Jordan Clark’s second-half strike ensured the Hatters bounced back to winning ways with a narrow victory over Blackpool.

After back-to-back away defeats the midfielder netted his eighth goal of the season to break the visitors’ resistance and earn the Town a fourth victory in their last five league games at Kenilworth Road.

It was no more than the Hatters deserved in a stop-start game few of chances but one dominated for long periods by Jack Wilshere’s side.

After the midweek defeat at Huddersfield the manager made two changes to the side that started on Tuesday with Shayden Morris and Nahki Wells restored to the starting line-up.

And the Town began brightly with Morris testing Bailey Peacock-Farrell, the Blackpool goalkeeper, after four minutes with a drive from the edge of box.

As the Hatters continued to press Peacock-Farrell needed to be alert on 20 minutes to save Cohen Bramall’s header after Kasey Palmer, at the heart of every Hatters move, swung in a cross from the right.

The visitors, who had not won at Kenilworth Road since 2003, struggled to get the better of the Town backline but the Hatters had an excellent block from Teden Mengi to thank to thwart a powerful drive from Ashley Fletcher.

But, as half-time approached, the Hatters looked the more likely to open the scoring with Wells shooting straight at Peacock-Farrell and then nodding wide at the back-post following Morris’ deep cross.

Seconds after the restart Mengi motored back to execute a superbly timed tackle to deny Michael Obafemi before the centre-half and then Bramall went down to receive treatment. Bramall came out second best in a robust challenge from the visitors’ Olly Casey and had to be stretchered off and was replaced by Jake Richards.

Play was stopped for several minutes but when the game did resume the Town upped the ante. Palmer sent a free-kick over the bar on 63 minutes, Clark shot wide a moment later before Wells saw a shot snuffed out by Peacock-Farrell a minute after that.

It was all the Hatters as Wilshere introduced Ali Al-Hamadi and Isaiah Jones – and within three minutes of their introduction the Town were in front.

Joe Johnson, who enjoyed a fine game, saw his left-wing cross half-cleared straight to Clark, and the captain struck a low drive from just inside the box and into the corner of the net.

Ahead, the Hatters could breathe a sigh of relief but were almost pegged back when visiting substitute Tom Bloxham flashed a shot wide with 10 minutes left.

Blackpool were leaving it late to stage a comeback and the visitors felt they should have had a penalty when Niall Ennis went down in the box under a challenge from Palmer but the referee waved away their protests.

After numerous stoppages the officials signalled 12 additional minutes to be played but neither side came close to scoring, and the Hatters were able to comfortably see out another win on home soil.

Victory pushes the Hatters back up into seventh place in League One and Bradford are the visitors to Kenilworth Road next weekend.

We’ll see you then.

Town: Keeley, Lonwijk, Johnson, Andersen, Mengi, Clark, Palmer (sub Saville 89), Bramall (sub Richards 55), Kodua (sub Naismith 89), Morris (sub Jones 68), Wells (sub Al-Hamadi 68).

Subs not used: Shea, Lawrence.

Attendance: 10,697, including 728 from Blackpool.