Luton Town confirm striker Carlton Morris reported alleged racist comment from crowd during Sheffield United victory

Luton beat the Blades 3-2 at Bramall Lane to boost their Premier League survival hopes but the club have confirmed that striker Morris reported an alleged racist comment from the crowd during the game.

A statement from the Hatters says the 28-year-old reported the issue to referee Sam Allison, who became the first black referee to officiate a Premier League game in 15 years. Luton said they will offer the forward their "full support" and that United and South Yorkshire police are looking into this matter.

A club statement reads: "We can confirm that Luton Town striker Carlton Morris reported an alleged racist comment from the crowd during this afternoon’s Premier League fixture at Bramall Lane. Carlton reported it to the match officials in line with Premier League protocols, and the matter was dealt with immediately by both Sheffield United and South Yorkshire Police, who are currently investigating.

"Luton Town Football Club will offer Carlton and any other player suffering abuse our full support, and would like to reiterate that we take a zero tolerance stance against all forms of discrimination, whether in person or online. We would like to thank both Sheffield United officials and the police for their swift actions in dealing with today’s incident."

It has been a difficult fortnight for Luton with captain Tom Lockyer suffering a cardiac arrest during their match against Bournemouth on December 16. Following that incident, support flooded in for Rob Edwards and his players.

Luton, who have won two straight Premier League games after victories over Sheffield United and Newcastle, round off their year at home to Chelsea on December 30. They currently sit in 18th but are just one point behind 17th-place Everton.