Gray hoping to end hat-trick hoodoo

Top scorer Andre Gray is hoping to end his hat-trick hoodoo though after again missing out on the chance of his first Town treble, writes Mark Wood.
Andre Gray celebrates his second goal against NewportAndre Gray celebrates his second goal against Newport
Andre Gray celebrates his second goal against Newport

He twice put the Hatters ahead with a mishit volley and then an unstoppable strike as County sub Christian Jolley cancelled them out with two goals of his own following defensive errors.

The 21-year-old also spurned a great chance at 1-0 when he raced on to O’Connor’s errant pass but chipped over the bar.

Gray said: “As soon as I got through I told myself I’m going to dink him.

“It was set up to do it and as soon as I went to do it, it hit a bobble and I shanked it.

“It happens and I’m disappointed because I should be putting them away. I’m not going to make excuses about the pitch, but that was my plan and it didn’t happen.

“I think I’ve scored one hat-trick before. I’ve got this voodoo against me of scoring a hat-trick but I think it will come one day hopefully.”

Gray admitted he almost had too much time when netting his first though, saying: “It was just a case of getting my foot on it and making sure I didn’t mishit it. Luckily I hit it on target and it went in.

“I thought it was a bit too good to be true and that’s why I probably hit it a bit wrong because I thought someone was going to come, but luckily they didn’t realise I was behind them and I put it away.”

Boss John Still said: “I could stand here and say we work on that – we don’t. But we do work on the man coming off the back post.

“He’s come off, found the ball and put it in the back of the net. (It was) A good team goal. They’ll probably look at that and say someone should have been marking him, but his other goal was a special goal wasn’t it?”

Gray’s second was an unstoppable strike into the top-right corner after the ball broke nicely for him in the box.

He said: “It’s just dropped to me and (Jake) Howells has told me to hit it and I just put my foot through it. It was a big crowd so I don’t think I could do much else and luckily it went in.

“I was pleased with the connection I got because knowing my luck at times it could have gone over the stand, but luckily it went in the top corner.”

Still felt Gray had been unlucky to miss out on a hat-trick as he continued: “Absolutely, “a bit like David Martin the other day. What we are seeing now is we are seeing people start to impress. People understanding the job and they’re all the pluses and to be fair there are quite a few of them.”

Those two strikes took Gray’s tally to 18 for the season, but he admitted he is not happy with his return and knows he needs to become more deadly in front of goal.

“I’ve always said I never really set myself a target,” he said. “My target is to score every game and I think everything will take its toll from there.

“People have asked me whether I’m happy with my return and I don’t think I am.

“I think chances like today, the penalty against Forest Green and all the chances I’ve missed, I know I need to be a lot more clinical and I’ve been working hard at trying to do that.

“But we all miss chances and it’s just a case of not worrying about it and not getting your head down because that will just kill your confidence.”

Defender Lathaniel Rowe-Turner, meanwhile, sang Gray’s praises, adding: “He’s doing well at the minute, finishing goals and it’s nice to have someone up front who can put them away.

“It was a great goal, he’s just hit it as hard as he could really and the keeper had no chance.”

For all the latest Luton Town FC news, reports, stats, player profiles, live match updates, MOM poll, prediction table and a complete fixture list, visit our Hatters Microsite.

Related topics: