Town youngsters in the frame for FA Trophy clash

With Town still in the FA Cup and a fixture backlog in the league, manager Paul Buckle made the rare admission he may have to make changes to help preserve his squad.

He said: “Maybe. Some of the other boys have done great in training. They look sharp and ready and if I feel it’s right...

“We have got a lot of games. It goes without saying we’ve got an awful lot of games coming up. There’s every chance I will change.”

Youngsters Adam Watkins and Matt Robinson are battling it out for a chance in the centre of midfield on the day, while there are also likely to be a number of other changes against the Evo-Stik League Northern Premier First Division North outfit, who are unbeaten this year in a league that is the same standard to that Barton Rovers play in.

Buckle continued: “I changed the team before and I was confident we could win. I will only change the team if I’m confident it can win. And I am.

“I’m confident in the squad, Adam might get a go, he might not, because you’ve got young Robinson as well who is doing really well.

“Football is about competition, you’ve got to improve every day in my opinion, and every week and every month, every year as a professional footballer you have to keep improving, if not you get left behind.

“They key for all of them not involved is to keep their head up and keep working hard.”

Striker Jon Shaw though wouldn’t trade Town’s success for an easier fixture list.

He said: “It’s something you have to deal with. In our league you get backlogs every season.

“Teams get backlogs and if you have success they become worse, but the best thing about this club is we’ve got a great squad.

“We’re a fit squad, the staff look after us with rest when we need it.

“I don’t think it’s a problem to have. If you’re playing in the fourth round of the FA Cup, you’re still going in the Trophy and you’ve got a great chance of winning the league I’m sure the fans are happy with that and as players that’s what we want, to come out at the end of the season with a great FA Cup run and promotion and a trophy in our pocket. We don’t really worry about the games building up.”

And he’s hoping that success on all fronts will help to give Luton the momentum they need and has every faith that whoever comes in will deliver the goods.

He added: “It’s now about momentum. We are still only two games after what people still look at at Woking (as a bad result). Even though it weren’t a bad performance until probably my miss and the goal goes in.

“But at the same time the performances before that, after Newport, and then suddenly Wolves, today (6-1 against Barrow), it’s momentum.

“You’re playing, you’re enjoying it, people are scoring goals, chances are being created.

“You want to play every game now as long as your body will take it. But understandably people are going to get tired and if the squad is rotated, it’s rotated.

“But the people that will come in will be just as good and no doubt put on a great show.”