HATTERS LOOK LIKE CHAMPS
LUTON boss Nathan Jones said his side finished in “electrifying form” as they cruised past Grimsby to confirm a four-point Christmas lead at the summit of League Two.
James Collins thumped in a 61st-minute header, having set up Luke Berry for his sumptuous first-half strike, so the Hatters fans had half an hour to chant how the manager is going to take their team up – as champions.
Barring a handful of highscoring romps, this was as comfortable as it has been this season for the leaders and the victory was never in doubt once Berry bent a 25-yard shot inside the post on 40 minutes.
The best that could be said of the Mariners was that they resisted the kind of pummelling that the hosts tend to dish out on their own turf.
An 11th league clean sheet of the season for Marek Stech spoke in equal volume to his team-mates’ 52nd and 53rd strikes of a stellar first half of the campaign.
And having given his players a little break in the build-up to this game, Jones was impressed at the way they responded.
He said: “They had their Christmas party [last weekend]. They had two days in Cardiff, so maybe the god’s country air got into them and drove them on.
“We finished in electrifying form too, so it’s a great day for us, it really is.
“We knew it was going to be a tough game. I’ve played under Russell [Slade], so I know what kind of manager he is and how he’d get his side up for it.
“But I thought we were excellent, from start to finish. We started superbly well. We came out of the blocks, should have scored early, had one kicked off the line, had a succession of set plays, and it wasn’t until the 40th minute that we scored, but it was coming.
“It was wonderful technique to put that in, but that’s why he (Berry) is here.”
Man-of-the-match Collins started in place of red-hot Elliot Lee and Jones admitted that he is blessed when it comes to striking options, the only difficulty being how to give all of them enough game time.
He said of Collins, who notched his tenth of the season: “He’s a big player. I’ve got five big players up there. I can’t keep all five happy.
“But as long as there are sane decisions and it’s not frivolous, I’m not playing a donkey up there, or a kangaroo, or anything silly. What I’m doing is making changes for the right reason and James responded with a goal and an assist.” Grimsby boss Russell Slade insisted his side weren’t outclassed, despite the final scoreline. He said: “We played the best side here. Were we a million miles behind them? “I don’t think we were a million miles behind them. “When you’re playing the top teams, it’s a fine line. Two little misjudgements have cost us.
“There’s not many teams that could come to Luton and say the goalkeeper has made his first save in the 87th minute.
“That’s the only one that was on target, other than the ones they scored from.”