Adebayo hopes his Forest equaliser has done enough to earn a start for Luton at Aston Villa

​Town striker Elijah Adebayo is hoping his last-gasp equaliser at Nottingham Forest on Saturday will be enough to earn him a place in the starting line-up at Aston Villa tomorrow.

​The 25-year-old was introduced from the bench with just 18 minutes of normal time to go as part of a triple substitution that saw former England team-mates Ross Barkley and Andros Townsend join the fray as well.

Although the hosts then doubled their lead through Chris Wood, Town hit back in the closing stages as Chiedozie Ogbene crashed home a volley, before Adebayo struck in stoppage time.

Taking Tom Lockyer’s lofted ball into the box on his chest, he easily outmuscled Joe Worrall before slotting past USA international Matt Turner to earn his side a point.

Having only started once in Luton's last six top flight games, that the 1-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, looking ahead to Sunday’s fixture, Adebayo said: “The gaffer is the one that is picking the team and hopefully I’ve done enough to warrant a place.

"If I haven’t I have to go and do it again from the bench until I’ve warranted my place to start.

"If I do start it’s again about taking that opportunity from the off, so whatever case it may be, I’m going to try and make sure I’m impacting the game.”

Asked just how much he thinks that goal will boost his confidence ahead of the contest, and on the selection dilemma he now has, boss Rob Edwards continued: “That’s what I want, it gives me a really difficult decision.

“I think he will (have confidence), but I think his goal against Burnley will as well, a lovely little wriggle and shot.

"He’s scored two good goals after coming off the bench in recent games, so we need that, our subs, the whole squad to be able to affect the game, whichever way we need it.

"He’s done that the last couple of games so all credit to him.”

On what was going through his head when he saw Lockyer’s lofted pass dropping in his vicinity, Adebayo continued: “I’m thinking use my attributes, try and get an opportunity on goal and we’ve spoken about being in that position.

"If your first touch is right then you open up the whole goal for yourself, which it happened.

"Then everything after that is just about following through and making sure you hit the target for one and if you hit the target you give yourself the best possible chance of it going in.”

Meanwhile, discussing the upcoming contest against a Villa side who are flying in the Premier League this term, sitting fifth in the table with four straight wins on home soil, Adebayo added: “It’s a huge test, every game we’re going to go to, home and away, it’s going to be tough.

"Villa are very, very good and it’s going to be a different test from what we’ve come up against.

"I’m sure the gaffer will be putting up another plan, or a way we can try and hurt them and what their strengths are going to be as well.

"We’ve just got to try and take the game to them as well as respecting their position and knowing what we’re coming up against.

"It should be a good game, Villa Park is a good place to go, the fans get behind them so we’ll look forward to it.

“Every game is going to pose a different challenge as well, so we’ll take it one step at a time and see where we are come April, May.”