Rob Edwards expressed his pride after a landmark win for Luton at Everton.
The Hatters’ 2-1 victory at Goodison Park was their first ever win in the Premier League and first in the top flight since April 1992.
Tom Lockyer and Carlton Morris scored from set-pieces in the first half, with Everton pulling one back before half-time through Dominic Calvert-Lewin but unable to find an equaliser.
“I’m just very, very proud of the players and pleased for the club,” said Hatters boss Edwards.
“I know it’s a big moment, I get that. I don’t want this to come across in any kind of arrogant way but I expected us to (win) today, I really did. I told the boys before the game, ‘I know this is going to be a good day’.
“We really believed we could come here and win the game. We had a really good plan. Everton have got some good players and they were very fluid, especially in that first half.
“At 2-0 up there was a lot of movement, a lot of stuff going on. We had to adjust, which we did at half-time, then I thought we looked more solid again. I thought we deserved it. It felt great.”
Luton’s band of supporters celebrated with glee at the final whistle, and the three points were enough to lift the newly-promoted side out of the bottom three.
“Amazing day for the supporters,” said Edwards. “They deserve it, our board deserve it. They’ve really stuck with us. I know they’re going to because we’re on a brilliant journey and where the club has been. They’re going to enjoy this.
“But it’s important we give them something to shout about as well, and not just, ‘Well done lads, unlucky’. They’re amazing supporters, I love them. They’ve travelled a long, long way today in the rain and they get to enjoy their day.”
Everton began the game on the front foot and with optimism flowing that they could build on victories over Brentford and Aston Villa during the past week.
But instead they suffered a fourth straight home victory, leaving manager Sean Dyche hugely frustrated at a big opportunity lost in front of their prospective new owners.
“I’m disappointed in the result, obviously,” he said. “Performances, broken-record time – dominated so much of the game, give away really poor goals and don’t take our chances.
“Changing the story, which I’ve spoken about endlessly this season, is our responsibility. We had a brilliant chance I thought today, a platform to begin the process of changing the story, the depth of it the last two years, all the noise and the rest of it, and we don’t take it.
“It’s very frustrating because the team are there, it’s like, ‘Go on then, change the story, be the person that makes the difference, don’t wait for someone else to do it’. Then it spreads like wildfire.
“And we sort of nearly do. Today just that weird thing when everyone’s sort of looking for someone else to change it. It’s an odd thing and I’ve been trying to break it since I’ve been at the club. And we keep trying.”
