The Town might be on their way to Wembley but their form in League One has taken a wobble as they head to Wycombe Wanderers on Saturday.
It’s six games without a win in the third tier which has seen the Hatters slip to 12th place – seven points off the top six.
With our hosts three places above us in the table, it’s a big game for both so let’s get into it shall we?
Knocking the door
Since the 4-0 win over Wycombe on Boxing Day the Chairboys have been one of the form sides in League One, winning seven of their last 12 games to move to within touching distance of the play-offs.
That would have been eight in 12 had it not been a for a dramatic defeat last weekend against Bolton that saw them lose 3-2 despite still leading 2-0 in the 87th minute.
It’s their form at Adams Park which has been the most eye-catching. Wanderers have won 13 of their last 18 matches – including the last four – on home soil.
Haven’t we met before?
So, there’s this website. Hatters Heritage. You might have heard of it. Got information and line-ups of every single game we’ve ever played. Scans of every programme and photos of every player, too.
Visiting their website will give you the complete record of all our meetings with the Chairboys, which goes back to our first game with them all the way back to our first meeting in 1996.
The Town won that first game 1-0 at Adams Park thanks to a David Oldfield goal and since then Hatters teams have relished heading to this corner of Buckinghamshire.
So much so that in 15 games, no Town team has lost. It’s eight wins and seven draws at Adams Park.
Our last visit came in April 2021 when goals from George Moncur, Kazenga LuaLua and Elijah Adebayo earned us a 3-1 win behind-closed-doors.
In charge
Whistler Craig Hicks takes charge of Saturday’s game. For those who like to know, he’s shown 71 yellow cards but not a single red so far in the 25 games he’s overseen this season. He was the man in the middle at Kenilworth Road earlier this season for our goalless draw with Rotherham.
OTD
The Town have not won on 14th March in the last seven attempts. Last time out it was lonnnngggg way to Carlisle for a goalless draw at Brunton Park in 2017.
However, that last win, in 1987 was a special one: Mick Harford and Brian Stein earned the Hatters a famous 2-1 win over Manchester United at Kenilworth Road in the top flight.
A honourable mention for a 1-1 draw with Norwich City in an FA Cup semi-final in 1959. The Hatters would go on and win the replay to earn a place in the final against Nottingham Forest.
On the road
Tickets went off sale at 5pm Friday and none will be available on the day at Adams Park.
Team news
Nigel Lonwijk is fit to face Wycombe after being stretchered off following the full-time whistle in Tuesday’s 1-1 draw at Doncaster.
Fellow defender Mads Andersen remains a doubt, however, after missing the last three league games.
Striker Ali Al-Hamadi will not feature against the Chairboys as he continues to feel the affects of a knock sustained in the defeat at Wigan.
Elijah Adebayo is closer to making a return to the first team squad after coming through 70 minutes of an Under-21s game at Barnet earlier in the week, a game in which Sverre Sandal came through 45 minutes.
Jack’s presser
Watch the manager’s press conference on LTFC+ as he discusses Saturday’s encounter. All 31 minutes and 52 seconds are here for all to see for free without any logging in faff. Enjoy.
Tune in, turn on.
Simon Pitts will be, as ever, on the mic on LTFC+ to doubt incur the wrath of nearby Wanderers fans when he’s imploring with the referee to ensure a defensive free-kick is taken in the right place.
If you’re overseas and want to watch the Adams Park adventures, it’s £10. Just want audio? It’s available anywhere, and it’s just £2.50 for the pleasure. Clicking here gives you those possibilities.
If you are an ex-pat overseas, take advantage of the half-season Global Hatters subscription which is now just £150. All the details are right here.
You can also follow our social media channels for live updates as they happen, plus photos and behind-the-scenes content during the 90 minutes. Stay on lutontown.co.uk post-match for a full report, post-match reaction and the all-important highlights.
And finally...don’t be THAT fan.
A reminder to all supporters, no matter who you are, how old or who you’re supporting, to go about your day with respect. We continue to support the Love Football, Protect the Game campaign.
Luton Town Football Club has committed in its customer charter to providing safe match-day experiences for all supporters regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability or sexual orientation, and this applies equally to home and away fixtures.
In the event that any Luton supporters do make discriminatory chants, the Club will work with the police and football authorities to help identify such individuals. Any such fans would then face the strictest club sanctions, including football banning orders that would prevent them attending any matches, in addition to any criminal charges.
Furthermore, we would like to warn against pitch incursions and the use of pyrotechnics or missiles – including any type of object that is thrown onto the pitch during a match – which could lead to potential prosecution.
The Club can also be held responsible for the behaviour of its supporters, which could lead to substantial fines being imposed.
As a diverse and inclusive football club, we stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our fellow EFL clubs in supporting the FA’s ‘Love Football. Protect the Game’ campaign and call on all fans to enjoy the game in a positive spirit.
If you are offended by any discriminatory abuse of any kind at any of our games, you can report it by clicking HERE, or by contacting your nearest steward immediately.
Alternatively, email myvoice@lutontown.co.uk, or report the incident via Kick it Out's free, confidential reporting app on the App Store and Google Play.
We're all Luton.
Come on Luton!
