Town boss insists Luton will be 'bang up' for FA Cup clash with old rivals U's

Luton chief Nathan Jones insists his side will be ‘bang up’ for today’s FA Cup fourth round clash against Cambridge United.

The Hatters go into the tie as favourites to progress against their League One opponents, although as this season’s competition proved again yesterday Middlesbrough knocking out 12-time winners Manchester United on penalties at Old Trafford, that counts for little.

The U’s have already created their own piece of history this year with a sensational 1-0 win at Premier League Newcastle United in the last round , following on from victories against Northampton Town and Exeter City.

With the two clubs developing a healthy rivalry in their days in the Conference, particularly when former Luton boss Richard Money was in charge of the U's, while Mark Cullen’s late goal ensured Town all but achieved promotion back to the Football League, a sold-out Abbey Stadium should add a bit of spice to the encounter, especially as former United midfielder Luke Berry could return to his old club too.

On the tie, Jones said: “I think they will be bang up for it whatever, whether they beat Newcastle, Newport, or whoever they played, they will be a up for it.

"It’s a local-ish game, a game they want to win and we want to win and we are looking forward to it.

"The FA Cup is something we all love, it’s something different and we’re delighted with the tie for lots of reasons.

"Not that we think it’s an easy tie in any way but we’re delighted it has a bit of romance to it.

"We know they will be bang up for it, but so will we.

“We wanted a little bit of romance and something different.

"It's really nice to not be preparing for another Championship team so anything else was a real bonus.

"There’s been a healthy rivalry between the two sides for a while now and since I’ve been here, we’ve had some real good games against them.

"It will be a very tough game, I know the people at Cambridge, wonderful club, (Mark) Bonner is doing a great job there, he really is.

"To get promoted, to where they are now, it will be a tough game.”

Cambridge were Jones’ first opponents when he took the Luton job for the first time, Town being held to a goalless draw at Kenilworth Road back in January 2016.

However, it was something that the former Brighton first team coach used to learn about the task he had taken on, saying: “It was a benchmark for us.

"I’ve said in previous interviews it was a drab 0-0 draw but it showed that we looked solid and competed.

"The next time we played them at home, we beat them 2-0, next time after that it was seven, then we haven’t really played them since.

"It was a gauge and a benchmark for me.

"I have real fond memories of playing Cambridge and it’s a club I really like.

"The people there are wonderful and it is no coincidence they are doing well.”

Under Mark Bonner, the U's had a terrific season last year, winning promotion back to the third tier for the first time since the 2001-02 campaign.

Although he never played professionally, the 36-year-old was part of the academy and backroom staff for almost a decade, eventually taking over as caretaker and then permanent manager in March 2020.

He’s someone Jones knows well too, saying: “I’m really good friends with Bons actually, a born-again Christian like myself so I speak to him every week.

"He may have come through a different route but he’s paid his dues, he’s proven and in terms of the first-team set-up, he’s been there as well. for me,

"it was a real logical choice, everyone spoke well of him when he was assistant so they gave him the opportunity and he took it under difficult circumstances.

"Through the pandemic he has done fantastically well and proven what a wonderful manager he is.”

Bonner also has ex-Luton midfielder Gary Waddock as assistant head coach alongside him in the dugout, as Jones added: “When you are a new manager you need someone you can trust and someone that he can rely on.

"He needs someone that has been there to get out of tough times, or if you are getting too high on good times.

"Someone that just keeps you grounded really, something that experience does to you really – you don’t get too high and don’t get too low.

"He has good people there, Graham Daniels, Ben Strang, good people at the football club and real continuity.

"It's no coincidence they are doing well and it will be a very tough game, but a real game that we are going into in good form and one we’re really looking forward to.”