Boss admits York is a ‘must-win’ game for the Hatters

HATTERS boss Gary Brabin has admitted that tomorrow night’s visit of York is a ‘must-win’ game for Luton, writes Mark Wood.

With Town having dropped out of the play-offs for the first time since December, the pressure is now mounting for them to cement a top-five finish.

York’s 1-0 midweek win at Bath saw them narrowly move ahead of the Hatters on goal difference and Brabin conceded it was a massive game, especially as Town travel to fellow play-off hopefuls Gateshead on Tuesday night.

Brabin said: “We’ve got to win football matches, that’s a must. First and foremost cement our place in the play-offs. We have what we feel what we need to achieve to get that.

“We go into every game wanting to win every game and that’s certainly the case for tomorrow.

“We are going to be meeting some of the people who are in contention for them play-off spots and vice-a-versa they are all playing each other as well.

“So there are going to be chances for a lot of points to be gained and a lot of points in and around the play-off spots that are going to be dropped.

“We haven’t won as many games as we would have liked to in the last three or four games.

“I think that on top of the FA Trophy disturbance, if you like, a lot of teams have caught up, and played a few more games than us.

“So that always makes things look a little worse than what it is. We’ve got eight games left and we are not relying on anyone else. It’s about us and it’s another big game for us to look forward to.”

This is the fourth time this season the two sides will meet and Brabin is adamant it would have been a big game even if the Minstermen hadn’t leap-frogged them in midweek.

He continued: “We said a month ago now we feel like we are playing York every other week.

“It’s another chance for us to have another game of football against one of the rivals for the play-off spot. We are all looking forward to the game.

“It’s getting very tight there in the play-off spots. We are aware of that. Regardless of positions it was going to be a big game anyway.

“I think this time of the season there’s always a little bit of apprehension and people are willing the team over the line and I’m sure that’s from the very top right the way through to 10th place.

“It’s certainly the case here. We are aware of what we need to do.

“Our objective before the season started was to get promotion and we are still on course for that.

“We have had a very turbulent year in terms of results and injuries and stuff.

“But I think the lads have been through a lot this year and we still have a lot of trust in each other.

“It’s been a real good group to work with. We are all really down when the performances haven’t been there, when the results haven’t been there.

“We are down when we are feeling we are letting the supporters down, but we just ask if we can keep pulling in the same direction, we’ve got eight games left and hopefully another three after that.

“We are on course to achieve our goal of promotion.”

But he denied that any complacency could have crept into the squad with the Hatters having been in the play-offs for so long.

Brabin also asserted there wasn’t a fear of failure, but merely a new-found resolve to make sure they win promotion.

He added: “I wouldn’t say there was a fear but I think everyone’s aware we can’t take for granted that we are going to get in the play-offs.

“People will make it hard for us like that have done all season.

“We’ve been up and in and around it all season. With the extended run in the FA Trophy we’ve had a lot of games cancelled.

“A lot of the teams you look at are on 40 games and we are only on 38. There’s games in hand.

“Again we are not going to take that for granted but I think it makes the league look, certainly at this stage in the season, a little bit more false when teams have played a couple of games more than us.

“I don’t think it’s led to any complacency (being in the play-offs for so long). It’s not just the games in hand people have caught on us, I think we’ve had a couple of games that have been a below par performance which we’ve been the first to admit.

“We’ve had results which we haven’t been happy with. It’s been a combination of things but I don’t think it’s a case where we are fearing we’re not going to make the play-offs that’s not the case.

“If anything people are more determined now to put things right and I think that’s important.”