Town boss believes Hatters can head to Bees with confidence after Cherries win

Luton boss Nathan Jones insists his players can head to promotion-chasing Brentford this evening full of confidence following their 1-0 win at fellow title-hopefuls Bournemouth on Saturday.

The Bees are sitting fourth in the table, nine points off leaders Norwich City with two games in hand and on a 15-match unbeaten run in the Championship, their last defeat coming against Stoke City on October 24.

Not many will have the Hatters down to get anything from the brand new Brentford Community Stadium, but after upsetting the odds to defeat the Cherries, who were plying their trade in the Premier League last term, Town’s hopes will surely be boosted.

Jones said: “We have to do certain things the same and we have to do certain things better.

“I want us to be braver in possession because we could have been braver Saturday, especially when we had eleven versus ten.

“We could have and should have been braver but look, sometimes it is difficult.

“When we had chances and when we did finally score you have 20 minutes and then the psychological side comes into it.

“Do we try and play openly and risk anything? Or do we just be a little bit more pragmatic because we have got three points in our hand?

“That sometimes is especially at the level where you get tested.

“But they’re (Brentford) a good side, as are Bournemouth, as are pretty much everyone we come up against, so it’s a real tough test, but these are the tests we want.

“For us to be sceptical or fearful about, we might as well have stayed in League One.”

The Brentford game is the middle clash of a huge seven days for Luton, who then head to Premier League Chelsea for an FA Cup fourth round tie on Sunday afternoon.

Jones wouldn’t have it any other way though, as he continued: “Brentford beat Bournemouth the other day – 11 versus 11, so it shows that they are a very good side.

“The games come thick and fast but it’s brilliant.

“If we look at the games, we have Bournemouth, Brentford and Chelsea in a week.

“It’s a wonderful, wonderful week to be preparing for, these are the games we want, they are the games we are proud of.

“We have to test ourselves and we knew going to Bournemouth wasn’t easy, you have to be at it, one person goes to sleep, one person doesn’t do their job, you get punished.

"Wednesday is exactly the same and Sunday, you would think would be even more so.

“It’s a great week but a real testing week for the squad and we’re going to relish it.

“When you look at our run of fixtures this month, you think it’s a tough run, but it’s the Championship, if you look at the following month it’s equally as difficult.

“When you look at December, it’s unbelievably so, with Bournemouth, Norwich and you think ‘how are we competing there’, but we took four points off those.

“It’s such a good level and such a good test for everyone and we’re delighted.

“With no disrespect to everyone, we actually don’t want to stop here though."