Ex-Hatter David Moss: I never changed my mind from the penalty spot

Former Town winger David Moss has revealed the main reason why he sits at the top of Hatters’ list of successful penalty takers in their history.

The attacker scored 94 goals in 245 games for Luton during his seven years at Kenilworth Road, with 33 of them coming from the spot, 12 more than his nearest rival Kevin Nicholls.

On his method, Moss said: “My technique really was to pick my spot and not change my mind.

“I used to go for pace, I thought if I hit it where I want, into the corner, and it’s hit with good pace, it’s going to take some saving, that was my theory.

“Then I changed a little bit, as I started putting them both sides, but previously I kept the same side.

“Goalkeepers in those days started doing their homework a little bit regarding penalty takers, so I had to change a little bit.

“I could mix it up, but my technique was pick my spot.

“One of my old team-mates at Swindon told me when I missed a penalty, he said, ‘you change your mind didn’t you?’

“I said ‘yes I did,’ so he said, ‘listen, just pick your spot and don’t change your mind and if they save it, they save it.’”

Moss hadn't started out as the number one taker when joining Town from the Robins in 1978 though, as he continued: "It was strange as I took a few penalties at Swindon, but I wasn’t a regular.

"There were other guys ahead of me at Swindon, but when they weren’t playing for example, I would probably step up and take the penalty.

"I missed a couple as everybody does, but scored some important ones too.

"When I first came to Luton, Lil Fucillo was the penalty taker, so I was second on the list I presume.

"If Lil wasn't playing, then I would step up, but I’d not been a consistent and regular penalty taker really until Lil got injured with a terrible leg break and I sort of took over with the penalties.

“He broke his leg at Brighton, it was a terrible tackle and then he came back and he did it again at some stage.

"He had two breaks and missed a lot of football, I benefited from taking the penalties I suppose."

The Witney-born wideman put plenty of time into his spot-kicks at Kenilworth Road, although understandably, there wasn’t a queue of goalkeepers sticking their hands up to be beaten from 12 yards.

He added: “I practiced, not too many though. If I missed one in training, I made sure I took another and finished it, so always end on a positive note.

“But goalkeepers don’t like facing penalties in training, they hate it, so I probably used to use the reserve and youth team goalkeeper to practice with.

“They used to say, ‘no I’m going, I’m not doing penalties,’ especially Les Sealey, he would say, ‘you’re not taking penalties against me.’

“They don’t like conceding goals at any time, you’re sort of fodder there, if loads of people are queuing up to take penalties, you’re just waiting there, so I think Les just thought, ‘not for me.’”

When asked for his favourite favourite spot-kicks, Moss looked back at the 1981-82 campaign when the Hatters won promotion to the top flight for the first time in their history.

He said: “When we beat Blackburn away 1-0, it was the winning penalty.

“(Crystal) Palace at home too, the games like that where it was a close game and we needed the points.

“Those stick in my mind a little bit, plus my two against Watford as well as the first one I took, was the first time I think, I changed my side.

"I put it the other side of the goalkeeper and then the second one I went back to my original, so I scored two, but I put them both in different corners."

It wasn't just from 12 yards that Moss could do the business though, as he also netted 61 times for the club from open play as well, with one of his personal highlights, a wonderful lobbed finish against Liverpool at Anfield during Town's 3-3 draw in September 1982.

He said: "That’s one of my memories that stays with me, to score in front of the Kop, because Liverpool were always my favourite team other than Luton obviously.

"Watching Liverpool win European Cups and League Championships, they were always my other team, so to go to Anfield and score in front of the Kop, it was a dream, I was absolutely made up, I’m proud of that one.

“But that summed us up, that’s why we were on TV so much in those days.

"There wasn’t Sky it was Match of the Day and the Big Match on a Sunday and little Luton were on so many times, because it was expected.

"We had this reputation that there would be goals, whether it was all from us or we would be conceding them.

"A four each at Stoke which I don’t speak about as I missed a penalty, it would have made it 5-4, it was in the last minute.

"I sent the goalkeeper the wrong way, but hit the post, an error of judgement.

"But it was typical of what we were capable of.

"We scored the goals, and when we got promoted, it was with a 4-1 win, when we clinched the championship, it was a 3-2 win, which kind of epitomised the way we were and the way the manager (David Pleat) was.

"He would rather have won 3-2 to win the title than 1-0."

Team-mate during that period Brian Horton was quick to talk up the ability of Moss as well, adding: "I played against Mossy quite a few times when he was at Swindon and I was at Brighton, so I always knew what a good player he was.

"For me, he could have played in any top side with his quality.

"Right foot, left foot, crossing, set-pieces, just great ability and we got on great.

"We shared rooms together, I took him on the coaching staff at Oxford, I took him to Man City, and we've remained great friends.

"We've had some great times, off the pitch as well, as we played golf together, so we had a great spirit within the group in those days, a fantastic team spirit."