At the start of April, Luton Town had increased their unbeaten run in the league to 28 games and stood eight points clear of second place Barnsley, fast forward to now, and things can’t be any more different.
Nearly three weeks on from the Hatters 2-2 draw with Blackpool, Luton have played four more times, lost twice, and only picked up four points whilst their rivals in the league have massively closed the gap in the league table so that Barnsley are level on points and that Portsmouth are now only four points behind the League One leaders with a game in hand.
With one match left to go in the league, a win against Oxford United is an absolute must for Luton, who could potentially finish in the play-offs if they fail to win and both Barnsley and Portsmouth pick up three points in their final matches.
How did it go so wrong for Luton so quickly in the most crucial part of the season?
It’s been a mix of things for the Hatters as to why they unpredictably head into their final game of the season needing a win to claim the title. The prospect of promotion has clearly got to the heads of some of the players, and it has affected their form on the pitch.
The likes of Andrew Shinnie and Kazenga LuaLua have been underwhelming since the draw against Blackpool, and Mick Harford’s overthinking of tactics have cost the team points in recent weeks.
Teams around the league leaders hitting form at the right time has also majorly altered the table and ultimately damaged the Hatters promotion hopes, with the likes of Barnsley, Portsmouth and Sunderland all performing well and getting wins to see their points tally catch up to Luton.
Promotion to the Championship is still in Luton’s hands, but the team and manager know that one more slip up is not an option if they want to achieve back-to-back promotions.
Luton fans, can the Hatters seal promotion on the final day? Let us know!
