'Respectful' Jones eager for his players not to be seen over-celebrating Forest victory

Luton boss Nathan Jones revealed he warned his players against over-celebrating yesterday’s superb 1-0 victory over promotion rivals Nottingham Forest.

The Hatters secured an absolutely crucial three points in the battle for the play-offs at a boisterous Kenilworth Road, courtesy of Kal Naismith’s 37th minute penalty, to put them back above their opponents once more, and now with four games to go, have a top six berth very much in their grasp.

Following the final whistle, Jones called a huddle with his squad on the pitch before embarking on their post match applause, and when asked what had been mentioned, the manager said: “That will stay in-house a little bit but I just wanted us to be respectful, because you never know.

“I didn't want it to be over-celebrating or anything that can be misconstrued, or, used against us.”

Match-winner Naismith agreed as although Forest still have a shout of going up automatically, there is every chance the Reds could be back in Bedfordshire in the play-offs, should both sides finish above the dotted line.

He added: “I don’t think you can (get carried away), it was a tough game, there was no way we dominated that game.

“They were an unbelievable side, the form side in the league, we could get them again and they can hurt you on their day.

“You don’t want to get them angry and fired up, we were respectful, we beat a top side and that’s the way it is.

“We’re delighted with a win, to man we were brilliant, but good luck to them, they'll be there or thereabouts I’m sure.”

On whether it could be a season defining win, as with four games to go, Luton opened up a five point gap to fifth with results going their way yesterday, Sheffield United and Blackburn Rovers, both losing, with Middlesbrough and Huddersfield only drawing, Naismith added: “We’ve been in a sticky spell, I say sticky spell, drawn two, lost one, that’s as sticky as it gets for us this year.

“But it’s a tough league, it’s unbelievable for the lads how much we fight and believe and bounce back.

"To do that against the in-form team in the league, as they’ve got superstars all round getting tipped to go here there and everywhere, the biggest clubs in the world and rightly so, they’re brilliant.

"But just to a man, Amari’i Bell doing a job on the boy (Brennan) Johnson, Fred (Onyedinma) on the left wing, I could go through and name the whole team, everyone was incredible.

"It’s a big result for us, we might play Forest again, we respect them, we respect them a lot, their manager’s brilliant, players are brilliant, it was a good game.”