
Edwards “said: I think the performance was the most complete performance that we’ve had so far this season. We’ve been playing really, really well and so I don’t think it’s because of what’s happened that we’ve won the game today and kept a clean sheet.
“We did talk about it, we wanted to do it for Tom, but I don’t think there was any extra motivation there. We’ve always wanted it, we wanted to win, we wanted to fight, but I thought today we really embodied everything that Tom Lockyer is.
“As every single individual that went out there, even the ones that didn’t, supported each other, fought for each other, they were brave, so brave.”
He added: “I thought the performance was incredible considering everything that the players had been through emotionally as well.”
This was heart-on-the-sleeve stuff, as Edwards had order prior to the game, but it was also one of command and quality.
With the suspended Marvelous Nakamba still to slot in, Town have a midfield of power, poise and finesse, exemplified by progressive passing of Lokonga and the all action Barkley, who’s header teed up Townsend for the winner and on another day he couldn’t wracked up another assist for Elijah Adebayo and two blockbuster long rangers.
To that extent, the scoreline somewhat flattered Newcastle, who’s greatest chance came with their first attack, but Callum Wilson got a point blank example of Kaminski’s best shot-stopping attributes.
The Belgian’s performances have demanded a clean sheet for many a match and to grab one in tribute to both his stellar season and Lockyer was entirely fitting.
Against Liverpool and Arsenal the keeper has had a shutout stolen from him in last-gasp fashion, but here he could put his feet up as Carlton Morris, Doughty, Pelly-Ruddock and Chieodozie Ogbene greedily gobbled up the added minutes through to the final whistle by Newcastle’s corner flag.
And what a noise greeted referee Darren England’s final action, as all four sides of Kenilworth Road erupted with emotion not seen before. And that’s saying something because what a place this stadium has been in recent years.
In a week where football was the furthest thing from many minds, the news of Lockyer’s return home from hospital was the best result. But this funny old game still showed its power to unite people.
Luton. What a town. What a football club.
