Jones jubilant as Luton hit five past Plymouth

Posted Sunday, November 18, 2018 by PA

Luton boss Nathan Jones was bursting with pride after his side annihilated Plymouth 5-1 at Kenilworth Road.

James Collins starred with a hat-trick, while Elliot Lee and James Justin were also on target with the Hatters having been 4-0 up at half-time.

Jones said: “I’m proud of it from start to finish, but that first-half performance I don’t think you’ll see many better at whatever level you actually go to.

“The movement, the cutting edge we had, the bravery to play and these are in a false position, so I don’t want to be too disrespectful in any way, but these are not a side where they are.

“So to do that to them, I’m just, very, very proud, as I thought we were outstanding from start to finish.

“It wasn’t just the way we passed the ball and moved it, but the way we pressed and worked hard.

“We won every header, second ball, we based that win on a good foundation and they they just showed what a wonderful footballing team they are.”

Town led after 12 minutes, Justin picking out Collins who struck into the bottom corner.

Luton had their second 10 minutes later as Jack Stacey found Harry Cornick inside the area and when his low shot was parried by Matt Macey, Lee tucked home the rebound.

The Hatters made it 3-0 after 29 minutes, Cornick playing in Justin to toe-poke over the line, while Jones’ side bagged a fourth on the stroke of half-time, Justin being fouled in the area and Collins slamming home the spot-kick.

Collins completed his treble after 77 minutes when, having been fed by Lee, he finished emphatically.

The sorry visitors did pull one back in the final minute, Joel Grant blasting home, but it was Luton and Collins’ day.

Argyle boss Derek Adams fumed: “It was very poor defensively, not just as a back four, but as a team and that allowed them some really decent opportunities to get goals very quickly in the game and that set us back.

“We lost a penalty right on half-time to make it 4-0 and it’s a long way back after that.

“We could have stopped shots, we could have gone with the runners, could have blocked the ball in from the sides, the wide players could have gone with the runners as well, the full-backs, and stopped the goals that went in.

“There was a multitude of things they could have done a lot better and they just weren’t at it.

“Obviously giving them Tuesday night off at Newport to get them ready for the game on Saturday has back-fired and they haven’t repaid me with the performance.”