Collins relishing a Kenilworth Road double act

Striker James Collins believes Luton have the perfect chance to bounce back from defeat at Barnsley with successive home games this week.
Hatters striker James CollinsHatters striker James Collins
Hatters striker James Collins

The Hatters host seventh-placed Walsall on Saturday before entertaining Accrington Stanley on Tuesday night, who have started with a bang, sitting in sixth.

Town are unbeaten at Keniworth Road this season and 12 games in total, a run stretching back to March, as Collins said: “I think our home form has been really good.

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“We’re confident when we’re at home, confident we can win all our home games and what better way to bounce back than going on to win a couple at home.”

Despite coming up second best against an impressive Tykes team at the weekend, Collins didn’t feel they needed to learn anything from their opposition.

He added “I don’t think so, they play a brand of football that’s different to ours.

“We’ve not got to worry about what they do, it’s more down to what we do.

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“We didn’t start well, we didn’t do the basics right for the first couple of goals, then you’re giving yourselves a mountain to climb then.

“To be 2-0 down at any team away from home is difficult, let alone a team like Barnsley and I think the best team won. They started a lot better than us, they went two goals up, we got a lifeline before half time, but we were a little bit off it as a team.

“It was a great chance to show people on TV what a good side we are, but credit to Barnsley, they’ve just come down from the Championship, so they’re a good side, and I think it was a fair result.

“I don’t think there’s anything you can say specifically that was wrong, just we started a bit slowly and they capitalised on that.

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“It’s not really like us, usually the other way around, but it wasn’t to be.

“This team has got spirit though, even when we went one or two nil down, we always believe we can come back in and get a draw or a win.

Ex-Hatters midfielder Cameron McGeehan got a crucial second for the hosts just moments after Collins saw his goal disallowed for what was deemed offside.

He continued: “He (McGeehan) was good today, credit to the lad. He’s got a reputation for late arrivals into the box and scoring goals, so I think him being here, we should know better.

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“He tucked it away nicely and that was the changing factor in the game, it could have been 1-1 and being disallowed and then going 2-0 up.”

The one annoyance for Collins was his side’s efforts after the break, as they struggled to create anything of note, only managing one more shot on target, that the striker’s second goal late on.

He added: “I don’t think there was many clear-cut chances second half, we had more chances first half which was disappointing.

“Credit to them they were time-wasting, they were slowing the game down when they could and they’ve seen the game out well.

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“It’s a poor third goal, the lad’s hit a great strike, nothing we can do about that, but then to get the late goal, you think you never know, you might nick a draw, but it was just one of those things.

“To score two goals away from home it is credit to the team as we have been scoring goals.

“That’s 12 goals in a couple of weeks, so we are scoring goals, but we can’t start games like that.”