Jones looks for strong home form to continue against Saddlers

Luton chief Nathan Jones wants his side to continue their impressive home form this season against Walsall tomorrow.
Hatters boss Nathan Jones applauds the fans at Kenilworth RoadHatters boss Nathan Jones applauds the fans at Kenilworth Road
Hatters boss Nathan Jones applauds the fans at Kenilworth Road

The Hatters are yet to lose at Kenilworth Road this term, with six wins from eight in all competitions, while the visitors are unbeaten on their travels so far, four wins and two draws.

Town's home gate is averaging 9,126, the seventh best in the division, as Jones said: “We’re going to attempt to continue that, we’ve got a decent home record, the fans are wonderful, they’re the best for me.

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“There’s some real good fans in this league, but ours are brilliant.

"When we go away, and even Saturday (at Barnsley), they were very complimentary, they cheered us off, even though they had every right to have little gripe about certain things, and it’s not often I can say that.

“So we’ve put it down to one game and move on. It’s a good union really, us at home and the fans getting right behind us, so long may that continues.”

The Hatters have been in a rich vein of form in front of goal recently, scoring 12 goals in just five games, exactly half the games it took them to manage their first 12 strikes of the season.

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However, Jones was quick to point out a run of one clean sheet in five, saying: “We’ve also conceded seven in that period, so we’ve got to make sure that we keep the back door shut.

“There’s a balance of being overly attacking and conceding and being too cautious, which we’ve never been to be fair, and not scoring enough.

“Now we had a lovely balance last year and we’re not far off a real balance at the minute.

“If we eradicate certain things, and learn from certain things that we’ve been punished off then we’ll be a far, far better side.

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“We’re not in a bad place, it’s just we’ve got to make sure we’ve gone through a tough period once again and make sure we go again.”

Saturday’s clash with the Saddlers followed by Tuesday night’s encounter with Accrington Stanley will mean Luton have played all but one of the top 11, Fleetwood, in their opening 15 games of the season.

On Walsall, who sit seventh three places and three points above the Hatters, Jones said: “Dean’s (Keates) had a bit of time to put his own stamp on things now.

“He took over at the end of last year and was working with someone else’s players, now he’s had a good bit of time to work and you can see he’s put his stamp on it.

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“They’re very organised, very hard working side and we know it’ll be a tough game.”

Although there’s a quick turnaround to Tuesday night, Jones isn’t considering his plans for John Coleman’s Stanley said yet, adding: “After being on the road at a tough place, we’re back to familiar territory, so we’ve got to make sure we capitalise on that.

“We’re not looking at the Tuesday game yet, it’s the Saturday game and make sure we pick a side that we think can win that game, then we’ll evaluate Sunday morning and see where we are.

“It’s two big games, but what we’re focusing on totally is the Walsall game, and until that is finished and done and dusted then we won’t even think about Tuesday.

“It’s a nice finish to a month, three games in quick succession, we’ve got a points target, so hopefully we can get there.”