Jones tells fans to cool it after ending rotten home run
NATHAN JONES pleaded for Luton supporters to be more patient after his side finally broke their home hoodoo.
The tightly-packed, ramshackle stadium at Kenilworth Road has traditionally been a fortress as Luton have readjusted to life in the second tier over the previous three seasons.
Yet Jones’ men have stuttered there so far this term, so it was an enormous relief to get their first home win under their belt. Especially against such tough opposition.
Carlton Morris and Reece Burke both netted as the Hatters pinned Blackburn back during a rampant second-half display.
Yet Jones called for calm after the game, rounding on his critics.
He said: “I don’t read social media but people sometimes show me stuff and things that are people saying, telling me we should be doing stuff.
“I’ve got a message for our fans – there are a lot of Championship teams that should be beating teams. And their fans keep saying it.
“We’re not a team that should be beating teams. What we are is a team who goes about our business with humility.
“We’re hard-working, we’ve got an honest group, we’ve got a wonderful way of doing stuff and we’ve got a fantastic environment.
“And at times it’s difficult as Championship games are very difficult to win, as we found out the first year that we were in it.
“We can say we ‘should be, should be, should be’. But those are the type of performances we put in and the crowd should get behind that as there’s no God-given right to win a football game.
“We’re a relatively new side in this at this level but we just keep doing it. And I’m really proud of the team. So get behind the team as they were magnificent today.”
Jon Dahl Tomasson’s Blackburn side controlled most of the first half without doing any damage to their hosts.
Chilean international Ben Brereton Diaz fluffed their only real chance when his scuffed effort beat home goalkeeper Ethan Horvath only for Dan Potts to clear off the line.
That turned out to be the visitors’ only shot on target. Morris bagged his sixth goal of the season when he steered home Jordan Clark’s cross on 58 minutes.
Burke’s strike nine minutes later had a touch of stardust about it. The big defender was allowed to carry the ball into enemy territory before unleashing a 25-yard curler that beat Thomas Kaminski.
Tomasson said: “It was a disappointing result. We probably had the best chance of the game. If that had gone in then we win the match.
“So when you’re playing away you have to take your chance.
“I hate losing but I’m not someone who easily gets concerned as I prefer to look at the bigger picture.”
LUTON: Horvath 6; Burke 8, Lockyer 8, Potts 7, Bree 7, Lansbury 7 (Freeman (75) 6); Campbell 7, Clark 7 (Osho (90) 5), Bell 7, Woodrow 6 (Jerome (75) 6); Morris 8 (Onyedinma (89) 5)
BLACKBURN: Kaminski 6; Hyam 6, Ayala 6, Wharton 7, Carter 6 (Brittain (59) 6); Travis 5, Morton 6 (Buckley (70) 5), Pickering 7, Dolan 6 (Hirst (59) 5); Hedges 5, Brereton Diaz 6
STAR MAN: Reece Burke – Absolute brick wall at the back on his return to the side – and what a finish.
REF: Josh Smith 7