Luton boss Rob Edwards was left “bitterly disappointed” after his first game in charge of the Hatters ended with a painful last-gasp defeat to Middlesbrough.
Town took the lead at the Riverside thanks to a brilliant individual effort from Jordan Clark but in-form Boro levelled almost immediately through Chuba Akpom.
Luton made life even more difficult for themselves when Amari’i Bell was sent off with 18 minutes to play, and the hosts made their opponents pay as substitute Matt Crooks struck a stoppage-time winner.
“I’m bitterly disappointed,” said Edwards, who replaced Nathan Jones as Luton boss during the World Cup break.
“The lads are all disappointed, they’re flat in there as you’d expect. I’m not saying we deserved to win the game by any stretch but I thought the effort and the endeavour of the lads was different class.
“The first half was really good, I was really pleased. We didn’t create loads of chances but we retained a real threat and the individual goal from Jordan was brilliant.
“I was disappointed to concede the equaliser but we were relatively pleased at half-time.
“There are bits to learn from the second half. We need to be slightly better with the ball when we win it back in transition. That allowed them to gain momentum and control.
“Obviously you add the red card in and it made it really difficult for us. We almost got there, so it does feel sore.”
Bell was sent off after picking up two yellow cards, both for fouls on Isaiah Jones.
Edwards said: “I have to be honest, I haven’t seen the second one back again. There were a few fouls in the game. Jones can be devastating on the transition.
“We gave one or two fouls away. We can’t change that now and we have to manage those moments a bit better.”
The late winner extended Middlesbrough’s unbeaten run to five games and moved Michael Carrick’s side into the top half of the Championship table and just three points off the top six.
Carrick said: “I’m happy with it because it didn’t come easy but we found a way to win.
“It’s not always going to be the easy-on-the-eye football and flowing like most of our performances so far have been. We’ve played some really good stuff I think, since I’ve come.
“Today we had to find a little bit within ourselves because it was a bit sticky at times today, particularly in the first half.
“You could see we were lacking that little yard of sharpness and connection and rhythm from where we left off (before the break).
“But at the same time, second half I thought we were finding that as the game went on and looked dangerous towards the end – even before the sending off I thought.
“I thought we looked like we were starting to show what he had been before and so I’m delighted with the lads for digging in and showing that attitude and belief to keep doing that right.
“I thought the boys were patient and showed quality the more the game went on.
“The boys found a way. Winning at the end is always a great way to win in terms of the energy and boost within the squad. I’m delighted for the whole group.”
