Jack Wilshere hails calming nature of Luton’s victory at Stockport

Manager Jack Wilshere praised Luton’s composure after they stunned League One leaders Stockport by earning a 3-0 win at Edgeley Park.

Goals from Jake Richards, Cohen Bramall and Isaiah Jones secured victory against a wasteful County and saw them climb to within three points of the play-offs.

Wilshere, who has lost only once in five games since succeeding Matt Bloomfield on October 13, said: “It was a game where we didn’t start great but we spoke about having to suffer together and game management.

“We defended our box outstandingly and we remained calm.

“Stockport are top of the league for a reason and it was up to us to solve those problems, which we did.

“That is credit to them because they delivered what we asked of them, which is not always easy. The fans got us through it as well.”

The hosts went close in the opening stages as Nathan Lowe, Callum Connolly and Kyle Wootton saw their chances come and go before Luton went in front after 34 minutes when Richards bundled home Bramall’s cross.

Bramall doubled the visitors’ lead four minutes later with a curling free-kick from outside the box.

Luton goalkeeper Josh Keeley then kept out Lowe’s 56th-minute penalty after Jones brought down Odin Bailey and Luton grabbed a third after 69 minutes.

Richards flew down the right flank and sent the ball in for Jones, who fired home.

Stockport were reduced to 10 men after 81 minutes when Owen Dodgson was sent off for a foul on Gideon Kodua.

Home manager Dave Challinor, who was without eight first-team players, made no excuses.

He said: “None of the players out injured are coming back in the foreseeable future.

“If we want to use that as excuse then we can but ultimately people got opportunities on the back of it.

“I wanted us to be more aggressive and on a different day if we took the chances it would potentially have been a different game – but we were poor defensively.

“It is hard to take the positives.”