Luton Town‘s Jack Wilshere has lambasted the referee’s decision to award Stevenage the goal which knocked the Hatters out of the playoffs.

Events on the final day of the season meant that Town and Alex Revell’s side were in a showdown for the fourth and final spot on the road to Wembley heading into stoppage time.

With the Bedfordshire side beating Bolton Wanderers, Wilshere’s side were on the brink of finishing sixth, but a late stoppage-time goal at the Lamex gave Stevenage the points they needed to leapfrog their Home Counties rivals.

Wilshere Loses Cool At Verdict

Controversy has erupted over the decision to award Dan Sweeney’s goal, with no clear verdict as to whether the ball crossed the line in the ensuing goalmouth scramble, later posted on social media by Stevenage.

It’s tight I’m not sure for that Stevenage goal #wafc #STFC #pafc #ltfc pic.twitter.com/cX514Q6T3d

— Wigan Not Today (@WiganNotToday) May 2, 2026

Speaking to Luton Today after viewing the incident in Hertfordshire, Town boss Jack Wilshere was incandescent with the decision to award the goal, and ultimately knock his side out of contention for a place in the second tier.

“There’s going to be more to come on that over the next few days from a lot of clubs, because ultimately that goal there keeps some clubs out of the play-offs. It stops some clubs from having an opportunity to number one, get to the Championship, but what that means getting to the Championship, the financial gains and what that means to the club.

“We’re in League One next year and I’ve got a meeting next week about what the budget is going to be and who do we need to cut. That’s people’s livelihoods at stake just because of one decision and really, really not good enough across the season and it has to change.

I’m pretty sure you guys have seen the Stevenage goal, I wouldn’t say I’m surprised because I’m sure when I’m in the process of reflecting on the season there will be some games, I look back to the Lincoln City game where we didn’t get the goal we deserved and some other decisions and it’s been across the board that’s not been good enough.

“That’s definitely something, it’s out of our control, but now I’d like to think that as managers we’d like to come together and have a discussion about how we improve that because it’s not been good enough all season.”

Fine Margins Cost Luton

Luton Town have been pipped at the post for sixth place and given the circumstances that have cost them a shot at promotion, it will be a bitter pill to swallow for them over the next few weeks.

Jack Wilshere is right to raise the question as to whether goal-line technology should be rolled out across League One and Two, as it will give a lot greater clarity in those types of goalmouth scrambles and ensure a fairer verdict.

But as much as narrow margins have stung them in the final moments of the season, ultimately Town will have to look back at other moments as well where they threw away points which could have put them over the line.

In what was a brilliant end to their season, the one blight on that run was the loss at home to Reading, ceding a 2-1 lead in the final ten minutes to throw away all three points against a side that has quickly collapsed into mediocrity.

Other games, like their failure to overcome the 10 men of Huddersfield Town or a late loss to a struggling Wigan Athletic side, are as equally to blame for this agonising end to the season.