Tom Lockyer hailed a heroic team performance as Luton Town recorded a fifth win on the road this season with a dogged display against Blackpool.
Victory for the first time since Norwich in the middle of last month was largely due to a superb defensive showing from a makeshift back-line, following the early injury to Dan Potts.
Luke Berry scored on his first start of the season with a typical finish from the number eight, who stabbed the ball home from close range, becoming the 13th Hatter to score this term.
Speaking after the game, Lockyer spoke of how much he enjoyed the 90 minutes: “It was brilliant. One-nil away from home is a defender’s dream, I absolutely loved every minute of it, it would have been devastating if one of those went in but the lads were just throwing their bodies on the line.
“As a defender who loves doing that himself, it is brilliant to see. I had two off the line and there were more just throwing their body in the way and I think that shows how much it means.
“To come here and it’s one-nil in the last ten minutes, you know they’re going to throw everything forward because they have nothing to lose so you really have to put your backs against the wall and dig deep and show the character. The boys did that in abundance and I’m so proud today of the one-nil.
“Since my time at Luton we have had to overcome adversity in abundance and it is not different today. Pottsy has gone down in the first half, so we had to change from a three to a four. Breezy centre-half who I thought was fantastic, Amari’i was fantastic and Pelly to put in the shift he did as well, after six months out, to go two 90 minutes on the bounce, God knows how his legs are going to be feeling tonight!”
With the Qatar World Cup edging ever closer, the Welshman spoke of his ambitions and hopes of being included in the squad.
“Of course I would like to go to a World Cup, who wouldn’t. I think last season I had to withdraw from a few camps with my ankles to get them sorted which has obviously put me down the pecking order.
“It is the first time now since the first half of the season (2019/20) with Charlton, this is probably the first time I have been fully fit since then and I think that has shown in my performances.
“I’m playing really well at the minute, full of confidence, I feel great in every game and it is really nice to be playing injury-free for once, not having to worry about all of these niggles after every game which really hampered me last season and the season before. It is not me who picks the squad but obviously I would love to go!”
