After the highs of winning at Wembley on Sunday, it was back to league action for the Hatters against Northampton on Wednesday night.
Sam Hoskins opened the scoring for the visitors before a piledriver from Liam Walsh drew the Hatters level just before half-time.
But the game will be remembered for captain Kal Naismith’s spectacular long-range free-kick to win it with five minutes of normal time remaining.
“Just wow man, what a week, everybody deserves it," said Kal, who lifted the Vertu Trophy three days earlier. “It was always going to be a moment like that and to get that goal, to have that moment with this group, this team just the celebrations with the staff, just wow...what a moment!”
Kal was especially keen to take this free-kick as he sprinted towards the ball once the referee blew the whistle for the foul on Ali Al-Hamadi.
“I have not hit free-kicks in a long time," he said. "I wonder if the gaffer will remember it, I think it was about two or three weeks ago just at the end of training I was messing about and I took a free-kick, and it was a good one.
“I knew it was in straight away; it is like when you hit it right in the spot that you want to hit it, you sort of do not feel it come off your foot and then it is just watching it the whole way to make sure the goalie does not get there.
"That feeling honestly it is indescribable when it hits the net.”
The importance of the Scotsman’s goal has been compared to his last-minute strike against Bournemouth in the 21/22 season.
“People are saying that is similar celebrations to that Bournemouth goal and Bournemouth was incredible how the full-time whistle went straight away and it was a big moment. “I think this season and what we have been through as a team and how we have suffered and kept bouncing back and it is such a big game for us that might just top it.” The Hatters have taken 16 points out of a possible 18 in the last six games and are joint top of the last six-game form table with Lincoln as the push for a play-off place continues.
“We are doing everything we can do," Kal added. "We obviously know it is out of our hands, but we need to control what we can control and keep winning games and that is what we will look to do."
Although Kal was given the man of the match award on the night, he credited the performance of Liam Walsh who scored the first goal for the Hatters.
“Walshy was incredible, he was our best player by an absolute mile," said the skipper. "I feel bad getting man of the match, he was brilliant and his goal was amazing.
"Part of that run that we have just been on, he has been a huge part of it. We know what he has been through, we are there for him and we love him to bits. What a player, what a special player.”
Words: Joseph Murtagh
