POINTS NOT PALS FOR JONES

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LUTON TOWN Rea MIDDLESBROUGH Watmore

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NATHAN JONES will put his friendship with Rotherham boss Paul Warne on hold tomorrow night as the South Yorkshire club visit Kenilworth Road battling for survival.

Luton manager Jones (above) became close pals with Warne when they played together at Yeovil.

But he insists he is more interested in his side finishing as high as possible than whether Warne’s team avoid relegation.

This point left

Luton on target for a top-half finish and, with two games remaining, they could end up ninth. Rotherham are third from bottom and, if they win tomorrow, will be out of the drop zone heading into the last day on Saturday.

Jones said: “Warney is one of my really good friends, but I want to take my football club forward. Rotherham have to take care of themselves. All I am concerned about is Luton Town. “This time last year, when we were in that position, no one tried to do us any favours. I want three points because that will cement us in the top half.” Glen Rea put Luton ahead in the 19th minute (celebrating, left), heading in from barely a yard after a Kal Naismith header crashed off the crossbar. But Middlesbrough were level within two minutes as Duncan Watmore headed in Marvin Johnson’s cross.

Luton had a great chance to grab all three points in the second half when Paddy Mcnair brought down Kiernan Dewsbury-hall, but James Collins’ spot-kick was saved by Jordan Archer.

Boro boss Neil Warnock said: “We have got a good nucleus, but we’ve been unlucky that our injuries have been to our best players.

“There would be eight or nine players coming in (over the summer), I would imagine. That is a lot of changes, but we want to make sure, when these good players get injured, we have got good players coming in.”

LUTON: Sluga 5, Bree 6, Pearson 7, Bradley 6, Naismith 7, Rea 7, Mpanzu 6, Cornick 6 (Moncur 73, 6), Dewsbury-hall 7, Adebayo 6, Collins 6 (Nombe 83)

MIDDLESBROUGH: Archer 7, Mcnair 5, Hall 6, Bola 5, Coulson 6, Howson 5, Saville 6, Johnson 7, Kebano 7, Watmore 7, Bolasie 6 (Coburn 83)

REFEREE: Jeremy Simpson

MOTM JORDAN ARCHER (MIDDLESBROUGH)