Hatters boss Nathan Jones is worried about the Jack Army’s luck with spot-kicks coming into Sunday’s fixture
Luton Town manager Nathan Jones is determined to see his side halt Andre Ayew and Swansea City’s penalty run in their Championship encounter on Saturday.
The Hatters are set to host the Jack Army for a matchweek 36 meeting at Kenilworth Road.
As the game beckons, Luton have expressed discomfort about Swansea’s penalty streak in each of their last four games, including two injury-time strikes.
On all occasions, Ghana captain Andre Ayew stepped up to convert for his side, the last being against Blackburn Rovers on Tuesday.
“Totally and I agree, I don’t like speaking about other teams and players, but I was at the game at Blackburn on Tuesday night,” Jones said, when asked if he had considered the nature of the penalties in his appraisal of the awards ahead of their weekend meeting, Luton Today reports.
“My immediate reaction, which has been backed up, was that it probably wasn’t a penalty.
“Then I watched the Stoke game and thought it was a tough one, I haven’t actually seen the Middlesbrough one, but I’ve been told that that was extremely harsh as well.
“I’m sure things even themselves out over a season, but in the last four or five games they’ve had four penalties.
“Sometimes the wind blows your way, but we’ll be hoping that no poor decisions are made by our players and anyone else in the stadium.
“But you can’t plan not to give a penalty away. You’ve just got to defend well and hope that the right decision has been made on the day.
“I do understand because I thought it was extremely harsh on Blackburn, from the stand.”
Swansea’s penalty run began from their matchday 33 fixture with Bristol City when Ayew converted what turned out to be a consolation in a 3-1 home defeat after Kasey Palmer was adjudged to have handled in the box.
Against Stoke City this month, Ayew netted a dramatic winner from the spot in the sixth minute of injury time after Kyle Naughton was brought down. The game ended 2-1.
The story was not much different in their match against Middlesbrough when referee Gavin Ward changed his mind after declaring a corner to instead award Swansea a penalty, which the Ghanaian slotted home in the seventh minute of injury time to seal a 2-1 victory.
In their last match against Blackburn, Ayew was on hand again to expertly dispatch from 12 yards in a 1-1 draw.
Swansea are currently third on the league table and on course to book a Premier League promotion ticket.
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