Luton continued to prove that home is once again where the heart is as Jake Richards and Shayden Morris netted in their most enjoyable performance of the season – one that boss Jack Wilshere hailed as their “most complete”.
The scoreline was quite conservative for the amount of chances that both sides created, though Hatters claimed the lion’s share, with Bantams keeper Sam Walker and the crossbar keeping them at bay in battle that was both flamboyant and full-blooded.
Josh Keeley looked on the way to a 12th clean sheet of the season but for a late consolation from Stephen Humphrys, who the stopper had kept out earlier.
But, surprisingly, on the most old-fashioned of rain-drenched, mud-patched Kenilworth Road surfaces, Town played some of their most eye-catching football. At the heart of everything was Kasey Palmer, Jordan Clark and Richards, while Gideon Kodua – fresh from signing a permanent deal – got the bumps from Luton academy graduate Josh Neufville.
For all of the impressive interplay, the clash still carried some menace and tackles flew in from all angles. But, though they sit top of the third-tier fair play league, Luton more than matched Bradford’s aggression.
That threaten to spill over after the full time whistle when, on Ali Al-Hamadi’s invitation, Curtis Tilt looked destined for a dressing room showdown, until Palmer and the dogged Mads Andersen made the forward see sense.
Modern etiquette espouses that you’re supposed to condemn that sort of behaviour, but it only added to the spectacle for 11,000 happy Hatters inside Kenilworth Road.
There’s a case to say, that was not all down to the result – another victory on home soil, now ten unbeaten in League One – but the fight, heart and desire shown by Wilshere’s post-transfer window reshaped side.
Asked if it was Luton’s most complete performance, the Town boss said: “Yeah, I would, but I think we can still do better in moments.
“For spells, that was the most complete we’ve been on a difficult pitch as well for the players, so credit to them for that.”
Wilshere added: “I’m happy for the players because, to bounce back after Huddersfield when we were low, we had to bounce back.
“We knew what we had to do to try and get ourselves closer to the play-offs, and we’ve done that. Today we’ve done it with a little bit more style than last week [against Blackpool]. Last week, we just had to find a way to win the game and I think the players should take some belief from doing that because sometimes in this league you’ve got to respect it and just do what it takes to get the game over the line and we done that last week. Today was a little bit more of who we want to be.”
Bradford’s late consolation was one of the few disappointments, in an overwhelming positive afternoon when new striker Devante Cole made an appearance from the start and fellow new recruit Davy van den Berg came off the bench for a useful 20-minute cameo that, on another day that didn’t involved Walker, might have yielded an assist.
It won’t get credited in the stats, but Cole had an important part to play in Luton’s opener. Kodua played the pass to Richards, but the forward’s intelligent run pulled the City defence apart leaving the youngster with the freedom of LU2 to rasp a low drive in from 20 yards.
After Clark had hit the woodwork, that pulled the contest out of a fairly stodgy affair, but the game exploded into life in the second period.
City looked the likeliest to score until Richards won the ball and Clark played in Morris for the scruffiest of winners – but they all count. The winger turned inside Tilt and hit a bobble courtesy of the cut up turf to deceive Walker.
And while it wasn’t all Luton from there, because Bradford, to their credit, came to play, there were plenty of chances to put the game to bed.
Isaiah Jones came off the bench and not quite with his first touch was denied by Walker, not once but twice. Kodua too after a lung-busting run, while shots from Clark and Palmer all found the gloves of the Bantams’ number one.
Still, City could have taken something from the game. They had two glorious chances and only took one. First, Ethan Wheatley came off second best in a one-on-one with Keeley, but then Humphrys bullied Joe Johnson to an long up-and-under, tucking beyond Keeley who deserved a 12th clean sheet of the campaign.
“Of course, we want the clean sheet. And I think we deserve the clean sheet with how we defended because they make it difficult, Bradford. They’ve done it all season and they are where they are in the league because they’re good at it,” Wilshere said, adding: “So, yeah, really happy, but would’ve liked the clean sheet as well.”
But that slight regret shouldn’t be enough to erase this impressive performance against a play-off hopeful in an increasingly fortress-like Kenilworth Road.
Fan reaction
Luton Town Supporters’ Trust Podcast host Kevin Harper gives his instant reaction after the victory, where he hailed two players, calling one “the real deal”…
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