Jones reveals Luton used QPR's 'disrespect' and defender Dunne 'doing the conga' as motivation to finally defeat Rangers

Luton boss Nathan Jones admitted he used QPR’s celebrations during their win at Kenilworth Road last season, which include what he described as defender Jimmy Dunne 'doing the conga’ as part of the motivation in finally ending the Hatters’ lengthy wait for a victory against their West London opponents in today’s 3-1 success at Kenilworth Road.

Back in March, Town had looked like they were on their way to a rare success against their play-off rivals, leading 1-0 at half time, only for Andre Gray’s penalty after a needless challenge by Kal Naismith to draw the visitors level.

Rob Dickie then headed home what proved to be the clincher with seven minutes left, which led to the R’s players showing some ‘disrespect’ in their post match scenes according to Jones, Dunne in particular enjoying the success in front of the home supporter.

However, this afternoon, Elijah Adebayo put Town in front in the first period, before Dunne scored an own goal when keeper Seny Dieng’s clearance cannoned against him after the break, the centre half going off injured with a knee injury suffered in the resulting collision.

The visitors gave themselves hope of snatching a point in the final minute, the ball hitting the bar and going in off the back of the unfortunate Ethan Horvath, only for Luke Freeman to seal the win in stoppage time, as speaking afterwards, Jones said: “We let them off the hook, they over-celebrated and stuff here, we used that.

“I said in the press that we didn’t, but of course we did, because we don’t want that on our patch in our back garden.

“If you have a look, Jimmy Dunne was doing the conga down the left-hand touchline and (Stefan) Johansen was whooping like he was on Wheel of Fortune, so it was a little bit, but I’ve been guilty of that, I’ve jumped into crowds, as I’ve said.

“So we hold no malice in that to call them out, but that’s what happened on the day.

“To be fair, it drove us on a little bit and it was a sick thing (losing the game in such a manner), the way they celebrated, the disrespect they showed us, which we kind of used, but we didn't emphasise, because that happens in football.

“Sometimes I celebrate and it can be misconstrued as disrespectful, but it's not, it’s exuberance, so they were exuberant after a win in a tough place.

“But we finished above them last year, so it didn't detract from us.

"Maybe it actually galvanised us a little bit, as after that we didn’t lose many more games.

"We lost the Fulham game and then to Huddersfield, so it didn't have a detrimental affect on us and shows what a great group we have.

"As it shows that when we get punched on the nose, or sneakily punched on the nose as the winning goal was offside, we can come back from that, so it shows we've got good character.”

Luton went into the game having not won against their rivals in the league since April 2006, that being their only victory in the last 22 league meetings.

Jones too had failed to triumph in any of his seven meetings with the R’s, as although elated to finally get the result he felt Town deserved, he didn’t want anyone getting carried away.

The boss added: “I’ve got into them this week as realistically we’ve let QPR off the hook in recent years.

"We haven’t beaten them, they beat us here when Charlie Austin made his debut (January 2021), it was probably the right result.

"Apart from that, we should have beaten them on any one of the three occasions, we let them off the hook.

“I wouldn’t say it was a special result, it’s a wonderful win, we won’t over-egg it.

"We’ve had some wonderful wins here to achieve things, Blackburn when there was no-one here and Watford when there was no-one here, when we beat Forest Green to get promoted, all those, so we’ve some real good days here, good nights, but that was a big win for us.

"As these are a good side, in good form, have won the last three, beat Sheffield United away, they're a good, good side, a really tricky side.

"But we showed today that we are and I've stopped saying we’re competing with these sides as we’re not, we’re on a par if not better than a lot of sides we play against now.”