Can Nathan Jones pull an Easter bunny out of the hat against high-flying Nottingham Forest?

Luton Town welcomes Nottingham Forest to Kenilworth Road this Good Friday with an eye on resurrecting their playoff hopes over the Easter period following a recent disappointing run of results.

The Hatters, struggling for a win since the international break, have not been helped by a crippling injury list that only got worse at The John Smith’s Stadium in their 2-0 defeat to Huddersfield. With injuries to midfielder’s Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu and former Forest skipper Henri Lansbury their latest concerns, Jones is almost down to the bare bones in key areas.

Given their dip in results and casualties sustained, Good Friday’s fixture against inform Forest will demand a major effort to get them back on track as playoff contenders.

There is no doubting that Nathan Jones has already pulled off heroics with this Luton side, having blown away expectations to find themselves nestled firmly in the thick of the playoff race.

Following their convincing 3-1 win at Hull before the international break, The Hatters have stuttered with an injury-time equaliser salvaging a point in the 2-2 home draw against Millwall, whilst Johnson Clarke-Harris’ 87th-minute equaliser for Peterborough put another stick in the spokes that have threatened to derail their aspirations.

 

Speaking to the club media after the Huddersfield defeat, Captain Sonny Bradley was keen to put that disappointment behind them and get on with the task in hand, reserving special mention to top scorer Elijah Adebayo, who missed a penalty with the game still in their grasp at 1-0.

“Elijah is a brilliant character, he has a great attitude. He’s a top striker who wants to score goals, and I had a quiet word with him (after Huddersfield defeat). Kal Naismith and the manager said the same to him:

“You’re one of the best strikers in the division, this is the Championship and it’s a tough division. You have proven this season you are a real handful.”

“There are teams out there that are in fear of Elijah. I know that first hand having spoken to players from other teams.”

Whilst it would be disappointing for fans to see them drop out of the top six, having been nestled in there since early March, giving up on the fight will not be an option. For a fanbase that had seen their side drop down to the Conference as they saw in the new decade, plus witnessing defeats against the likes of Ebbsfleet and Yeading United to complement the experience, Hatters fans are not far off from seeing it all.

To see them climb through the leagues, mostly under Jones’ stewardship with a return to the Premier League, a realistic opportunity, a win against Forest when it matters most, will definitely not be out of the question. A sellout home crowd will relish the occasion.

With 15 goals and four assists to his name in 37 appearances, Striker Adebayo understands the level of opportunity the next five games present, considering the depths that the club has risen from. Speaking with local media, the striker knows that his side will be backed by a 12th man from the stands.

“What the club has been through, the history in the past, it just brings everyone together. Everyone is supporting and in this together, striving for the same thing.

“You can see that from us players on the pitch and the passionate supporters we have here, week in week out.

“Us as players, we thrive off of that and it keeps us going – like an extra player on the pitch because they’re so loud and as it is like a family here”.

 

So where are the chinks in the Forest side that Jones could look to expose? There is no doubt Forest have been on a remarkable run and been towards, if not at the top of the Championship form charts since Steve Cooper’s arrival back in September.

The Reds are currently on a 10-match unbeaten streak in the Championship and have recorded five league wins on the bounce.

Despite injuries to key men like Lewis Grabban, Steve Cook and Max Lowe, Steve Cooper’s ‘next man up’ mantra has competition for places at an all-time high with his squad chomping at the bit to play their part.

Goalkeeper Brice Samba is a character that can fall foul of gamesmanship and is not always as convincing in the air as his more general play. A more direct route towards goal, mainly if Luton can get their set-piece delivery right through the likes of the experienced Robert Snodgrass, may well be a viable option to catch Forest out.

The Congolese shot-stopper, whose erratic behaviour came to a head in his sending off in the 2-2 home draw against Stoke City in mid-February has experienced a spell on the bench watching US keeper Evan Horvath impress during his period between the sticks.

With an international call up taking its toll on Horvath before the Blackpool fixture, Samba has been handed an opportunity to regain first-choice status and to date and has only conceded the one goal (an 88th-minute consolation at Blackpool) in 270 minutes of football.

“It will be a tough game, but if we raise our game like we did before the international break, Forest will be in for a good game. 2-2.” – Pete Gurney – Luton Town supporter

As Cooper likes to have all of his players comfortable in possession, Tobias Figueiredo may well be an area for Luton to pinpoint in a press.

However, the defender has been in excellent form since his return to the starting lineup as the influential Steve Cook succumbed to a foot injury against Bristol City in March.

28-year-old Figueiredo, who has found first-team opportunities hard to come by, is now up to speed in terms of match fitness and is showing the kind of form under Sabri Lamouchi that saw Forest miss out on a playoff place (ironically at the expense of Cooper’s Swansea).

Forest’s backline has continued to remain in sync but that is not to say that the pace of Adebayo could be a threat behind with the likes of Figueiredo, Joe Worrall and Scott McKenna not renowned for their turn of pace.

“I think it’s going to be a hard test with Luton’s recent form. I think they will have a point to prove. But with Lansbury injured, we can take advantage and come away with a win. I think a loss could make 2nd spot unlikely to reach but with the potential 6 pointer at Bournemouth to come, it wouldn’t be out of the picture. 3-1 Forest” – Matt Crowther – Forest supporter

Having lost top goalscorer Lewis Grabban through injury in late January, scoring goals was a concern to keep Forest firing. Still, the Aston Villa loanee has not only been an able stand-in, he is also now a first-choice striker given the goals, assists and general fresh dynamic he has brought to the Reds front line with his powerful all-round displays.

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Similarly,  Jack Colback, since replacing Lowe, has barely looked back, switching from midfield to the left wing-back role. His influence as one of the elder statesmen of the side, which has seven first-team members under the age of 25, has not been lost on his manager (speaking with BBC Radio Nottingham).

“There is nothing more powerful sometimes than a player talking because they are the ones on the pitch playing the game. He not only brings what he brings as a player to the table but also helps the younger lads in and around the squad”.

There has been a consistency in Forest’s performances that has seen TV pundits, just this week tipping them to catch Bournemouth for the coveted second automatic promotion spot.

Their last defeat came on January 30th in a flat 2-1 defeat at the hands of Cardiff, who, at that point, were flirting with the Championship relegation places. Cooper knows that his side will need to be at the races as he spoke with club media.

“It will be a really tough game. They have been as strong as anybody this season as an opponent, and particularly when they are at home.

“We’re very aware of the season Luton are having and how they play. We’ve got a lot of respect for that. But at the same time, we always have to look internally at what we’re doing well, try to get the right plan together, turn up there and make it a positive day.”

With all to play for in front of a nationwide television audience, the fixture promises to generate a Cup tie atmosphere with the stakes raised higher. A poor weekend could see both sides drop out of the reckoning.

A win for Luton would inject the instant belief required to maintain their top-six position come Saturday 2.30pm on May 7th as the season initially comes to an end.

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