Luton boss Jack Wilshere praises the importance of set-pieces during Exeter win

Luton boss Jack Wilshere talked up his side’s set-piece prowess as they beat Exeter 3-2 at Kenilworth Road.

The Hatters scored all three goals in the first half, two of them from dead-ball situations, with Jordan Clark also adding a penalty to earn back-to-back wins.

Wilshere said: “We started OK and then we maybe allowed them to come into the game. They’re a good team, they’re obviously down the league, but they play some good football.

“They drag you all over the place, we couldn’t quite get to grips with that in the first half, but set-pieces were important again.

“At half-time we changed a few things, gave the players a little bit more clarity and asked them to be a little bit more aggressive, which I thought we were in the second half.

“They hit us on the counter at the start, but apart from that, if any team was going to score it was going to be us.

“We won a lot of duels and then as the game goes on it gets a little bit nervy, but I thought we saw it out really well and happy with the result.”

Town took the lead after just 13 minutes when Liam Walsh’s corner was headed in by Kasey Palmer for his third goal in three games.

Reece Cole slammed City level after 25 minutes, but four minutes later, Jack Aitchison handled inside the area and Clark scored from the spot.

George Saville’s free-kick was then turned in by Hakeem Odoffin in first-half stoppage time, but Exeter pulled another back in the 49th minute when Timur Tutierov’s cross was tapped in by Ilmari Niskanen.

Luton ought to have scored more after that, with Clark hitting the crossbar, leaving Grecians manager Matt Taylor frustrated.

He said: “From box to box and box to their goal I thought we were excellent, but we didn’t defend our box well enough on three or four occasions, and that’s cost us.

“We don’t feel it’s a penalty, we feel it’s a foul on our player and these are the moments which seem to be going against us.

“It wasn’t just that moment and that decision, it had a big bearing on the game, but the other two set-pieces have to be defended better.

“It has to improve and we’ve got to get there first, both the goals have been a direct contact from a wide free-kick and a corner.

“It’s happened too often this season and it is killing us at the moment, and teams probably know it’s a weakness of ours.

“That’s the best we’ve been in my five games here, but we’ve conceded three poor goals.”