Vassell wants to start against Mansfield

Striker Isaac Vassell is hopeful of earning a recall to the Hatters side against Mansfield this afternoon after his game-changing display from the bench during Friday's 2-2 draw with Leyton Orient.
Isaac Vassell scores Town's equaliser against Leyton OrientIsaac Vassell scores Town's equaliser against Leyton Orient
Isaac Vassell scores Town's equaliser against Leyton Orient

The 23-year-old replaced Jack Marriott midway through the second period with Luton staring down the barrel of defeat, but five minutes later, had levelled proceedings with his 11th of the season.

With Luton heading to Field Mill today, Vassell hopes he'll be in from the opening whistle, saying: “I always want to start. I'll just wait to see what the gaffer does, how he thinks the performances went and if he changes anything.

Vassell had seen his run of four successive starts ended on Friday, but although disappointed to be on the bench, took it in the right manner, as he said: “It’s definitely frustrating, but like I always say, I have trust in the gaffer’s ways.

“He says the right things to me and any way I can make an impact is what I try to do, I came on, got a goal, so it was good.

“There’s never an bitterness when it comes to us lot (strikers). Before the game we’re all with each other and saying 'you’ve got to score today and do well', because that’s the sort of ethic we need to have if we’re going to kick on.

"You can’t be bitter that you’re not in the squad, or hold a grudge or sulk or anything, you've just got to get on with it. Then when you get your opportunity, just got to do the best you can for the team, that’s what everyone should do.”

When Vassell was introduced though, he paid immediate dividends, racing through to beat O's keeper Sam Sargeant with a cool finish, as on his goal, he said: "I’ve come on and I don’t know how long it was when I got the goal, but we needed it, we tried to push on and win the game then.

“Sometimes they say it’s easier to miss them, I just went through and kept a cool head. What we say as strikers is the keeper might give you the side and he gave me his far side so I just slotted it in.”

With Danny Hylton also on target, bagging a 25th of the season, assistant boss Paul Hart recognised the role the front two will play in hopefully firing Town to promotion via the play-offs this season, saying: "Our frontmen are so hard to play against I’ve got to be honest.

"They’re good players and once again they’ve given us a chance to do other things, which is stay in the play-off positions, strike for whatever we’ve got to do, and whilst we’ve got them playing as well as they do, we’ve got a chance.”

Despite seeing their automatic hopes all but mathematically ended on Friday, Vassell doesn't want any lingering feeling of disappointment to cloud their approach this afternoon at Mansfield.

He said: "We try not to dwell on games too much, not at this stage of the season. We can’t afford to take anything from the previous games into the next games as it’s not the right thing to do."It's a disappointment (drawing with Orient), it’s going to sting for a day or two, but going into Monday’s game, we’ll be going in with a positive attitude to get three points."