Jones prepared to 'take the odd risk' as positive substitution pays off against Derby

Luton boss Nathan Jones believes he is in the position where he can 'take the odd risk' after his positive double substitution during the 2-1 win over Derby County paid off handsomely at the weekend.

With seven minutes to go and the scores level at 1-1, Jones, who had an attack-minded bench at his disposal any way, opted to bring on Jordan Clark and George Moncur for Harry Cornick and Elliot Lee.

It enabled the Hatters, who had weathered some concerted pressure from the Rams in the second period, to stay on the front foot in the closing stages, which was to work out perfectly as Clark headed home the winner with time running out.

On the changes, Jones, who saw his team in second place until Bristol City's win at Stoke City on Sunday dropped them to third, said: “I want us to be that side, it will be a tough season this as the Championship is the fifth or sixth best side in the world and we’re in it, but we want to hit it head on, we don’t want to be a passive side.

“Last year we had to get results so we couldn’t be too expansive, couldn’t be too adventurous at times.

"We just had to make sure we kept clean sheets, we scored goals, and we got points.

“Now it’s the same principles, exactly the same, but now we’re demanding a little bit more from them.

“We want them to press a little bit higher, we want to move the ball a little bit quicker and all those things, we can take the odd risk now as we’ve got 44 games.

“Last year we were on a knife edge every single game.

"So I want us to evolve, I want us to get better as I’m pleased with the first 45, second 45 could have been better, but we we're a work in progress.

“It’s only early, but it's (being second) better than being second from bottom and looking up and if I’m honest, we want to stay there."

Although he used Clark and Moncur, Jones still had Kazenga LuaLua and Danny Hulton on the bench, plus Andrew Shinnie, the trio all having the attacking capabilities to influence the game in the final third.

Jones knows whoever he selects to go on, will be desperate to put their marker down, as he continued: “That’s what you want, but they’re motivated to come on, as I've got a group there that are hungry.

"Every time I look round and call someone’s name, the other six are disappointed it’s not their name, that’s the beauty of the hunger of the squad and I’m delighted they’re mine.”

Clark himself pointed to the talent that had been sitting on the bench with him for much of the clash, saying: "If you look at the subs today, there’s a lot of attacking players on the bench, so it’s good for the manager to have.

"We’ve got a top quality squad, so it’s hard for him to pick, but all we can do like me and George is come on and try to make as best impact we can.

"Try and create, that’s what we’re about, so hopefully long may it continue.”

Clark's goal when it came was all about a wonderful cross from full back Rhys Norrington-Davies, who chipped the ball over from the left, giving the midfielder a simple finish.

Town's first also arrived courtesy of a cross into the box, Elliot Lee the architect, although this time, Luke Berry had to stretch every sinew to reach it with his right toe ahead of keeper David Marshall.

Jones was impressed with the vision, delivery and timings of the runs for either strike, saying: “It’s firstly a real good ball, it’s not just whipped, it’s delivered into an area and we say 'go on, get on the end of that.'

"A midfield runner, going beyond one of theirs to get in the box, was fantastic.

“That’s something we ask of them, midfield runners going beyond, it’s all little stuff that we've worked on.

"So it’s credit to Bezza, credit to Jordan Clark, credit to Rhys for the ball, all these things we ask of them and they’re showing they're learning, showing they want to be front-footed players and I'm so happy for them

“I think the ball (from Lee) puts it into a corridor of confusion, and all he had to was get on it as the keeper was half thinking it was going to land on him,

“He gets in front of him and beyond their midfield, a fantastic goal from our point of view.

"It’s not a fluke, demanding a midfielder to get in the box and a great little ball, anything that’s smashed, or near post, they look good sometimes, but you don’t score from them.

"Whereas we’ve played two great crosses into the box where we’ve scored and if we can add that to our game then wonderful."