Luton haven't been out of the top six all season and sit well placed in third at the moment but with the bonus of having five games in hand of leaders Wimbledon and four in hand on us. Apart from the postponements every team has suffered due to the weather they have also had a good set of cup runs and are now in the quarter finals of the FA Trophy.In their most recent League game they won 1-0 at Forest Green on Tuesday evening with a goal from Lloyd Owusu that, by all accounts, was more of a roll in than a real goal. They all count and we get the same luck sometimes.
Last Saturday, while Luton were in Trophy action, we were gaining maximum points from another team with an eye on promotion. Chris McPhees penalty, following a trip on Matty Blair, put paid to Wrexhams hopes on the day and sent us up the fifth place in the table. If it wasn't for that points deduction we could have jumped to third.
We'll still be without Jack Byrne for the game with him serving the second game of his four match ban but Lee Vaughan has now finished his two game ban and will be included in the squad. Otherwise we should be at full strength now after Dave Hankin made a late appearance against Wrexham and Lee Morris spent the game on the bench. Rumour has it that we could be getting a couple of loan players in too but they may not arrive in time for the Luton game.
Luton have such a big squad that any injuries shouldn't hit them too hard but they could be without a few for the game. Alex Lawless has a bruised hip, picked up last Saturday, but could be fit while Shane Blackett is coming back from groin operation and could feature on the bench tomorrow. Adam Newton and Charlie Henry will both be missing through injury and Dan Gleeson has also been out injured for a while now but is expected to be included in the game at some point tomorrow.
The former Harriers striker, Matt Barnes-Homer, seems to have settled down at Luton now and at the moment is their leading scorer with fourteen goals, the same as McPhee. He'll undoubtably be a danger to look out for but not so another former Harrier, Taiwo Atieno, who left the club a few weeks ago even though he had banged in seven goals for them this season. He was without a club for a week but then amazingly got himself signed up with League 2 side, and local rivals, Stevenage. Bit of an embarrassment for his old employers there I think.
We have never clashed swords with Luton too often but when we have we've always come off the beaten side. Will that change this time round? it's hard to say but we know this Harriers team have a 'never say die' spirit about them so I think we could come away from Kenilworth Rd with a point.
Now that would be good.
Photo © KHFC
Teams:
Harriers from:
Lewis, Stevens, Vaughan, Williams, Sharpe, Albrighton, Griffiths, Shaw, Briscoe, McPhee, Briggs, Hankin, Morris, Wright, Blair, Matt, Gittings, Canham.
Luton from:
Tyler, K Pilkington, Kidd, Gleeson, Murray, Keane, Graham, G Pilkington, Morgan-Smith, Barnes-Homer, Willmott, Blackett, Kroca, Lawless, Howells, Asafu-Adjaye, Carden, Gnakpa, Crow, Walker, Lacey, Poku, O'Donnell, Watkins, Patrick, Woodrow, Owusu, Tavernier, Carney, Ann.
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