Jones wants to halt Reds striker Lyle Taylor's prolific form against Luton

Striker has been a constant menace to the Hatters in previous meetings
Luton try and double up on Lyle Taylor when the striker was at Charlton last seasonLuton try and double up on Lyle Taylor when the striker was at Charlton last season
Luton try and double up on Lyle Taylor when the striker was at Charlton last season

Luton boss Nathan Jones is hopeful of ending Nottingham Forest striker Lyle Taylor’s good run of form against the Hatters this evening.

The 30-year-old forward, who signed for the Reds in the summer after leaving Charlton, has netted seven goals in his five appearances when facing Town, including three doubles for Charlton (twice) and AFC Wimbledon.

He opened his Forest account at the eighth time of asking during the 1-1 draw with Derby County on Saturday, as when informed of his prowess in games involving Luton, Jones said: “Cheers for that, I appreciated that little stat but lets hope he doesn’t score.

“We can’t change history but we can change the future so if he doesn’t score tomorrow that is all I will be concerned about.”

Taylor is now part of a high-class Forest squad who should have made the play-offs last season, only to miss out due to a remarkable set of results on the final day, as they lost 4-1 to Stoke, with Swansea leapfrogging them into sixth spot.

They have kept hold of prolific forward Lewis Grabban though and added real quality in the summer, including Jack Colback from Newcastle and Fulham's Harry Arter, plus changing manager as well, Chris Hughton taking over from Sabri Lamouchi.

Jones continued: “Any Championship side has (quality), you look on the weekend, they (Sheffield Wednesday) had Barry Bannan, Josh Windass, Jack Marriott can score goals, (Callum) Paterson, Adam Reach.

“Look at Stoke, the budget is on a different planet to what we have so every side has got that but that is why we want to be at this level, we want to test ourselves.

“It is brilliant and we are going to have to be at it, defend well, be aggressive in the stuff that we do and then it is about us and that’s the exciting thing about it, we’re testing ourselves against Nottingham Forest.

“Without being disrespectful, a couple of years ago we were going to Nottingham but not to Forest.

"The others are a big club as well but these are the places we wanted to go to and we’re delighted we are.”

Under Hughton, Forest managed to tempt Championship specialist Anthony Knockaert from Fulham on deadline day, the winger a real force to be reckoned with at this level, also playing for the Reds boss at Brighton.

Although Jones had just left the Seagulls for Luton when he arrived on the south coast, he s added: “I know Anthony from Leicester, obviously I have known him because I have a close relationship with the club.

"He's a fantastic player but it is not just one player.

"They have other threats that we need to defend well against and then impose our plan on the game."