Buckle want Hatters to emulate ‘nasty’ Mariners

Luton’s defensive fragility was again highlighted at Thursday’s press conference by boss Paul Buckle, who hailed the Mariners’ backline.

With Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at struggling Barrow still raw, Buckle said: “I don’t go kneejerk with the training and stuff because I think it’s more of a mentality thing, I think that the goal conceded last week it cost us, it’s as simple as that, it cost us.

“We didn’t even get a foothold in the game and it’s just about the mentality of clearing your lines and doing the nasty side.

“I think that’s why Grimsby are at the top in all honesty at the moment. I think they’re at the top because they are no nonsense at the back, they don’t give you a chance.

“I think you have to work hard to get a goal and this is where we need to get to. This is what I’m pushing into the players now that they have actually got a licence in our defending third to clear your lines.

“It’s a big part of the game, it’s a big part as a defender to know that when it comes into your area you’ve got to get there first, you’ve got to get it away.”

The Town boss remains confident they have more than enough firepower to make an impression at the other end, but insisted his side to the ‘basics’ right.

He added: “I think we’ve shown a lot of good football this season. I think we’ve shown a lot of good fighting spirit as well.

“You don’t do what we’ve done in the cup and the league so far if you’re a poor team.

“We’re not a poor team, we’ve probably thought at times we need to do something special and we don’t.

“We don’t actually have to do something that special. We know we’ve got goals, I think we’ve averaged two goals a game.

“What we’ve got to do is keep clean sheets and the way you do that is by taking the pressure of yourself by doing the basics right.”