Jones insists Hylton just needs a goal to boost his belief in the Championship

Town forward Danny Hylton just needs a goal to make him fully believe he's a Championship player, according to boss Nathan Jones.

The 31-year-old was back in the team for yesterday's stalemate against Bournemouth at Kenilworth Road, the first time he has started since a 3-0 home defeat to Brentford on October 31, struggling with a calf injury.

He went as close as he has to a maiden goal in the second tier and a first Luton strike since March 23, 2019, some 22 appearances ago, with 10 minutes remaining in the first half.

With Town breaking, midfielder duo Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Luke Berry combined for the attacker whose first time left-footed attempt appeared destined for the bottom corner, instead drawing a fine stop from Cherries’ Bosnian international and former Chelsea stopper Asmir Begovic.

On the striker, who has found the net 58 times in 140 matches for the club since joining in the summer of 2016 during Jones' first spell in charge, the manager said: “I thought he started a little bit sluggishly and then gave us what we know he can.

"He’s just missing a goal.

"As soon as he gets a goal then he’ll be someone that will be more front-footed.

"He just needs that goal to have a little bit more belief and once he gets that he’ll be in a good place.”

Jones is actually a former team-mate of the 33-year-old, the pair playing at Yeovil in the 2008-09 season when Begovic joined on loan from Portsmouth.

After Bournemouth paid £10m to sign him from Chelsea in May 2017, Begovic spent last term on loan at AC Milan, but with Aaron Ramsdale heading to Sheffield United, is now back between the posts, keeping five successive clean sheets.

Jones continued: “He's a top class goalkeeper, he’s an international, I've played with Asmir, we had him at Yeovil, so I've followed his career.

"He’s played in the Premier League, been a Premier League keeper, think they brought him for something in excess of 10 million, so that’s what we’re coming up against.

"Maybe in League One or League Two that’s zinging in the bottom corner, but that’s the standard of players we’re coming up against.”

Meanwhile, team-mate James Shea, himself keeping another shut-out this term, his third in four games, added: “He’s dying for that first goal Hylts isn’t he.

"I thought it was in, but he's come out with a great save the keeper.

"Sometimes you've got to hold your hands up and say 'you know what, fair play, good save.'

"Hopefully he'll try and get one another time."