Luton manager Matt Bloomfield reflected on a “particularly painful day” and apologised to the club’s supporters after they were relegated from the Sky Bet Championship following their 5-3 defeat to West Brom at The Hawthorns.
The Hatters needed to match Hull’s result at Portsmouth to avoid a second successive relegation.
Instead, first career braces from Tom Fellows and Callum Styles and one from Daryl Dike put paid to their hopes, with Millenic Alli (2) and Jordan Clark responding for Luton.
The Hatters became the first club since Sunderland in 2018 to drop from the top flight to League One in consecutive seasons and only the fourth in the Premier League era after Swindon in 1994-95 and Wolves in 2012-13.
Bloomfield said: “It was a particularly painful day for everyone involved at our football club.
“We apologise to our supporters because a second relegation in a row is particularly painful for them.
“We were poor and it was very disappointing.
“Over the previous couple of months we have dragged ourselves right back into it and the performances have been particularly good.
“But this club comes back fighting and we will do again.”
Bloomfield sympathised with the 2,500 travelling following, who vented their anger once relegation was confirmed by singing ‘You’re not fit to wear the shirt’.
“I totally understand the disappointment and the anger right now because going through two relegations is a particularly painful experience,” he added.
“I totally understand their frustration and we need to make sure we’re better.”
Alli quickly cancelled out Fellows’ seventh-minute opener before Daryl Dike headed Albion ahead on the half-hour and then set up Fellows for his second three minutes later.
Styles scored two in quick succession before Clark and Alli cut the gap but it was too little, too late for Luton.
Luton went into the game after three straight wins and Bloomfield was mystified why the performance was so poor when the stakes were so high.
“We weren’t good enough from start to finish, considering the severity of the situation,” he admitted.
“I was very surprised and very disappointed, as are the players.
“There were a few things that went wrong for us. One, the day, and secondly, considering our recent performances have been very good and this one wasn’t.
“We’re together as a group and we will look at everyone involved and what we could have done better over the time we’ve been here.
“We’ll make sure we come back fighting next season.”
West Brom interim head coach James Morrison hopes Fellows’ first brace wasn’t his farewell to the club.
Everton and Southampton have shown an interest in the £10million-rated 21-year-old winger.
“I hope not. But it’s nice to see one of our younger players get interest,” said Morrison. “I’m sure whatever happens will be down to the club.
“We’ve been working with him in recent weeks to add some goals. He’s an assists man but wants to add goals to his game.
“We asked him to play more inside today, rather than on the wing. He got his chances well and took them well.
“Even he was surprised he scored! Hopefully it will give him some belief he can get into goalscoring positions and put them away.”
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