Jones: 'Average' Luton were lacking in leaders

Hatters boss Nathan Jones felt his side were lacking in leadership after being made to look average during their 2-0 defeat at Chesterfield yesterday.
Glen Rea saw this rare opportunity flash wide for the HattersGlen Rea saw this rare opportunity flash wide for the Hatters
Glen Rea saw this rare opportunity flash wide for the Hatters

The visitors went into the game missing a number of their most experienced performers, with Danny Hylton, Scott Cuthbert and Alan McCormack injured, plus Alan Sheehan suspended.

Trailing 2-0 at the interval, any thoughts of a come back quickly disintegrated as Luton turned in a dreadful second half performance to barely test home keeper Aaron Ramsdale.

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Speaking afterwards, Jones said: “We looked a little bit leaderless today. We’ve got four big players out in terms of Cuthbert, Sheehan, McCormack and Hylton, and that’s four big characters, four big players.

“Sheehan’s lack of discipline has cost us, because it has. He’s missed two games and we’ve lost both games, so that’s cost us and I’m really disappointed with that.

“Danny couldn’t play (tight hamstring), there was nothing we could.

“We’ve been without some big players and it showed, it really did, as it looked like we were a little bit powder puff.

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“We know what kind of side we are, we know we’re a good side, but out of possession they were nowhere near.”

The Luton chief was clearly highly annoyed that his side's second display was so far out of keeping with the rest of the season in which Town have swept most aside on their way to the top of the table.

He added: “We want to get a foothold in the game, we like to start games on the front foot, but we didn’t do that and we were nowhere near.

“The work-rate wasn’t there, the defensive discipline wasn’t there, and that’s cost us.

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"We looked average second half in terms of a lot of stuff we did and a credit to Chesterfield as not a lot of teams make us look average.

“I’m disappointed, it was a disappointing performance.

“I’m not taking anything away from Chesterfield, they were better than us in the first half and that was when the game was won.

“We talked about not being another Port Vale in terms of getting a foothold in the game, coming out and pressing high and working hard, and we didn’t do it.

“We didn’t press high, we didn’t set the tone, we didn’t get on second balls and then they were better than us first half, they switched the play.

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“The goal was coming from their point of view and they scored a very good first goal, but for us, we were nowhere near our levels of performance in terms of out of possession and what we did and we paid for it.”