Sluga back but Shea wants to keep his place between the posts for Luton

Town goalkeeper James Shea is determined to do all he can to keep his place in the Hatters side after Simon Sluga’s return from injury.

The 29-year-old has started Luton’s last six games after Sluga injured his shoulder during the 4-0 defeat at Cardiff City last month.

Since his recall, Shea has kept three clean sheets, with Luton conceding just four goals, as he had another shut-out against title-chasing Bournemouth on Saturday.

With Sluga back on the bench for the visit of the Cherries and Town now playing three times in eight days over the Christmas period, starting with a Boxing Day trip to Reading, Shea wants to carry on as the number one for as long as he can.

The former Arsenal youngster said: “Slugs is back, Slugs wants to play, of course he does, Slugs is a Croatian international, he wants to play.

“As long as I’m in, I’ve just got to try and keep doing my job and stay in as long as I can really.

“I want to play, I admit that, I want to play as many games as I can.

“But Si started the season and Si’s been brilliant all year, since he’s been in the team, he’s been absolutely class.

“It was a shame what happened to his shoulder, he needed to get that right and thankfully he’s got that right now, but it gives me a chance to get some games and I just want to play, show what I can do.

“If we can pick up some wins, pick up some clean sheets, all the best.

“I just take it game by game, that’s all I can do.

“I’m not getting too far ahead of myself, I know I kept a clean sheet now, but it doesn’t mean anything.

“I just take each game as it comes and long may it continue. If I play, I play, if I don’t, I’ll be right behind Slugs.”

When asked about his run of form between the posts, Shea said: “I’ll take it, I’m not going to lie, clean sheets, that’s what you’re looked on.

“It was tougher last season when I played, we were shipping goals for fun last year, but we look more solid as a unit right now, long may that continue.”

Town’s solidity is a world away from Shea’s run in the team last season after Sluga was dropped for his errors against Derby County.

Despite a shut-out against Bristol City to start with, he had to pick the ball out of the net 32 times in his next 15 matches, including conceding seven at Brentford, without another clean sheet to his name.

However, with Luton looking so much more organised and tough to break down now, breached just 21 times in 20 games, as opposed to 41 at this stage last term, Shea added: “It took a while to get a few clean sheets last year, it’s a bit different this year thankfully.

“The more points we get here, home form is going to be massive for us and it’s a bit of a fortress for us.

“It was a shame there was no crowd here, the last two games the crowd have been absolutely brilliant for us, so hopefully it won’t be too much longer before they come back as well.”