Luton 2 Blackburn 0: Jones hails ‘hungry’ Morris as the six-shooter rolls over Rovers

Nathan Jones saluted “hungry” Carlton Morris as the red-hot hitman bagged his sixth in six games as Luton blew away Blackburn Rovers and the cobwebs to claim a first home win of the season. 

It all happened in an electric second half, after five changes from the midweek draw and yet more terrible officiating played their part in a dreary opening. But Allan Campbell, Jordan Clark and Morris came alive after the break. 

The club record signing is loving life at Luton and if you give him a chance and he will score. Clark put it on a plate and he was all desire to convert as his near post volley finally gifted fans in the Kenilworth Road end something to savour, as all Town’s goals had come at the other end this term.

It was also Luton’s first strike in the second half, which paved the way for a first victory at this famous old ground and those three points were confirmed by a sensational second from the returning Reece Burke, or Reece Burkenbauer as he was nicknamed afterwards. 

The centre-half was immense at the back with Tom Lockyer, who both missed out in midweek, while Dan Potts survived the changes, despite playing through injury, and cleared off the line in the first half from Ben Brereton-Diaz, which was Rovers’ best chance.

But Burke has long impressed with the ball at his feet and having been he rampaged through the middle of the park and curled inside the post from 20 yards with his weaker foot.

Jones said: “Reece Burke had a wonderful game, but Carlton Morris, what a wonderful performance. What a performance from a centre forward, a proper centre forward. He did everything, held it up, gets his goals, comes in, works hard and is hungry and that’s what we’re built on.

“Anyone in our group that’s not hungry, it shows. He comes in, he’s hungry, he wants to do it and that’s why we paid a lot of money for him.”

And it could’ve been more as Cauley Woodrow was denied on his full home debut, where he partnered Morris. It wasn’t quite his day in front of goal, but he impressed in everything else, though even he seemed surprised when Clark opted to pass to him rather than pull the trigger. 

The midfielder didn’t bring his shooting boots, but he did pull the strings and it emphasised his quality in the number ten role and a round pegs in round holes approach that saw Woodrow deployed up top, rather than the playmaker role Jones had identified for him.

“It was a wonderful performance, especially the second half,” said the Town boss. 

“We’ve actually not scored in the second half at home, so we’ve really put a big emphasis on it.

“They’ve had to come back from midweek where we weren’t great, but we still should have won the game in terms of a late penalty, so they’ve had to cope with quite a lot.

“But today they were magnificent, second half we were aggressive, we pressed, we looked a threat and should have had more.

“Jordan Clark passed it to Cauley when he should have shot, Cauley has a volley, we’ve had real, real good opportunities as well where we could have made it more. But it’s a wonderful performance and needed.

“We picked a side to win the game, we’ve got big players missing, but it just shows what a good group we’ve got. I’m really proud of that and it’s good to go into the international break with a win.”