Lacey looks to experience FA Cup run as Hatters head to Welling

The 20-year-old centre-half was replaced by experienced veteran defender Anthony Charles for last Saturday’s 1-0 fourth qualifying round victory at Woking.

He regained his place for Saturday’s goalless draw at Gatehsead and is hoping to keep hold of his shirt, as he said: “I want to play every game, but occasionally you miss out or are replaced, but I’m definitely looking forward to next Saturday.”

Lacey spent much of last season out on loan as Town claimed the scalps of Premier League Norwich City and Championship side Wolverhampton Wanderers on their way to the latter stages.

“I came back for the Millwall game. I went out on loan for the Norwich game, so I experienced it a bit, but it would be great to go and do the same this year,” said Lacey.

The youngster has formed a formidable partnership at the back alongside crowd favourite Steve McNulty this season, helping Town keep seven clean sheets in 13 starts.

The pair kept another clean sheet as Town earned a goalless draw at Gateshead on Saturday, and the youngster is learning a lot from his experienced colleague.

Lacey said: “He’s quality, you saw there where he chested it back to the keeper, he’s got great composure.

“He’s a real leader as well, he’s always talking, he’s always helping me through the games.

“I think it’s a really good relationship we’ve got at the back, we’ve got a lot of clean sheets so far this season.

“Obviously we would prefer to have some more, but it fantastic playing next to him.”

“I’m very happy with a clean sheet. I mean we conceded a couple the last games before the FA Cup. I was just delighted to get back to clean sheets.”

Saturday’s first round trip to Welling will be Town’s fourth away game in a row in a run of six straight away matches.

It means the Hatters won’t have played at Kenilworth Road in almost a month and a half, but Lacey was unconcerned.

He said: “I think you just take it each game as it comes. You don’t really focus on if it’s away or at home, you go out and do the best that you have.

“You obviously have a gameplan. I think it’s just the same with any game.”

Boss John Still admitted a number of players involved in the 2-1 development win over Premier League West Ham United on Tuesday night had done their chances no harm as he was likely to ‘tweak’ his team for the Welling game.

He added: “More than a couple (have put themselves in the frame).

“I haven’t really looked at it yet, I will probably look at it tomorrow and Thursday and decide really how we think we should go and do a little bit of work on that.

“We will tweak it a little bit, but we will be picking a team to win, it’s as simple as that.

“We will be picking a team to win, we won’t be picking a team not to win, we will pick a team to win.”