Luton 1 Reading 0: ‘I just thought I’d try my luck and hide behind him,’ says play-off bound Cornick

Harry Cornick celebrates after scoring the cheeky goal that fired Luton into the Championship play-offs. Photo by Liam Smith

Let it be known that Harry Cornick is the new hide and seek champion of the the world after his cheeky winner turbocharged the Hatters’ Premier League dream.

Needing a win to guarantee a place in the end Championship play-offs, the striker wrote his name into Luton lore by lurking behind unaware Reading keeper Ørjan Nyland, who thought he had the freedom of Kenilworth Road to roll the ball out of his penalty area and boot it upfield.

But he got the shock of his life when Cornick came haring out from his blindside to pinch the ball and roll into an empty net.

Goalscorer Harry Cornick is mobbed by James Bree and Jordan Clark after his winner against Reading. Photo by Liam Smith

“To be fair, he’s rolled it out two or three times and I just thought I’d try my luck and hide behind him,” the goal hero told Sky Sports.

“The fans were screaming ‘man on’, he’s not heard them, rolled it out and it’s a tap-in really. I’m happy to score and contribute.

“I’ve never tried it, I just thought I’d give it a go. It was worth a shot and it’s paid off.”

Manager Nathan Jones said of the goal: “If I’m honest, I didn’t actually see it. Apparently, he (Nyland) rolled it out and he robbed him. I might’ve taken something like that to win the game, but we had chances. I think they had one chance int he second half with a header, but we had real good chances early on.”

It was Cornick’s 13th goal of the season, unlucky for some but not him or Luton as they wrote another chapter in one of the most remarkable football stories of the 21st century.

Eight years ago, the Hatters were in the National League, but now they stand three games from a return to the top flight, 30 years after they helped form the Premier League only to get relegated before the new division began.

Should they pull it off, first needing to get past Huddersfield in the two-legged semi-final, it will be the first time ever that a team has gone from the top division in English football, down to the non-league and back up again.

Manager Nathan Jones and his staff celebrate at the final whistle which confirms Luton's place in the play-offs — Manager Nathan Jones and his staff celebrate at the final whistle which confirms Luton’s place in the play-offs. Photo by Liam Smith

That’s for another day. For now, it’s a sensational achievement for Luton to have booked their place in the end of season shake-up. With all their injuries and the much-talked about bottom three budget in this division, they have what 18 other teams in this term’s Championship didn’t. Heart, togetherness, the EFL Championship Manager of the Year, owners that love the club, principles and a sustainable long-term plan. Not everything in the murky world of football is about money.

The next stage of that will see Town host Huddersfield in the first leg on May 13 and Cornick said: “It’s going to be rocking. It’s always a good atmosphere here. The fans will be right among us, we’ll get right after it and hopefully we can take that into the away leg.

“We don’t fear anyone, we know we’re good enough to go through and hopefully (there’ll be) a Wembley trip for the fans.”