Rob Edwards confessed that Luton mistakes are driving him “flipping mad” despite the Hatters’ late comeback victory against Derby last night.
The manager admitted that the Championship clash was “horrible to watch” as neither side played with much quality, though Town had chances and prevented the Rams from a single shot on target in the first half.
But then, just before the hour mark, Tahith Chong lost Kayden Jackson and he put County in front.
Paul Warne’s side had not conceded in their previous two matches and they looked favourites to make it three shutouts on the bounce at Kenilworth Road.
But, out of nowhere in the 88th minute substitute Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, in his first appearance for a month, walloped the ball goalwards, where it took a wicked deflection off Tom Holmes’ bum and clawed Luton level.
Then former Hatter James Collins’ bum played a part in Town taking all the points with a 92nd minute Carlton Morris winner.
A Derby team-mate’s attempted clearance clattered into Collins’ posterior and into the path of Elijah Adebayo. Though the forward’s shot was saved, the rebound fell to Morris and his shot took a deflection off Curtis Nelson’s hand and into the top corner.
“It was a horrible first half. Maybe the second half, even worse. I don’t know. But it wasn’t nice,” Edwards said of the result.
“We probably just shaded it, but didn’t do enough to score. I can understand it.
“They’ve got that back five as well. It’s hard, you’re always up against someone. We had moments of quality, Chongy, a couple of half moments, a couple of good crosses, and we thought, we’re getting on top here, one or two set pieces, but didn’t quite do enough.”
He added: “Look, in the end, that scoreline over there, that’s the only thing that matters in the end. It helps the feel of the place, but there’s no doubt we’ve got work to do.”
Despite performances, only seven Championship teams had accumulated more points at home than Luton this season.
Now the challenge, with two post-Christmas away-days, is to arrest a seven-game losing streak on the road.
Asked if the manner of last night’s win could help change that, Edwards said:
“I’d love to say yes, but we almost said similar after Stoke, didn’t we? Can that be a bit of a kick-start, for away games?
“I don’t know what we’ve done over the last ten games. I know we’ve done quite well here and I know what we’ve done away from home, but we’ve won games, we’ve got points, it’s clear what we’ve got to try and do.
“We’ve got to try and find the rhythm, got to try and find a point somehow away from home. And, you hope that that can give us a little bit of a kick-start. I certainly hope so. But I don’t know it.
“We hoped after Stoke, didn’t we? And, and we weren’t able to deliver it, so let’s see. We just got we’ve got to work incredibly hard, not make mistakes and do the basics.
“But there were still things out there tonight, just missed clearances and still things that we know we can be better at. It’s driving me flipping mad.
“But that’s what we’ve got to try and do away from home.”
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