Harford: Cup win can inspire Town

05 April 2009 18:05
Claude Gnakpa was the unlikely hero with an extra-time winner as the Football League's bottom side shrugged off a miserable season with a 3-2 victory at Wembley. "It is hopefully the start of a new era for Luton Town Football Club," said the Hatters manager. "We have had it tough, and without our investors the club would have been dead - there would have been no Wembley today. "It's a great day in the history of Luton Town." Should Luton drop out of the Football League this season - they are still 12 points adrift of safety - then they certainly said goodbye with a bang. They brought an incredible 40,000 fans down the M1 to Wembley - a defiant showing from a club deducted 30 points by the FA and Football League at the start of the season for financial irregularities. Chairman Nick Owen, who fronted the 2020 consortium which now runs the club, said: "This says to the FA, to the Football League and all the football authorities that this team will not die." Gary Hooper fired Scunthorpe, who are 42 places above in the League One play-off spots, into an early lead but Chris Martin dragged Luton level before the interval. Tom Craddock, who was a little lucky to have still been on the pitch having cuffed Scunthorpe skipper Cliff Byrne, then put the Hatters in front only for Grant McCann to conjure up a stunning equaliser three minutes from the end of normal time. But in the 95th minute, Gnakpa raced onto Keith Keane's long ball and lobbed Scunthorpe goalkeeper Joe Murphy to secure a memorable win for the beleaguered Bedfordshire club. Harford was restrained enough not to re-enact Davis Pleat's famous sprint across the pitch at the full-time whistle, but the man with a thankless task at the foot of the league was immensely proud to have guided the club where he made his name to some silverware. Harford was part of the side which gave Town the greatest day in their history, the 3-2 League Cup win over Arsenal in 1988, but claimed this Wembley win was just as special. "It's definitely up there with my finest achievements, and when I look back on it it might even be the greatest," he added. "It's a fantastic achievement for the club and for the town. "We know what we have to do. Our Football League status is not in our own hands, even if we win all our games we could still be relegated. "All we can do is enjoy today and then get back to the nitty gritty, which is Lincoln away. It's a bit of a comedown but we are professionals." Scunthorpe also played their part in a thrilling cup final which graced the famous Wembley turf. Their manager Nigel Adkins gathered his disappointed players in a post-match huddle, and told them to get ready to return in a month for the League One play-off final. "The story of our season has been giving away poor goals and we gave away three," he said. "Credit to Luton, I congratulate Mick Harford and his team, but we have to learn from this negative experience and use it in a positive way. "I made sure they will remember this because it's not nice. There are a few tears because we have lost a cup final. "But we will draw a blue line under it and make sure we come back to Wembley in the play-off final - and make sure we win."

Source: Team_Talk