Glad as a Hatter VITAL STATS

NATHAN JONES believes his Luton side are becoming a team to be respected in the Championship after a hard-earned point against Blackburn.

Both goals came inside three second-half minutes as Luke Berry put the hosts in front before Sam Gallagher rescued a point for Blackburn.

Last season Luton avoided the drop by the skin of their teeth following Jones’ return to the dugout for a second spell.

But a good start to this season has them sitting in the top half of the table.

“We’re not happy to just be sitting back and containing, we are evolving as a team,” said the Hatters boss.

“Blackburn are a free-scoring team, they can score threes and fours at will. For us to be competing and at this point to be above them in the league shows we are in a good place.

“We are ambitious, but we are also realistic.”

Adam Armstrong had the ball in the net for Blackburn but it was ruled out for offside. Luton took the lead in the 69th minute when James Collins cut inside and curled a ball into the area, where Berry diverted it past Thomas Kaminski in the Blackburn goal.

But within three minutes Rovers were level as Harvey Elliott’s diagonal cross was headed down by Barry Douglas for Gallagher to force home.

Then in stoppage time, Blackburn’s Ben Brereton (above) went over in the area but was booked for diving by referee Gavin Ward.

Rovers boss Tony Mowbray said: “I don’t know if it was inside the area or outside, but it was not a dive.”

LUTON: Sluga 7; Cranie 7 (Tunnicliffe 90), Pearson 6, Bradley 6, Norrington-Davies 6; Rea 5, Berry 6 (Mpanzu 77), Dewsbury-Hall; 5 Moncur 6 (LuaLua 77); Lee 6 (Collins 59, 6); Cornick 5 (Bree 59, 6). Unused subs: Shea, Lockyer, Clark, Nombe.

BLACKBURN: Kaminski 6; Rankin-Costello 6 (Nyambe 76), Lenihan 7, Wharton 6, Douglas 6; Trybull 5 (Gallagher 67, 7), Johnson 6, Rothwell 6; Elliott 7, Brereton 7; Armstrong 6.

Unused subs: Pears, Carter, Bell, Downing, Davenport, Buckley, Dolan. MAN OF THE MATCH: Ben Brereton. Tireless effort as Blackburn pushed forward second half.

REFEREE: Gavin Ward 6.