Luton smashed bitter rivals Watford 3-0 in their biggest derby day win in 43 years to complete a hat-trick of home triumphs against the Hornets.
Boss Rob Edwards was still in utero when the Hatters won 4-1 against their neighbours in 1981, but as turning points go in a difficult 2024, this result and, just as importantly, the performance, could prove significant.
“It looked like they cared,” said the manager about his Luton side who appeared refreshed and reconnected to their old, aggressive and, dare I say it, nasty selves. They substituted playing out from the back with a relentless display. Duels and battles of boot and mind – they were all won by Town.
The heart and desire of derby day, solely shone from those in orange shirts, while those in black wilted, yet again, under the pressure, both on the pitch and from the terraces.
In fact, Watford have now failed to score in 270 gloriously defeated minutes at Kenilworth Road, to accentuate Town’s bragging rights that were secured through goals from Jordan Clark, the magnificent Carlton Morris and Jacob Brown, with his first goal since December and a lengthy knee injury.
That was the only downer on a day of delirium, as Luton lurched into a new injury crisis. Tom Holmes – excellent on his full debut after an early let-off from almost the mother of all own goals – Reece Burke, Tahith Chong and Tom Krauß all impressed but departed injured.
That will be a concern for the midweek visit of Sunderland, but in the feverish atmosphere that reverberated around Kenilworth Road, it’s a worry that can temporarily be put on ice with various assortments of knees, heads, groins for nearly all Hatters except Edwards, whose joy at the result was tempered by a new group of walking wounded.
“It’s ridiculous at the moment how we’re having to manage it,” he said, adding: “It’s hard. And we’re going to be dealing with that again on Wednesday now.
“But to keep a clean sheet today in the end, with all the injuries and stuff that we had to deal with was incredible.
“I enjoyed the third goal the most. I think it was just about able to sort of breathe at that point.”
Him and 10,477 other Hatters. Though, despite conceding home leads twice already this season, the Kenilworth Road faithful were revelling in their utter 90-minute domination of their arch-nemeses.
From Clark’s 11th minute opener, which he knew little about, as he tried to get out of the way of Tom Holmes’ drive, to Morris’ 47th minute header – finally a first this season, with two successes from corners – Town were on top throughout.
Speaheaded by Morris’ Captain Fantastic display. Here, there and every-fucking-where, the forward deserved his third of the season, so it was unfortunate that he had to make way on 67 minutes as injured team-mates started to fall.
But there were redemptive performances all over the park, particularly from Mark McGuinness who has not enjoyed the easiest start to life at Luton.
Here, having been sent home injured from Republic of Ireland duty, and unable to train in the build-up, he put his considerable frame on the line on the rare ocassion when it mattered. Headers, blocks and last-ditch tackles, the centre half orchestrated a sensational shutout.
It was one that ended with back three of a right back in Daiki Hashioka and wing back Alfie Doughy, but that rag-tag defence refused to be beaten. Both of those men were equally imperious.
Just look at a team-sheet and every one of the Luton names to a man is deserving of praise and, for once, this term, they got exactly they deserved.
Even with square pegs in round holes, Luton were far superior to a Watford side that could have moved into the top two with a victory. Town made sure that was never on the menu.
And the Hatters’ dominance was rammed home by Brown’s goal at the death. An agricultural ball from Thomas Kaminski saw the forward outmuscle Ryan Porteous on the halfway line, turn inside last man Angelo Ogbonna and fire through his legs into the bottom corner.
The roof had already come off, so the noise from the Kenilworth Road end was free to travel into the stratosphere, even if Edwards was a little more grounded in his reaction.
“It was good,” he said, adding: “I’m really pleased for the supporters today because I know how much it means for them.
“It’s been a big two weeks, and we knew we had to respond after the disappointment of our last game. The lads have done that every day in the two weeks and then they’ve gone and shown it today as well, and that’s when it matters. It’s no good just talking about it. You’ve got to go and show it. And they did it.
“It looked like today it mattered to us. It looked like they cared. It looked like they understood the magnitude of the game. We’re really, really proud of them.”
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