Luton Town: John Still remaining level-headed after the Hatters’ upturn in form

Luton manager John Still believes there is more to come from his improving side after three straight wins that have given their season a delayed lift-off.

The Hatters struggled for results in the opening six weeks of the campaign, only taking five points from their first seven league games and often conceding costly late goals in the process.

But after home wins against Mansfield and AFC Wimbledon was backed up by Tuesday night’s 3-1 success at Morecambe, Luton now sit just two points off the top seven.

Still, who remained calm throughout his side’s sticky start, said: “I think we’ve played OK this season, although we conceded late goals, and in some games I thought we played as well as we have in the last three games and we didn’t get what we deserved.

“But that’s football and the most important thing is that we keep improving and over time I believe we will get sharper and I know that we’ll get stronger and there will be more power in our game.

“The reality is sometimes that no matter how well you’re playing, if you’re not prepared properly for a variety of reasons that can come back and kick you up the backside.

“But that sharpness has been evident in a few games of late where we’ve looked a bit brighter and we’ll get some more power in our game later, but at the moment we’re OK.”

Luton are now preparing for their second long trip north this week as they head to the North-East to face Hartlepool United, a team whose season’s form has been the opposite of the Hatters’.

Ronnie Moore’s side won their first three games in League Two as the momentum from their great escape from relegation last season looked to be carrying on but have since lost five out of their last seven.

Still said: “This ain’t no sprint, it’s a long, tough, hard season where you’ve got to be durable, get a level of consistency and some teams do start particularly bright and fall away.

“Others start bright and hang on in there – they can’t quite reach the same level but they’re there all season. Hartlepool started bright and they may well come again.

“Ronnie Moore has done an excellent job there. All the games are tough, you may look back after one and think ‘we were reasonable comfortable’ but when you look at the team and how they’re playing and you think it will be tough.

“That could be even more the case on Saturday because Hartlepool have had a blip because they’ll all be saying ‘we want to get back to what we were doing.'”

As has often been the case in recent weeks, Luton will have plenty of players to choose from with not many unavailable, although Paul Benson won’t be risked just yet.

The match has come slightly too soon for Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu, even though he is back in full training, while Scott Cuthbert should return after recovering from an ankle injury.