Luton leave it late for third win in a week

Burke scores an 84th-minute winner to cap his dream return

As Rob Edwards celebrated a third win in seven days in front of Luton’s ecstatic supporters, it was easy to forget his recent links with hated rivals Watford.

Eyebrows were raised when the Hatters turned to Edwards after Nathan Jones jumped ship for southampton in November.

Edwards had been axed as Hornets boss in september after just 11 games in charge before Luton moved to hand him a three-and-a-half-year contract.

They hailed the 40-year- old as ‘one of the EFL’s most coveted young coaches’ following his League Two title-winning exploits at Forest Green Rovers last season. Vindication is so far proving emphatic.

This latest success — courtesy of substitute Reece Burke’s dramatic 84th-minute winner — lifted them to fifth and had Hatters fans singing about Edwards taking them to the Premier League.

The Luton manager said: ‘ I’m loving it here because everyone has made me so welcome. It could have been tough from where I had been but it’s all about results.’

A miserable, rainswept afternoon in West Yorkshire can test the soul, but Luton displayed the kind of collective desire needed to make the play-offs for the second season running.

They could have settled for a point late on after Amari’i Bell’s first- half strike cancelled out Duane Holmes’ opener.

Instead, they dug deep to win it six minutes from time.

Burke, on his first appearance since september following a hamstring injury, collected James Bree’s right-wing cross and drove the ball low and hard into the far corner.

Edwards added: ‘ We talked at half-time about a few tactical things but in the end it came down to who really wanted it.

‘Everyone’s knackered, we know that, after a tough week but full credit to the lads because they found a way.

‘Burkey’s worked hard to get fit and we knew we were going to need him. When I put him on, the plan wasn’t to get the winner but we will certainly take it.’

Huddersfield were on course for a third straight win when Holmes’ second goal in as many games, a neat right-foot finish from close range, put them ahead in the 25th minute.

But Terriers captain Jonathan Hogg then departed with a calf injury and Luton equalised before the break when Bell’s fierce strike crossed the line.

As chances grew scarce, Burke struck decisively to leave Huddersfield boss Mark Fotheringham furious.

He fumed: ‘ We have to look at each (goal) in the mirror because that was nowhere near the standards we are expecting.

‘The two goals were unacceptable and we’ve made that clear to the players.

‘After a week with big positives, we’ve just put it on a big downer for the whole club. It was a damp squib.’