Still happy with Luton display

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A shocking and untimely run of form had seen Luton drop out of the play-off places in recent weeks and despite a final-day win, they finished in eighth spot, three points behind Plymouth.

With the visitors already assured of a play-off position, they made eight changes, but the Hatters never came close to the eight-goal swing needed for them to join Boro in prolonging their campaign. However, Plymouth’s victory at Shrewsbury meant it did not matter anyway.

Still said: “I thought not only did we play well, we won the ball back lots of times. It was a pleasing way to end a season that was going to end with a tinge of disappointment – it ended in the right manner.

“We approached the game in the right way. We started on fire and throughout the game we had the ascendancy. We knew the other result was 2-0, so we just played the game and I was delighted with the response that we showed.”

Luton were in front after just five minutes when Elliot Lee’s shot was only parried by Chris Day, allowing top scorer Mark Cullen to sweep the ball into the empty net.

Steve McNulty thundered over a shot from long range and Jake Howells’ header was deflected behind, before Jonathan Smith’s shot was easy for Day to collect.

The Hatters had a second goal by half-time though, as full-back Michael Harriman hooked a superb half-volley into the top corner of the net with his left foot.

After the break, it could have been 3-0 ahead but Cullen somehow volleyed wide from Lee’s inch-perfect delivery.

Cameron McGeehan had an effort blocked, while Howells and Lee both sent shots wide and Cullen’s low shot was straight at Day. Luke Wilkinson’s header was also cleared off the line by Roarie Deacon.

Harriman was inches away from his second goal of the afternoon, firing narrowly wide as Stevenage only threatened late on – with Elliot Justham saving from Jack Jebb and then Calvin Zola.

Stevenage boss Graham Westley said: “It was always going to be a difficult afternoon in the sense we were sixth whatever happened and we wanted to go in (to the play-offs) with winning momentum.

“But at the same time I wanted to make sure that the lads who went out on the field of play gave us the best chance of winning the football match and felt players who perhaps had a lot more to gain were right to wear the shirt.

“When you make as many changes as we did, you can get that lack of fluency in your play and that lack of organisation. We saw that in patches,

“But as the afternoon wore on, we got ourselves back on top of the game so there were some encouraging signs if it was not to go into the play-offs with the result we wanted.”