'Deja vu' for Luton boss Jones during Peterborough defeat

After a 3-1 defeat in the league back in August, when Luton trailed 3-0 at the break, getting a consolation through Danny Hylton, this time, they were 2-0 behind when the side’s swapped ends.

Once more, they came on strong in the second period, Matty Pearson’s cross slipping through keeper Conor O’Malley’s hands to make it 2-1, but despite being the better side, the Hatters couldn’t draw level.

A disappointed Jones said: “It’s a bit like deja vu, like the league game here really.

“First half nowhere near, absolutely nowhere near, we played like a team that had already qualified and then second half, I thought we were excellent and could have got something from eh game, but once again you’re chasing the game.

“We were 3-0 down in the league game, and you just don’t know how it happened, naive defending, not enough intensity and today was exactly the same.

“Second half when we actually play like we can play, then we’re a better side, but it was frustrating.”

Even though Luton had made the brighter starts, going close early on with Aaron Jarvis’s goal disallowed for offside, Jones still wasn’t overly impressed, saying: “There was no real zest to win the game, we didn’t win first contact on the corners, the corners weren’t great, as we did start a lot better than them.

“But we didn’t press, we let them do what they want, we made them look a good side first half and we’ve done that in two games now.

“Second half when we play, up the tempo, we play structurally we look a better side, but we have to chase the game.”

When asked about both the manner in which his side conceded, Colin Daniel and Ivan Toney scoring for Posh, Jones added: “They’re bad goals to give away.

“There’s always a mistake in a goal people say, no matter how good a goal is, he could have done better or he could have done better.

“But one we let (Marcus) Maddison get one v one, he gets past him, clips the ball past in, it’s not a great ball, it’s behind everyone, and then it’s trickled in.

“Then were in possession, Macca (Alan McCormack) took a bad touch, can’t recover, then had to recover again and foul, and then he scored a good free kick.

“There’s real frustration in the work rate and desire first half to go and press and get at them as their two central midfield players never had a glove laid on them and that isn’t us.

“We press the life out of people and we didn’t today, that’s the frustrating thing.”