Martin Cranie hailed the success of a new three-man defence as he returned from two months out injured to help Luton to their first clean sheet in the Championship and a 3-0 victory over high-flying Bristol City.
The former Sheffield United defender was deployed in the centre of a trio with Matty Pearson and Sonny Bradley either side, which they were able to work on in training during the international break.
The 33-year-old had been used as a right back before he injured his medial ligament, but the success of the 3-5-2 formation used at the weekend will give Town more options.
“The clean sheet is massive for us, mentally, to know that we’re solid as a unit, because we changed formation,” Cranie said..
“We’ve sort of worked on it over the last couple of weeks, so we’ll keep working on it, as well as the diamond. I don’t think we’re going to go away from that, I just think he wants to have two formations so, if in a game it needs a change, he can do it.”
Cranie, who played in a similar formation last season at Sheffield United, revealed that Luton opted to use the option against Bristol once they’d see the Robins’ team sheet, an hour before kick off.
He said: “We were waiting for their team sheet basically to see what players they had out, to work out from what they had, what formation they were going to play.
“We knew they were going to go 3-5-2 before the game, so we thought we’d match them up.”
Boss Graeme Jones said: “Martin gives you great flexibility, so there are two shapes in the system. It’s the first time I’ve been able to do that.
“We’ve been working with a back three for nine days now. We needed to get another system in this football club.”
Cranie will now hope to get a run in the side having had to watch on as a spectator since injuring himself in the defeat at Sheffield Wednesday in August.
“I was looking forward to playing games when I signed here but unfortunately I got injured,” he said.
“Hopefully he injury’s behind me now, I can stay fit and get some games in”
