Joy for Cuthbert as he nets his first Luton goal

The 29-year-old, who was playing his 65th game for the club, timed his run perfectly to head home Jake Gray’s corner early in the second half.

It was also Cuthbert’s first goal in 90 games, his last strike coming back in November 2014 when at Leyton Orient, he notched in the 2-2 draw against Coventry City.

The Town captain admitted that a late change in tactics ahead of the set-piece played a huge role in him breaking his duck too, saying: “I usually go round the back, nine times out of 10, I’ll do that and Hylts (Danny Hylton) has just whispered, ‘change with me’.

“So at the last minute I’ve changed where I’ve gone, it was a great ball in from Jake and it’s just landed on my head.

“You just need a little bit of luck, I say luck, I’ve had a lot of balls land on my head and managed to shank them wide and put them over the bar.

“It was just right time, right place. I’ve timed it right and I’m really happy because we work on it every day.

“I know the gaffer’s big on scoring from set-pieces, he wants to score more from set-pieces and so do I.

“It’s been a long time coming, I’ve been desperate to score, I’m absolutely delighted that I have scored.

“At the same time I’d have been absolutely delighted if we’d have kept the clean sheet and won the game here against one of our rivals.

“I’ve always scored maybe three or four goals a season during my career, so I want to keep that up.”

After scoring his goal, Cuthbert went straight over to the 1,800 travelling supporters to indulge in some highly animated scenes of joy, as he continued: “I just thought I’d go celebrate and then I fell on my backside, so I thought I’m going to have to style this out a bit so I started hitting the board.

“I didn’t know what else to do and then all the lads jumped on and saved me.”

The skipper was booked by referee Mark Heywood for his pumped up outburst too, saying: “You don’t really know what you’re doing, especially with me, I don’t score many goals, so emotions take over you and start jumping about.

“It was a stupid booking, one you don’t want to pick up. Luckily I didn’t get my second and my marching orders.”

Luton boss Nathan Jones was pleased to see Cuthbert on the scoresheet, as he knows it’s an avenue the club can improve on.

He said: “It’s about time as he’s a threat and he needs to get those. The timing of the run, it was a great goal. I’m just disappointed we didn’t take that second goal.”

Cuthbert is now looking to become, not a regular on the scoresheet, but more of a contributor than he has been in his Luton career so far, adding: “It’s not been playing on my mind, but I’ve scored two or three goals every season and not really gone a season where I’ve not scored, apart from last year.

“So I was desperate to score and I’m delighted. For me as a defender, if you can chip in with the odd goal, great, but it’s all about keeping clean sheets and defending well, letting people like Danny Hylton, Jack Marriott and Cameron McGeehan when he’s back fit, scoring the goals and I’ll be happy.”