Jones on home form, goal scorers and Cameron McGeehan
Hatters boss Nathan Jones heads into Saturday’s Sky Bet League Two game with Cambridge United aiming to build up a run of decent home form, he told the local media at his Ely Way Press conference today.
The match comes on the back of Tuesday night’s postponed fixture against Yeovil Town in the Checkatrade Trophy, something Jones was slightly disappointed by, but he was pleased the decision was made sooner rather than later.
He said: “There are a number of fixtures called off because of the weather, and it’s the first one we have had called off this season. It’s a difficult one but instead it gives a full week to work towards Cambridge.
“It’s not a disaster, just a little bit frustrating. We left it as late as we possibly could, being fair to Yeovil and everything, and we couldn’t fight the elements really.
“I went to the Oxford game and it was called off at 7.30 – 15 minutes before kick-off. We didn’t really want a scenario like that.”
Town have played two more away matches than they have at Kenilworth Road so far this season, and will now play five of their next six fixtures at home.
Asked how important it is to build up some momentum at home, the gaffer said he wants to make the Kenny a place where teams are “wary” to come and play, as they once again try to take a step closer to the top three in the Sky Bet League Two.
“I think wins are important wherever they are, whether they are home or away or whatever. It is important that we get enough to take us to where we want to, whether that’s a winning run starting on Saturday or it culminates in an unbeaten run towards the end of the season.
“We want to win games and I don’t want to put too much pressure on saying ‘we have to do this, we have to do that’, what we have to do in theory is finish in the top three.
“However we do that, we have got to do it. I want us to put runs together, I want us to have good home form. I want it to be a place where teams are not so much fearful, but very wary of coming and I think we have got that. We have just got to make sure that we do the job.”
For the next two matches, the Hatters will be without leading scorer, Danny Hylton, who is serving a two-match suspension for accumulating ten yellow cards this term.
Jones isn’t too worried though, as goals are starting to come from other players from various positions on the pitch, which the boss was keen to say that it’s down to player intelligence over plain luck.
“They score goals because they are in that place at that time,” he said. “We have to make sure we put people in positions that gives them opportunities to score, and ironically Danny Hylton hasn’t scored for a couple of games.
“He has been involved in goals and he is a massive thing for us, but others have stepped up in recent weeks.
“Let that continue. We have got one of the best goalscorers in the league in Jack Marriott. I am sure that if we give him the opportunities, then he will reward us.”
Injured midfielder Cameron McGeehan paid a visit to his consultant for a check up on his broken leg, which according to his manager is healing nicely.
“It’s going really well actually,” said Jones. “Without saying too much medically, he had a follow up appointment yesterday, which was excellent. The best thing is we gave him the best care immediately, credit to everyone involved. He will be as diligent a patient as you are likely to find.
“All that will give him the best chance to come back, even better than he was. He is making fantastic progress. It is something you kind of expect from him because he is that type of character.”
Asked if it would be a boost to have him back before the end of the season, Jones replied: “It would be a boost, but let’s not put any pressure or a time scale on it because in ten or 15 years’ time, we want to make sure Cameron McGeehan has had the career he has, not that he gets back for two or three games at the end of the season.”
Hatters Player subscribers can watch Jones’ full press conference by clicking here.