Jones wants back-to-back wins at Kenilworth Road

After hosting United at Kenilworth Road this afternoon, Luton then entertain Barnet on New Year’s Eve, with Jones determined to see his team make inroads on the top three’s seven point advantage.

He said: “We want six points, make no bones about it.

“Realistically we want to win every game, probably that’s an impossible, but these are two games we want to win and they’re winnable games because we’re at home and we are Luton.

“Any game at home and any game for us is winnable because we have a good squad, but as always anything can happen in this league.

“Colchester are in a good vein of form, they’ve changed systems and they have good players. They came down last year so they’ll have enough experience in their ranks to do well.

“But as I keep saying, it’s all about what we’re doing. If we’re right at it and how we can play, then it will take some team to beat us.

“We always look how we can impose our shape on other teams and that’s what we do. We have to find ways. We have a number of ways we can do that and we are looking to evolve into a more rounded team and we are doing that.”

Despite it being the festive period, Jones doesn’t anticipate changing anything into his side’s build-up beforehand, as he continued: “We’ll do our normal preparation for the game.

“Christmas is a wonderful time, it really is. We want people to enjoy it and to be together because that’s why you work and that’s why do you all these things.

“But for a footballer, it’s an important time and we’re asking them for a level of professionalism, which they’ll give us as they are a great group and a group I know I can trust.

“We’ll have our usual preparation and they’ll be ready, they’re focused for the CoIchester game which I know they will be and one day off at Christmas won’t ruin it.”

Colchester are led by John McGreal, who was appointed back in May as the club had already been relegated to League Two.

On his counterpart, Jones continued: “When he was at Ipswich, I played against him, he was a good player in his time.

“I haven’t come across him yet as a manager. He’s doing a great job there, they’re a difficult side, changed shape and they’re in some good form, and we seem to be hitting a lot of sides in good form.

“Carlisle were in wonderful form, Blackpool were in the form of their lives, Colchester are in a bit of form, so we’re coming up against some tough teams and it seems to be falling like that.

“But I’m sure they’ll be looking at Danny Hylton and Jack Marriott and Isaac Vassell and Cameron McGeehan. We’ll show them the respect they deserve as they do deserve respect, but we’ll concentrate on Luton Town.”