Potters on track

STOKE boss Michael O’neill praised his promotion-chasing side’s character after earning back-to-back wins.

This time last week Stoke were smarting after throwing away a threegoal lead to draw against Cardiff.

But they followed up their win at Blackpool with another at Luton.

Jacob Brown’s (above) 34th-minute tap-in was the difference with the striker celebrating his Scotland call-up in style by turning home Romaine Sawyers’s cross.

The visitors then had to resist a determined fightback from Luton. O’neill said: “It is a great response to last week’s draw against Cardiff, we had to dig deep.

“You have to be able to manage the game to win away from home. It demonstrates the quality in our team, because this time last week we were scratching our heads having thrown away a three-goal lead.”

Stoke could have gone up in the 19th minute but for Gabriel Osho to block Leo Ostigard’s close-range shot.

However, the Hatters’ defence was breached 15 minutes later when Sawyers was set free down the right and drove the ball into the six-yard box for Brown to turn home.

Luton came closest in the 69th minute when Fred Onyedinma dispossessed Tommy Smith deep in Stoke territory and crossed, only for Admiral Muskwe to hammer his shot against the underside of the bar.

Luton boss Nathan Jones said: “There was one bit of quality in the game, they showed it, and they won the game.”

LUTON TOWN: Sluga 5; Burke 6, Naismith 6, Bradley 6; Bree 5, Campbell 6, Osho 7 (Clarke 81), Mpanzu 6, Bell 5 (Mukwe 63, 6); Cornick 4 (Onyedinma 64, 7), Adebayo 6.

Subs not used: Shea, Rea, Hylton, Jerome.

STOKE CITY: Bursik 7; Ostigard 7, Souttar 7, Batth 6; Smith 6 (Wilmot 75, 6), Allen 8, Sawyers 8, Thompson 6, Tymon 6; Brown 8 (Surridge 84), Fletcher 5 (Vrancic 64, 5)

Subs not used: Davies, Chester, Campbell, Ince.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Romaine Sawyers. Pinpoint cross for Stoke’s goal capped an industrious performance.

REFEREE: Jonathan Moss 7.