Naismith warns Luton team-mates to be careful against an out-of-form Robins

Town defender Kal Naismith has warned the Hatters not to take an out of form Bristol City side lightly this afternoon.

After a positive start to the season, the Robins has suffered a major downturn in results since January, losing 12 out of their last 18 Championship encounters, taking just 12 points in that time to plummet out of play-off contention to sit in 18th place, six points behind the Hatters.

Former manager Dean Holden paid the price with his job in February, but although the experienced Nigel Pearson came in and won his first two matches, he hasn't improved things too much, City currently without a victory in seven, scoring a mere three goals in that time.

However, Naismith knows his side must proceed with caution, saying: “They’ve not done well, but what we need to careful with is, when you play against Watford and you’re right up for it, it’s a derby, you’re up for the game and then same again (against Reading), we’re playing against a top side, we’re really up for it.

“If you start thinking that Bristol City aren’t going to be quite at it and aren’t going to be quite as good as the others then that’s when the Championship really bites you.

“You’ve got to focus, prepare right, Bristol City are still a top side, they've not been in a run of form that they would have liked, but they’ve still got top players all over the pitch.

“So we need to prepare properly and go into the game giving our all if we want to get anything from the game.”

Victory for the Hatters would see them leapfrog Stoke City and Millwall into 11th place, giving them a real chance of the top 10 slot that manager Nathan Jones has spoken of.

If Town could achieve that following a campaign where they were almost relegated back to League One, Naismith, who joined in January, thinks it would represent a fine effort.

He added: “It would be unbelievable and the season’s not done.

“As players we want to play every game, win every game.

"It’s not, it’s finished now, there’s four games left, and let’s relax, we go again Sunday, try to win the game and finish as high up the league as possible.”