SOARING HATTERS ARE MAD FOR IT!
NATHAN Jones insists promotion to the Premier League is not such a mad idea for his in-form Luton side.
Boss Jones has worked minor miracles under a tight budget and injuries to key defenders to stay in the promotion picture.
Elijah Adebayo opened the scoring after nine minutes – a just reward for such an intense start to the game.
Man-of-the-match Harry Cornick added a second and James Bree a third from a smart free-kick.
Although Tom Eaves scored a consolation with the last kick of the game, the hosts deserved nothing as Luton were more streetwise in possession and far sharper inside the final third.
Luton are now six points off the top two and Jones said: “To come away from home and put in such an emphatic performance was great.
“We defended our box really well, scored a few good goals and could have scored more.
“It (automatic promotion) is not dreaming – we know what we can achieve.
“We’ve got the resources to be in the bottom three – but we don’t work with resources. We’re a good side that works hard.
“Bournemouth are a wonderful side. Fulham are a wonderful side. If we’re anywhere near those two at the end of the season we’ll be in a wonderful position.”
Cornick was a persistent threat down the right during a one-sided start to the game.
Few inside the MKM Stadium could have been too surprised, then, when Adebayo opened the scoring.
Adebayo was allowed too much space to charge into the penalty area from the right. Even in spite of the danger, Hull’s defence stood off the in-form striker, who had time and space in a dangerous area.
Matt Ingram might, however, have done better as Adebayo’s left-footed hit went through the keeper.
Ingram did well to tip over Luke Berry’s powerful attempt from distance after 21 minutes as Evans’ men remained a constant threat.
Once Cornick doubled Town’s lead, Hull fans must have expected the worse – especially given the circumstances of the goal.
Defender Sean McLoughlin gave the ball away in a bad, central area, though Adebayo still did well to snatch possession. His sideways pass inside the penalty area then teed up an unmissable chance for Cornick.
After 72 minutes, Bree added a third from a welltaken free-kick that struck the top-left stanchion before going into the net. Eaves was Hull’s best player and deserved to score with a tap-in deep into injury-time, but it failed to conceal the Tigers’ flaws.
Hull have now lost five games at home, but manager Shota Arveladze insists this is because of individual errors rather than any deep-rooted issues. “It’s difficult to explain. Football can be really unfair. I still believe we didn’t really deserve to concede three goals,” he said.
“We could have stayed in the game, but, unfortunately, it happens. We made mistakes that is the difference at home and away – and we need to be better.”