Jones left frustrated by '˜lacklustre' Luton

The Luton chief saw his turn in an insipid first half performance in which the visiting Mariners were by far the better side, moving ahead through Omar Bogle.

Town did improve in the second period, levelling thanks to Glen Rea’s first professional goal, before Bogle pounced to nod home the winner with eight minutes to go.

Jones said: “We just weren’t good enough if I’m honest, that wasn’t us.

“We took so long to come out of the blocks, we weren’t sharp, we didn’t press, didn’t win any battles, we just looked a little bit lacklustre today.

“They’ve done brilliantly, fantastically well for me, but that was not great today.

“We didn’t have our usual intensity, didn’t have our usual press, and maybe that’s because they got carried away or maybe last weeks euphoria and they start thinking they’re better than they are.

“But we strayed from the fundamentals we do well and we didn’t do those today, and that’s why we got the result we did.”

On just why Hatters’ display was so far away from their last outing at Kenilworth Road, in which they hammered Wycombe Wanderers 4-1, Jones continued: “I really, really don’t know.

“We made one change in bringing Alan Sheehan in because he’s quite important to do what we do, but we didn’t defend with enough aggression we didn’t have enough about us, our press wasn’t there.

“We didn’t win the ball enough and then being on the front foot, we weren’t good enough and ironically we probably have enough chances to have got something from the game.

“I think I’d be harsh on Grimsby if I said we had enough chance to win the game, we probably did, but they had a few on the break late on when we were going for it as well, it’s just disappointing really.”

When asked about his choice to bring back Sheehan in place of Scott Cuthbert, despite Town’s club captain making an impressive start to the season, Jones added: “It’s a big decision and one of the most difficult ones I’ve had to make, but I felt it was right in terms of the balance and until I watch the video I won’t know if it was a good decision or a bad one.

“But we weren’t at it today, we didn’t defend well enough, didn’t have an intensity about us, because they weren’t great goals from our point of view.

“A scruffy one the first one, a tap in and the other a counter attack that we’ve worked on as we know they’re a counter attacking side as well.

“To allow him a free header, not even a clean header, they’re bad goals to give away from us. But all credit to them, they came, they did a job and I can’t not say that they deserved to win.”