Proud Jones lauds his players after Hatters triumph

The Luton chief had urged his team to back up the 3-2 triumph at York City on Saturday night with another home victory, and they did just courtesy of Jack Marriot’s 76th minute strike.

Jones was particularly animated when leaving the field, urging the Town fans to appreciate the players’ efforts, and speaking to the press afterwards, he said: “I’m thoroughly delighted. I thought until we scored, we were in total control.

“They slowed the game down so they killed the tempo, but we tried to play, we broke lines, got into good areas. The final ball killed us a little bit, but I’m really proud of them.

“They gave me a proper shift, tried to do what I asked of them, missed chances as we could have made it easier for ourselves again, but I’m really, really delighted, a total difference to how I was Saturday.

“We came out of the blocks, got right at them and I’m delighted, really delighted with the three points and the performance.”

Although the goal was late in coming once more, Marriott’s strike from Paddy McCourt’s through ball with 14 minutes to play settling the contest, Jones insisted supporters will have to learn to accept a more patient style of play.

He continued: “I keeping saying that we’re going to gain a reputation where we’re going to have to be patient.

“It’s not going to five and sixes, but there’s going to be a way of how we do stuff, a way of how we move the ball, how we control the ball and we’re going to have to be patient, going to have to learn to play under pressure.

“Because I know the crowd are demanding but we did it and I’m proud of them.

“We won 3-2 the other day and everyone was buzzing, this was a 10 times better win than it was the other day, 10 times better.

“There was more control, there was more fluency in our play. There was a way about us and Morecambe came here and I know they’re struggling for results, but they killed momentum in the game and we picked it up.

“I’m really proud of them and I’m delighted because that’s a proper performance. If anyone’s gone away from here, thought, well it was half hearted, they’ve watched a totally different game to I have, and I’ll watch it again, I’m buzzing, absolutely buzzing.”

The one slight disappointment for Jones was his side’s final ball once more as they dominated territorially but apart from the goal, Shrimps keeper Barry Roche had a fairly quiet evening.

He added: “We got into great areas, but just the final ball wasn’t quite there, which again we’re going to have to work on.

“The little cutting edge in the games we probably didn’t have, but our build up play, how we went about it, how we worked, how we pressed, how we tried to get into the final third, I’m delighted.

“Paddy McCourt’s ball for (Craig) Mackail-Smith’s chance is above the level, it’s outstanding play, a lot of our build up play was.

“I would have liked it to be more comfortable, I’d liked have Craig Mackail-Smith’s chance to have gone in, then Jack’s makes it two, then it’s way, way, way more comfortable.

“But it wasn’t to be, that’s what we’ve got to improve, that’s the only tinge of disappointment I have. In terms of our performance, I’m proud of my boys, proud of them.”