Lockyer: It would be 'massive' to send Luton Town into the Premier League

Luton defender Tom Lockyer believes it would be ‘massive’ to see the Hatters promoted to the Premier League at the end of the month.

The centre half was one of many heroes on Tuesday night, as not only did he turn in a magnificent performance at centre half, keeping Black Cats attackers Joe Gelhardt and Amad Diallo quiet, he was also on hand to bury a header and make it 2-0 with what turned out to be the winning goal just before half time.

It means that Town are now just 90 minutes from returning to the top flight that they were last in over 30 years ago, relegated in the 1991-92 campaign, Coventry City standing between them and a place at the top table at Wembley on May 27.

Speaking to Sky Sports afterwards, Lockyer said: “It was special, all those fans making it a really tough place to come.

“Commiserations to them, a fantastic opponent over the two legs, but we're the ones who have booked that spot now.

“We have to really enjoy tonight, there’s a little while to the final now, so we’ll have one eye on the bigger picture as well.

"To see Luton in the Premier League would be massive, near on 10 years ago in the non-league, to have that journey it's almost a bit of a fairy tale.

“The fans thoroughly deserve their day out at Wembley now and we are going to be hoping we can send them home happy from there as well.”

After Gabe Osho had put the Hatters in front following a corner where Lockyer made a nuisance of himself, the Welsh international then did superbly to get his head on Alfie Doughty’s cross for the second goal just before half time.

On his third goal in four matches, Lockyer added: “I just threw myself at the ball and see what happens, I headed the ball and then I looked around and it was in the net.

“I just go and attack it as hard as I could and thankfully it’s gone in.”

Team-mate Osho added of his defensive partner’s new-found prolific streak: “He’s on good goalscoring form at the moment, we’ll take them any way they come.

"Locks has been excellent, so hopefully he can do it again in the final and send us up.”