Hatters’ new signings in the frame for New Year’s Day

The pair only officially become Luton Town players on New Year’s Day after winger Neilson signed following his release by Crawley last week and Town agreed a £50,000 deal with League Two York City for former loan man Smith.

Buckle said: “I’m sure now our fans will be looking forward to us playing on Tuesday at Woking and seeing one or two of the new faces as well to help us along our way.”

Neither were available to play a part in Saturday’s game against Ebbsfleet that was controversially postponed 20 minutes before kick-off for a ‘waterlogged’ pitch.

Buckle had named the same side that beat Woking 3-1 last time out at Kenilworth Road on Boxing Day, but was pleased that his two new signings would now get more of a chance to bed in.

He said: “The team was going to stay the same today. The team was set out, albeit with Andre (Gray) more central and Jon (Shaw) one side of him and Stuart (Fleetwood) the other and Scott (Rendell) playing that shorter role, so we were going for it again.

“The good thing is now Neilson gets another training session now. We will train again tomorrow morning.

“Neilson trains tomorrow, Smith’s down anyway so he can train as well and we’ve added two really good players to our squad that hopefully now will push us on and give competition for places and get us three points on Tuesday.”

The only change had come on the bench where youngster JJ O’Donnell was missing with an ankle injury.

Long-term casualties Danny Spiller and Garry Richards are still unavailable, James Dance is out with a knock, while O’Donnell remains a doubt.

Buckle added: “JJ’s he’s done his ankle in the warm-up at half time and sort of not declared it for whatever reason.

“So I wasn’t best pleased with that I can tell you. So when Simon (Parsell) text me to say JJ was a little bit doubtful for training yesterday I couldn’t see why.

“Because he didn’t have that long on the field. But what happened was at half time in the warm-up he went over on his ankle and he’s saying to me he thought he’d be able to come on and be all right, but it wasn’t the case.

“So he’s had a bit of telling off over that one and I think he’ll learn from it.”