VIDEO: Watch Steve McNulty’s sending off at Southport

Hatters have since lodged an appeal and Lacey said: “There was a lot of manhandling in the box so I didn’t see the incident, but I guess it happens in the game every now and again.”

Lacey had skippered Luton for much of pre-season as boss John Still aimed to make him more vocal, and McNulty’s dismissal saw it come his way again.

He said: “It’s not the ideal way to get the captain’s armband, but I welcome it whenever it comes. Obviously it’s a big honour to get the captain’s armband

“I’ve just seen McNulty hand it to Scotty Griffiths and then Griffiths has come over to me and plonked it on my arm.”

On the goal that defeated Town too, Lacey added: “I’ve been keeping an eye on my man and it’s just gone in from an unlucky deflection I think.

“Other than that I didn’t particularly think they had many chances on goal apart from a couple of free-kicks we’ve given away right in front of the goal, but it’s very disappointing for a goal like that to beat you.

“It’s kind of how you respond to it and hopefully we’ll be raring to go again on Tuesday.”

To view the footage of the sending off incident from Southport FC’s Keith Brady, click the link above.

For the full story, see the Luton News/Dunstable Gazette on sale tomorrow, while 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.