Jones left content as Town pick up a point at Stags

Luton had fallen behind in the first half to Alfie Potter’s volley, before levelling five minutes in the second period through Danny Hylton’s 26th goal of the season from the penalty spot.

Although the result meant Town could no longer achieve automatic promotion this season, with Plymouth and Portsmouth joining Doncaster in going up, when asked for his thoughts on the outcome, Jones said: “I think content is the word. I’m not really happy as we came, we wanted three points, but in terms of the scale of the game and what it means, I think a point is pretty much a fair result and it’s not a bad point.”

Although Hatters barely threatened home keeper Jake Kean in a low key first half, Jones refuted the suggestion that his side had been below bar.

He continued: “I think that would be a bit harsh. We negated them to literally set-plays, that was it.

“They had no other threat apart from set plays and we negated that as we controlled the ball, we didn’t go back to front and allow them to get any head of steam up.

“The frustrating thing was we conceded from being sloppy from a set play again. Second ball, ball comes out, no-one’s marking on the edge of the box, people let a runner go and that’s frustrating.

“As it doesn’t matter how much work you do, that’s just a discipline. But apart from that, I didn’t feel we were under any real, real pressure.

“We know they’re going to knock balls long, so it seems like you’re under a bit of pressure, but all they do is knock balls long, try and fight, try and get on second balls.

“We negated that and I can’t remember them creating much apart from late on where they just put it in the box.

“So it was quite a controlled performance. I thought second half we were the better ones, but first half, just never really had a killer instinct about us really.”

The closest Town came in the opening period was a back header from home defender Rhys Bennett which required a sprawling stop from his own keeper, as Jones was disappointed by their lack of a goal threat.

He said: "We got in real good areas and that’s what we said at half time, we need a bit more of a ruthless streak.

"As we counter attacked really well, Danny (Hylton) had one, but he wanted to take an extra touch. They want to score perfect goals, instead of sometimes just pulling the trigger.

"Apart from Cameron McGeehan, we don’t score from outside the box, because they don't want to pull the trigger and sometimes it looks wonderful, but we just want to win football matches.

"That's probably the only thing. We looked solid, we competed, these are a very physical front foot, energetic side, but we’re a good side. We don’t get beaten much, we just probably needed to have a bit more killer instinct first half, but I was pleased with the second half."

The result kept Hatters in fourth place, as although their gap to eighth was cut to four points, Jones still felt they were in a strong position with three games to go.

He added: “It was important not to lose the game today, in terms of not to be three points off (eighth).

“So it’s a decent point. These are flying in terms of how they are and their energy.

“They have a manager who drives them on, so we knew it was a dangerous game to come in today, but I thought we acquitted ourselves fantastically well apart from one lapse in concentration, thought we deserved what we got.”