On-loan Leicester midfielder Dewsbury-Hall insists Luton can aim for Championship play-offs

On-loan Luton midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall believes that the Hatters should be aiming to keep in touch with the Championship play-off places this season.

With their game against QPR postponed on Saturday due to a number of Town players returning positive coronavirus tests, they dropped to 14th in the table, but are still only seven points behind seventh placed Watford.

Although Luton take a break from league action this weekend, hosting Reading in the FA Cup, when the Championship does resume with a trip to Bournemouth on January 16, Dewsbury-Hall, speaking following the 2-1 win over Bristol City last week, will be looking upwards, as he said: “We’re saying in the dressing room, we want to keep in touch with the play-offs at all times.

“We knew it was a game we needed to get three points to stay in touch with the play-offs, so we’re delighted

“It’s important to get wins at home, we know in this league, if you get back-to-back wins you can really propel yourself up there.

“We consider ourselves a real stable Championship side now.

“We’re getting the confidence to really push on now to be a top 12 Championship team as we believe that we are in the dressing room and I’ve come in to try and contribute to that, so long may it continue.”

Part of the reason why Luton have put themselves in with a shout is their recent home form, which has seen them go six games unbeaten at Kenilworth Road, including taking 10 points from their last 12, beating title challengers Norwich City, plus seeing off Preston and Bristol City, while drawing with Bournemouth.

Dewsbury-Hall continued: “I feel like we’re really strong at home and no team will come here and have an easy game against us.

“If we just get that mentality going away, and be really tough to play against away, it’s not going to be bad for us.

“We’re going to keep climbing up that table as our form at home has been fantastic, so we just need to continue that away.

“We know home is becoming a bit of a fortress now, teams are coming here and not getting an easy game, so to come away with the three points is very pleasing for everybody.”

Dewsbury-Hall carried on the starring role he has played since arriving from Leicester City in October with another stand-out display during the 2-1 victory over Bristol City recently, scoring the winner with his first goal for the club.

He believes that he is now becoming battle-hardened to life in the second tier after making his 15th appearance for the Hatters, saying: “You come up against a lot of teams in this league that are different styles of play and you have to adapt to that as a lot of teams like to go more direct.

“You have to work on getting on the second balls and winning your midfield battle and that was one of the things we did (against City).

“We said, we had three in there and we wanted to try and win the midfield battle and that will be a big component of getting the three points.

“No game’s easy, no game you can go through and think we’re going to walk through this.

“You have to earn the right to play and earn the right to get the three points and I thought we did that.”