HARFORD’S PRAISE FOR TOP HATTERS
JAMES Collins scored twice on his return to Shrewsbury as League One leaders Luton won at Montgomery Waters Meadow.
Matty Pearson was also on target for the Hatters as they moved six points clear at the top of the table.
After the match, interim manager Mick Harford hailed what he saw as a professional performance from Luton.
Harford said: “Well, the scoreline says it’s a convincing win. Obviously, we are absolutely thrilled to keep the clean sheet.
“They made it very difficult for us. They matched our shape. As you saw, the pitch wasn’t in the best condition but, overall, I thought it was a real, real professional performance from the players.
“They were excellent in terms of second balls, winning their headers and I think when the game settled down and Matty scored that second goal, I thought we were in total control and thoroughly deserved to win the game.
“They put us under pressure, they matched us up, they went man for man and we were pretty poor in terms of possession and switching the play out to our full-backs.”
Defeat saw Shrewsbury, who have an FA Cup fourthround replay at Wolves to face on Tuesday, slip to second-bottom in the table.
Shrewsbury boss Sam Ricketts said: “I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but first half there’s nothing really in the game. We still weren’t at the level I want to be, but we can’t give goals away like we did.
“Then I think once the second goal goes in, I think we just lose all aspect of belief and togetherness.
“We spoke about it, spoke about what impact that has then on the team and we spoke about how we’re going to come out of that. Nothing’s just going to happen by itself, so as a group we have to stick together. The players have to put in sheer effort, aggression, intensity into the games, otherwise games pass you by.”
Shrewsbury began brightly with Greg Docherty’s early 20-yard drive saved by James Shea.
Docherty then fired just over after Shea was unable to hold on to a Fejiri Okenabirhie effort.
Luton took the lead on the half-hour mark, as Collins found the net from six yards out after Luke Berry headed back Alan McCormack’s cross from the left. Luton doubled their advantage eight minutes into the second half as defender Pearson’s cross from the right found its way to the top corner of the net. Collins claimed his 18th goal of the season with a third for Luton in the 69th minute, scoring from close range after the hosts were unable to clear Kazenga Lua Lua’s cross from the left wing.