Collins wasn't feeling any extra pressure in leading the Town line

Town attacker James Collins didn't feel that he was under any extra pressure last weekend despite the club being down to the bare bones in terms of strikers.
James Collins celebrates his first goal at the weekendJames Collins celebrates his first goal at the weekend
James Collins celebrates his first goal at the weekend

With Elliot Lee missing out due to hamstring injury against Peterborough, it meant the Hatters, who were also without Danny Hylton (suspended) and Harry Cornick (injured), used Kazenga LuaLua as a makeshift forward alongside Collins for the second game running.

The inexperienced Aaron Jarvis was on the bench too, but Collins, who responded with a magnificent hat-trick during the 4-0 win, wasn't fussed about being the main man, saying: "No, that’s why we’ve got the squad we’ve got.

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"Any side would miss Hylts, Harry and Elliot, and we know that, but we can't think about anything like that.

"We’ve just go out there and do our job, and I think whoever plays they all know that, and that’s what we aim to do every game."

The attacker drew plenty of praise from interim chief Mick Harford for the manner in which has led the line in recent games, saying: "We lost Danny for four games, Danny’s a big miss, but he’s stepped up to the mark has Collo.

"He’s seen the opportunity that Danny’s not in there, he wants to go on and score goals, and that’s credit to him.

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"He’s on fire at the moment in terms of scoring goals and he’s working his socks off.

Although he took the headlines with a second treble of the campaign, and third in Luton colours, Collins was quick to praise the supply-line as he was assisted by Jack Stacey, twice, and then LuaLua.

He continued: “I know when Jack (Stacey) gets down that line and if he can pick people out, he’s great at it.

“I knew where I was going and he found me superbly both times, so credit to him as well.

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“We get all the glory, but Kaz (LuaLua) with the third goal as well, it’s a great pass, you’ve got to thank those boys as well.

“I didn’t have to break stride and knew I had to make good contact with it as the keeper wouldn’t expect it going that early so delighted to see it go in.”

Collins could have had the match ball before half time, such were the raft of opportunities Luton sent his way, while he also missed a glorious chance to bag a fourth for the second time in his career.

He continued: “I had a couple of half chances before the break and maybe I was desperate for the hat-trick, so maybe I was snatching at it a little bit.

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“I managed to get my composure at half time and thought if it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen.

“Fortunately it did and a bit disappointed I didn’t get a fourth to be honest, but I can’t be too greedy.”

Meanwhile, Harford, a striker himself during a wonderful career, added: "Collo makes good runs and if the ball’s right he’ll get on the end of things.

“He loves scoring goals, he loves being in the box and that’s what he is, he’s a goalscorer, that’s why we brought him to the football club."