Luton's fine record at Pools of no concern to Jones

Hatters boss Nathan Jones isn't reading anything into his side's fine record over Hartlepool prior to the clash at Victoria Park this evening.
Hatters boss Nathan JonesHatters boss Nathan Jones
Hatters boss Nathan Jones

Luton head north with a fine record in recent meetings between the sides, winning their last four encounters, including a 4-1 triumph on their travels last term, while triumphing seven times from their last eight games

However, Jones said: “Stats are stats for a reason, but I’m not sure that applies now.

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“I hope it does, I hope it’s eight out of nine we win come Wednesday morning, but if I told the players that, maybe it would give them a lift or maybe they’d get complacent, I don’t know.

“This is completely different scenario to the game we played at home in March and we’re going to be need to be at it to win the game.”

Pools go into the game on the back of an excellent 1-1 draw with leaders Plymouth this weekend, although are yet to win on home soil this term, with three draws and a defeat so far.

As ever though, Jones wasn’t taking any notice of that ahead of the game, saying: “We’ll set our stall out how we want to play and I can’t affect anything Hartlepool do.

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“I hope on Wednesday they still haven’t won in the league and hopefully we’ve got another away victory.

“We won’t change our gameplan, we try to start well, try to impose ourselves on teams, that’s what we like to do.

“We’re on the back of a wonderful, wonderful win against possibly the best team in the league, apart from us, so we’re very confident in what we do.

“It is the cliche though, Hartlepool away on a Tuesday night, everyone says about that, but it will be a very, very difficult place to go.

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“I don’t think I’ve ever gone there and had an easy game, ever, ever, in my career as a player, or as a coach, or as a manager, ever.

“So we will need to be right at it if we’re going to get anything from that.”

Hartlepool are managed by former Middlesbrough player Craig Hignett, who took over just a month after Jones was appointed at Kenilworth Road, and the Luton boss believes he has put his imprint on the side.

He said: “He has, you can see a difference in style of play and how they go about their work.

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“So he has done that, which I knew he would, coming from the background he had, a little bit similar to mine, he was at a good club and worked under just one manager.

“I’m anticipating a tough game and I’m sure they won’t disappoint in that, as we’re always aware of the threats they will cause us, but as we have to keep reiterating to people, we’ve got some threats as well, we really have.

“I don’t want to be too preoccupied with what others can do, I want to be more preoccupied with what we can to do others and if my players believe that, then that’s the key.”

Striker Jack Marriott is relishing the contest after an excellent 3-1 win over Doncaster on Saturday, as he said: “Hartlepool is never an easy place to go, then again with Cheltenham (on Saturday) but we look forward to it.

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“We’ve finished the game well and bounced back from a tough 20-minute period, but we’re all ready for Tuesday and I can’t wait.”

Meanwhile, teenage defender James Justin added: “It’s not the nicest for Tuesday night game, but we’ve got to deal with it and get the three points up there.

“I haven’t been up north yet for an away game, so we’ll see what happens!”