Town chief believes VAR needs to be introduced in the Championship

Hatters boss believes his side would be further up the table if technology was available
Hatters boss Nathan JonesHatters boss Nathan Jones
Hatters boss Nathan Jones

Luton manager Nathan Jones has called for VAR to be introduced to the Championship.

The Hatters boss saw Blackburn captain Darragh Lenihan escape with just a yellow card on Saturday for an awful studs high challenge on midfielder Allan Campbell which has left the summer signing with ligament damage.

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There are video replays available in the Premier League which would have no doubt seen the Rovers skipper dismissed, giving Town a man advantage for 80 minutes.

However, he was allowed to stay on, playing a part in both of the hosts goals, as although the Hatters hit back late on to earn a point, Jones felt had technology been available, his side would be in a loftier position, saying: “I think the Chelsea manager Emma Hayes was calling for VAR in the women’s game, well, without being disrespectful, I think we need it in the Championship if the women’s game is going to have it.

“It’s a lot quicker in the Championship than the women’s game and decisions need to be made.

“There’s big crowds and big things at stake in the Championship.

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“I’m convinced we’d be a minimum four, six, seven points better off if we’d had VAR.

“We never knew what was going to happen in Saturday’s game, but if we’d got decisions right in others, we’d be in a far better position.

“Let’s see, but the right decision needs to made because there’s so much at stake in these games.

“People lose their jobs, people lose out on certain opportunities because of that, so it needs to be done right.

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“It’s a difficult job, refereeing a football game, but there’s also four of them there that need a hand and sometimes I’m baffled.”

The incident on Saturday happened right in front of Hatters dug-out, as substitute Luke Berry, who went on to score both goals, said: “We're on the bench and we see it's a red card challenge.

“If they go down to 10 men it's a totally different game, they don't get that and it's a shame they (officials) don't see things like that.

“VAR isn’t in this league. but if it was, it's a straight red.

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"It was clear and it swung, the crowd got going and they got two good goals to be fair to them and we're chasing from there.

"We had to change things but luckily enough we did enough.”

Meanwhile, when asked how Campbell had been following the injury, Town skipper Sonny Bradley added: “He’s still a bit sore, he’s in a boot the minute I don’t know too much about it, but it’s a shocking tackle.

“I think everyone who looks back on it now will say exactly the same.

“It was just a mistimed tackle, I don’t think the player’s gone in to try and hurt him, just mistimed it, gone over the top of the ball and unfortunately it could have caused serious harm.

“But it’s gone now and we can’t do anything about it now, we’ve just got to look forward and hope that Allan recovers as quickly as possible.”