Seething Jones not swayed by revival
LUTON manager Nathan Jones was left frustrated and disappointed despite a dramatic stoppage-time Olly Lee winner earning his side three points at York City.
After a dreadful first half, Luton grasped the initiative through Cameron McGeehan’s 52nd-minute header, from a pin-point Danny Green corner.
But the hosts, putting in a spirited second-half display, fought back to level as Bradley Fewster stepped off the bench to score a 63rd-minute tapin following a woefully short Stephen O’Donnell backpass which left goalkeeper Mark Tyler stranded.
The game had sprung into life by this point, with Jack Marriott flicking the visitors back in front in the 74th minute before Fewster slotted home his sixth league goal of the campaign eight minutes later, seemingly to earn the hosts a point.
But one final act saw Lee go on a mazy, unchallenged run before firing low into the corner to send the visiting fans behind the goal into raptures.
Yet despite a joyous end to the game, Jones cut a frustrated figure, lambasting his side’s performance as “nowhere near” the standard he expects.
“I am delighted because we won the game, but that is nowhere near good enough,” said Jones.
“The win has masked it but that is as bad as we have played. In terms of energy, in terms of how we moved the ball and how we went about our work, that’s probably as bad as it’s been.
“It was a poor first half. They lacked energy, any real desire, any know-how in their play and we’re better than that. I know we’re better than that because I work with them every day and I‘ve seen it in games.
“We looked a mediocre team and we’re not going to be a mediocre team.” After witnessing his side throw away priceless points in the battle to avoid the drop, Minstermen boss Jackie McNamara believed mistakes proved costly, despite a Fewster brace seemingly earning York at least a share of the spoils. “Three mistakes have cost us three goals,” said the Scot.
“One from a corner, one is switching off from a throw-in. And the third one is a poor one. That’s the disappointing thing; it is all preventable.
“We put in a lot of work and effort getting back into the game. To concede a goal like that to lose a game is very frustrating.
“For me it is points wasted when we should be getting out of trouble. We have only got ourselves to blame for the last few goals that we have lost.”