Nathan Jones insists automatic promotion is ‘not dreaming’ as Luton go third

Posted Sunday, March 20, 2022 by PA

Luton manager Nathan Jones insists automatic promotion from the Sky Bet Championship is not a fanciful notion after the Hatters moved up to third with an excellent 3-1 victory at Hull.

Jones has this season worked minor miracles under a tight budget and amid recent injuries to key defenders.

But Luton are now just six points off the top two after an accomplished victory at the MKM Stadium.

Jones said: “To come away from home and put in such an emphatic performance was great.

“We took the lead early on and never looked back. We defended our box really well, scored a few good goals and could have scored more. The only tinge of disappointment is conceding that late goal.

“It (automatic promotion) is not dreaming – we know what we can achieve.

“We’ve got the resources to be in the bottom three but we don’t work with resources.

“We’re a good side that works hard. Bournemouth are a wonderful side. Fulham are a wonderful side.

“If we’re anywhere near them two at the end of the season we’ll be in a wonderful position.

“If we end up in the Premier League, that will be brilliant – we’ve got momentum.”

Luton deserved three points in East Yorkshire and flew out of the traps against their dazed rivals.

Elijah Adebayo opened the scoring after just nine minutes following a sustained spell of pressure on Hull’s right.

Matt Ingram might have done better to prevent Adebayo’s firm strike from going in, but the Hull goalkeeper could do nothing about Luton’s second after 56 minutes.

Defender Sean McLoughlin needlessly gave possession to Adebayo, whose wise pass inside the penalty area gifted Harry Cornick an unmissable chance from close range.

James Bree’s smart free-kick put the game out of sight at 72 minutes, with Tom Eaves’ tap-in with the last kick of the game a mere footnote to a one-sided encounter.

Jones said: “I’m not getting sacked if we lose the next eight games, but we’re in a great position.

“The Championship is such a difficult league but we’ve got to make sure we keep sticking to what we do. There’s eight games to go and anything can happen.

“We’ve got six centre-halves out right now. No side in the world can maintain the levels like that so we need the break to try to get players back.

“We’ll come back after the break ready for a real big spell.”

Hull have now lost five games on the bounce at the MKM Stadium, but manager Shota Arveladze insists that their poor home form is because of individual errors rather than any deep-rooted issues.

He said: “It’s difficult to explain. Football can be really unfair. I still believe we didn’t really deserve to concede three goals.

“We could have stayed in the game, but, unfortunately, it happens. We made mistakes and that is the difference at home and away – and we need to be better.

“When players make mistakes, they will learn from the them all the time. But the more (mistakes they make) the less points we have.

“I said thank you to the boys (after the game). It was the end of a hard week and we were against a stronger opponent.

“We make more mistakes at home than away. It’s as simple as that. I don’t want to blame anyone. I don’t think it’s about away or home – it’s just about football.

“Our supporters are unbelievable and they stayed with us until the last whistle.

“We have a lot of small injuries, but we disappointed them at home again and we will try to win them back.”