Nathan Jones spoke to the press ahead of his side's match against Hartlepool United
Hatters manager Nathan Jones is hoping to see his side carry on their form from their victory on Saturday against Doncaster Rovers into tomorrow night’s game against Hartlepool.
Town came out on top 3-1 at Kenilworth Road on Saturday with a brace from Cameron McGeehan and Jack Marriott’s third goal of the season.
Jones appeared over the moon with how his side performed and the result when speaking at his press conference earlier today at Ely Way.
The Welshman said: “On the weekend they showed a lot of character, especially how Doncaster started, they are a good side. To go a goal behind after the start Doncaster had, it showed a lot of character to come back and we probably scored against the run of play.
“That was probably the turning point in the game when we scored, because after that I thought we thoroughly deserved the victory. I was pleased with how we finished the first half, obviously getting the two goals in reasonably quick succession.
“Then coming out second half, when we expected a real onslaught from Doncaster, but it was us that was pushing really and then when we got the third goal, it didn’t quite make it safe but it gave us enough of a cushion.
“That put us in enough of a commanding position. We saw out the game very, very well.”
Whilst trying to stop James Coppinger from giving the visitors the lead, Scott Cuthbert went down with a neck injury, and after a prolonged period of treatment he was stretchered off.
Scans at the Luton & Dunstable Hospital showed Cuthbert had escaped with some damaged nerves, but nothing serious enough to keep him out for a large amount of time, as Jones first feared.
The Hatters boss said: “It probably looked worse than what it was. But whenever you have a neck injury wherever it is, the way that they deal with it, they immobilise you and put you on a stretcher. The precautionary measures they take sometimes make an injury look horrific.
“We were hopeful that it wasn’t a bad injury. He has aggravated a nerve, when he said he couldn’t feel down one side of his body it was a bit of a worry. It was just nerve damage and hopefully it is just a matter of days instead of weeks or as it was feared, months.”
In the 94th minute, Danny Hylton received his second yellow card in bizarre circumstances, as he threw a litter picking stick to the ground after sliding off the pitch while contesting a ball into the corner
Although Jones wasn’t pleased to see the striker leave his team with ten men, he praised Hylton’s importance to the team and how influential he has been since he joined from Oxford United in the summer.
Jones said: “He is a plonker, that’s what he is! He is so important as to what we do. It was a silly thing to do for the first booking, the second one I don’t want to be drawn on.”
The Hatters today travelled up to Hartlepool for tomorrow’s game against the Monkey Hangers.
Jones said it couldn’t possibly be more of a cliché, as his side faces a team who haven’t won a league game at home this season.
He said: “It is the cliché, Hartlepool away on a Tuesday night. Everyone says about that, it will be a very, very difficult place to go.
“I don’t think I have ever gone there and had an easy game ever in my career. As a player, as a coach, as a manager, never. It’ll be a very difficult place and we will need to be at it tomorrow night if we are going to get anything from the game.
“We will set our stall out how we want to play and I can’t affect anything Hartlepool do. I hope that on Wednesday they still haven’t won in the League at home and we have got another away victory.”
For all the ticket information for tomorrow’s match, please click here.
If you’re not travelling to the north-east and fancy a football fix, the Development Square are hosting MK Dons at the Ely Way training ground in a 12.30pm kick-off.