Cornick reveals his 'selfish' approach is working for Luton after the departure of top scorer Collins in the summer

Town attacker Harry Cornick has pinpointed adopting a more 'selfish' approach since the departure of talisman James Collins as one of the main reasons why he is flourishing in front of goal this term.

The 26-year-old endured a tough time of it last season as after netting nine times in Luton’s first year back in the second tier, only managed to register once last campaign, that coming in his 40th appearance at Bristol City.

However, with Collins, who had scored double figures in each of his four terms at the club, bagging an impressive 72 in total, opting to move to Cardiff City in the summer, it meant there was a need for someone to step up and fill the forward's boots.

Elijah Adebayo was brought in from Walsall to do that the previous January, with the striker netting 10 in 29 outings so far, while Cameron Jerome and Admiral Muskwe were also signed to share some of the load.

However, Cornick was determined to weigh in himself rather than just be happy in creating for his team-mates, as his new mindset is paying off with six to his name already, out on his own as the club's leading scorer.

Speaking after his match-winning double at Millwall on Saturday, he said: "Collo was brilliant for me, I always used to love playing with him, trying to find him, I used to like getting assists for him.

“Last year I was trying to get more assists, that was my main focus.

"Trying to set Collo up, trying to set Eli up and this year I’m being a bit more selfish, a bit more greedy, trying to stay more central on the pitch and trying to get my chances.

“I think last year I was drifting out wide a bit too much and trying to help the team a bit too much, whereas if I stay central, that’s where the goals are.”

Although Cornick has always had the chances to score, the main criticism levelled at him in the past has been his ability to take them, often missing one-on-ones at crucial periods of a game, something the attacker has been desperate to rectify.

In the recent home games against Sheffield United and Swansea, he has been put through only to hit the woodwork, but on Saturday there were no such issues when faced with Lions stopper Bartosz Bialkowski.

Both times he gave the home keeper no chance at all with unerring finishes into the net, as he continued: "I’ve always had the ability to finish.

"I used to think I was a good finisher, and then it's just confidence really.

"Once you miss a few chances and you start thinking about it too much and you let other people say a few too many things, you start overthinking every chance you get.

"You’ve just got to go back to basics really and just do what you feel natural with.

"When I go through on goal now, I’m just thinking 'do your natural thing' rather than overthinking it.

"I think the fans help massively as well.

"When it was a quiet stadium and I could just hear the gaffer screaming at me and everyone shouting 'go near post, go across goal, take it round him,' I was thinking, 'I didn't know what to do.'

"Now when the fans are here, I’m just thinking nothing, just focus on what I need to do and put it in the back of the net.”

Cornick’s double at the Den was his second brace in three games, some achievement as his first against Coventry recently was eight years and almost 250 matches in the waiting.

He added: “I feel like I’ve always had it, I just feel like I’ve never really produced it.

"It’s taken me about five years of my professional career to get a brace and then two come around like that, so I’m delighted with the goals and it’s a great win for us.”