UPDATED: Harriers hammering helped to cheer up ill Hatters boss Still

Watching the DVD of his side thumping Kidderminster Harriers 6-0 at the weekend came as a real pick-me-up for Hatters boss John Still, writes Mark Wood.
Barnet v Luton Town, photos by Liam Smith. wk 52.Barnet v Luton Town, photos by Liam Smith. wk 52.
Barnet v Luton Town, photos by Liam Smith. wk 52.

A dodgy prawn had caused the Town chief to miss Saturday’s game, but he was given a real fillip as he saw his side net six times without reply.

Still said: “I’ve seen the game, Pete, the analyst, sent me it through, so I’ve seen it and it was a fantastic result without a doubt and a fantastic performance. I wasn’t feeling the best and it cheered me up no end.”

But he was feeling much better at today’s (Monday) press conference, as he continued: “A little bit better. Certainly (I feel) a lot better today than I did on Saturday. I’ve been to see the doctor today and they’re doing some tests, but I feel better.”

Still revealed that the highlight for him were the six goals, but praised his side’s style of play and the contribution of Skrill Premier player of the month Paul Benson, who scored the second, won the penalty for the third and played a key role throughout.

“We scored six goals!” enthused Still. “I know they had a sending off, but the sending off was at 2-0 which made it 3-0 so if he wasn’t sent off it would still have been 3-0.

“And I thought that some of the football we played late in the game, I know they had one down, but the sixth goal was absolutely fantastic.

“But you know what, as fantastic as the sixth goal was, and I put that into the mix with the goal we scored at Alfreton, I think Andre Gray’s goal, the move for that was brilliant, but I saw Paul Benson gave an unbelievable performance of movement and control.

“He scored a fantastic header, but he’s made (Jake) Howellsy’s goal with a header back across, he’s set up the move for Luke Guttridge’s first goal.

“I just think his all-round play, they couldn’t handle him, he was outstanding.

“And I have to say no Jonathan Smith and, in the second half, no Pelly Ruddock, I looked at (Matt) Robinson and (Alex) Lawless and Howells, who has not been in the team, and I think that just shows the strength of the squad that we have and the reasons why we have made the FA Trophy games for the younger group to see who’s ready to push on and for people that are not playing to give them the opportunity to play what might be first team games as opposed to development games and I certainly wasn’t disappointed with that, they were the highlights for me.”

And Still was delighted that the Luton juggernaut had been able to continue its roll despite his absence.

He said: “It’s funny because we were talking with the players the other day and I said to them that I feel that we are now as a club in a position where if for whatever reason I wasn’t here, Terry (Harris) wasn’t here, Hakan (Hayrettin) wasn’t, everyone knows that they’ve got to do.

“Everyone knows now how we play, the way we play and the team can just go and play, that’s how I feel.

“We’ve worked so hard at what we do and everyone knows now and knows if there’s a little change to be made, if someone does something the players know it themselves, so that for me was brilliant, the fact that I wasn’t there and nothing’s changed.

“But I think that the way we’ve been playing for a while now, we’ve been scoring goals, we’ve been playing high-tempo football.”

The victory was a real team effort from the Hatters and Still is thrilled that his entire squad are contributing to their title push.

He continued: “I was really, really pleased with everybody. I looked at the team, not just on the day but in the last few weeks, and everyone’s contributing fantastically doing their job.

“Even on Saturday, with the greatest of respect, Mark Tyler’s had to make a couple of good saves. Everyone’s making a contribution and I think that’s important.”

However, he was disappointed to miss the atmospheric encounter as almost 8,500 crammed into Kenilworth Road with the home ends sold out.

“I missed it as well, I was absolutely gutted, what a crowd!” he said.

And he’s hoping for another bumper crowd when Barnet visit for the BT Sport-televised clash on New Year’s Day, which kicks off at noon.

Still said: “I don’t know whether TV will affect that a little bit, I don’t know.

“I don’t think that affects the true Luton supporters, I think they will turn out in their thousands again.

“It’s amazing and shows you what can be achieved by playing fast, attacking, attractive, good to watch football that wins as well and, at the moment, we’re doing that.

“And hopefully it continues. But it’s like any business, if people like the product they buy the product.

“At the moment I think everyone likes the product, but it’s important we maintain it.”

And he believes that Town’s vociferous fanbase can play a major role in their promotion challenge.

Still added: “Wherever I’ve managed, I believe that the formula involved everybody.

“The less people involved in it, the less strength you have, but if you’ve got a good team, that’s got a good staff behind it, that’s got a good structure behind it, that’s got a good board of directors behind it, that’s got great support behind it, it’s much stronger than having a good team.

“Because ingredients are missing and at any different time you might need a different ingredient.

“We could be drawing a game 0-0 and not going particularly great, but the way our support is now they’ll win it 1-0 for us and that’s it. Those things are so, so important.”

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