Clean sheet quest hasn't become an 'obsession' for Luton keeper Kaminski

Luton keeper Thomas Kaminski isn’t getting too obsessed about his quest to claim a first clean sheet for the Hatters in the Premier League this season, as he remains convinced that it will happen soon.

The summer signing from Blackburn Rovers has started all 12 of Town’s top flight games so far, but is yet to get through to the final whistle without having to pick the ball out of his net.

It’s something he is determined to change though, as speaking at the University of Bedfordshire yesterday afternoon, he said: “It’s the main goal, to keep a clean sheet every game, because it gives you a good base of taking points.

"It’s something we've been all working on and it’s something that the whole team wants to fight for. It’s not an obsession, it’s a target. It’s something that we really want, and it will come, we don’t have to chase these things, but I’m sure it will come.”

Kaminski has come close to achieving his personal goal, none more so than during Luton’s last run-out at Kenilworth Road when he managed to prevent a Liverpool attack consisting of Mohamad Salah, Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo from scoring in normal time.

However, with eight minutes of stoppage time added, he was agonisingly beaten when substitute Luis Diaz popped up to head home via his shoulder with just two of them remaining, as Kaminski admitted the timing was doubly frustrating, continuing: “Yes, 100 percent as you’re two minutes off having that clean sheet and as a goalkeeper you want clean sheets, you want points on the board.

"It’s a good sign that we were disappointed after the game, but before the game we would have taken that 1-1 obviously.”

After conceding 10 goals his opening four matches, Kaminski had his ever-changing back-line have tightened up considerably since, breached just 12 times in their last eight fixtures, only really heavily defeated when going down 3-1 to Aston Villa.

Losing 1-0 at Manchester United before the international break means that the Hatters shipped just a single goal to the Red Devils, plus fellow top four chasers Liverpool and Tottenham in their three matches.

With goal difference at the bottom of the table potentially massive this season, Kaminski continued: “We have to keep in mind that there might be a tough day at the office as well soon, so you have to keep doing the right things and to keep the scores going your way.

The 31-year-old, who spent the last fortnight away with Belgium, will continue his efforts to gain that maiden shut-out this afternoon when Crystal Palace come to town.

They possess French forward Odsonne Edouard, who already has five top flight goals to his name so far, plus the fit-again duo of Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise who are major threats at this level.

Kaminski will be well versed on them though, saying: “We always get a compilation on what they are good at, especially their wingers as well, Olise and Eze, maybe playing behind the striker a little bit. We look at what they can do and what they’re good at.

“They’ve got very good front players, creativity, on the ball very, very good. They can counter attack very, very well and they have a style of play, but it's up to us to stop them and give them a very hard game.”

Luton go into the game sitting just outside the relegation zone after Everton’s points deduction over the international break saw them drop into the bottom three.

Kaminski admitted that although Town’s players have been checking out just who is where in the lower reaches of the table, belief remains high they can still stay afloat in the highest tier of English football.

He added: “We look at it obviously, but it can quickly change, so it’s up to us to pick up as many points as we can, away from home, at home.

"It’s (belief) one of the main principles that we have to have as we know we came from the Championship and the club at some point belongs in the Premier League as well as they've earned it.

"It’s something you have to keep believing, especially in the situation we’re in now. We’re outside of the relegation zone and now we have everything in our own hands.

“Every game we have to focus to get the points, but it’s going to be a tough schedule. We have to look game by game and at home it’s always a good chance to get some points.

“At home, I think we can be a little bit more confident and with the fans behind us, but it’s going to be a tough game.”