After 12 long games, 71 days and a winter of discontent, Jordan Clark’s goal and a real scrap against Portsmouth saw Luton finally bag a Championship win to haul themselves off the foot of the table and raise hopes of a great escape.
The Hatters are still in the bottom three but the weight of emotion at the end was palpable, not least for boss Matt Bloomfield whose wait for a first Hatters victory is over.
“Relief, I think, is probably the biggest emotion right now,” said the manager, adding: “It’s been a long time coming. Too long. I wanted to come and have an immediate impact and that hasn’t been the case and you guys [media] know the emotion that carries. But, yeah, it was fantastic feeling to get that one over the line today.
“It’s been a tough week. I’ve lived it this week. But the boys have been great. They’ve worked. We’ve been honest and they how much we needed a win today.
“There were some anxious moments. It wasn’t perfect by any stretch. I think we’ve probably played more fluent and better in other games, absolutely, but to show that character and desire to get it over the line, is what this club stands for. And it was lovely to see that today.”
Bloomfield may have even hit upon a new saviour, though perhaps, given Town’s plight, it may be too soon to give Christ Makosso that label but, on his full debut, the 20-year-old certainly gave it cult hero vibes.
Signed in January, the defender, who had not been near a first-team squad until last week’s disastrous derby day defeat, came on and carried out the boss’ pre-game instructions to a tee.
Run harder than your opponents, head, tackle, the basics. That was the call from Bloomfield and the Congolese did it all. Meanwhile CEO Gary Sweet, in his programme notes had called for the revival of a “never-say-day spirit” and Makosso epitomised that, not least when he used his pace to run Josh Murphy off the pitch, throwing in some crowd work for good measure. It got Kenilworth Road going then and at key moments in this extremely nervy contest.
It was always going to be, especially in a second half dominated by Pompey, though they had conceded more goals this term than leaky Luton and had not kept a clean sheet in Bedfordshire for 25 games, stretching back to December 1922.
Clark started a finished a sweeping, if scrappy counter-attack on 25 minutes. The midfielder picked the ball up on the edge of his own penalty area, darted to the edge of Portsmouth’s and then after Marlon Pack – who somehow escaped without a booking for repeated infringements – touched the ball onto his own post, Clark was there to thump in the rebound. It was his first home goal since the Hatters beat arch-rivals Watford in October. Again, it saw Town to victory. Eventually.
At first, it saw Town through to half time, but afterwards it was like the Alamo, yet without any real clear-cut chance coughed up – until late on. Ball after ball was fired into the home box. Cross after cross, pass after probing pass and all were repelled.
And for a Luton side that had looked to have gravely upset Lady Luck, her favour returned when Kal Naismith – head bandaged like an orange Terry Butcher from the olden day – got away with an outstretched hand touching the ball in the box.
Then again, before that, Clark had gone over Pack’s flailing leg in the penalty area and referee Sam Allison was unmoved.
But then, when an unmarked Connor Ogilvie headed over from point blank range on 86 minutes, Luton’s afternoon appeared truly blessed. A rare feeling indeed.
So, when Allison blew the final whistle, Kenilworth Road erupted into a long-forgotten noise, while Makosso led the fist pumps towards an adoring sea of orange.
It’s just one result, and Luton remain in relegation bother – effectively three points from safety – but more days like this might, just might, see miracles come true.
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