Luton boss left feeling 'sick' as Town are knocked out by Manchester United's late show of strength

Luton chief Nathan Jones admitted he was left feeling 'sick' after going out of the Carabao Cup to Premier League giants Manchester United this evening.

Although the eventual 3-0 defeat made it look like a routine victory for the visitors, they were only leading 1-0 through Juan Mata's penalty with five minutes to go, subs Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood coming off the bench to add a slightly unfair gloss to the scoreline.

Jones said: "“When I watch in back in the cold light of day I will be pleased, but I feel a bit sick at the minute because I think it flattered them a lot.

“We had to go for it late on and try to get the goal, with them bringing on a minimum of £150million worth of talent on at the end, you leave yourself a little bit open.

“I’m so proud of the performance, from start to finish, I thought we were excellent.

"These are a top Premier League side with Championship League ambitions, so for us to compete with that, and in the manner of the performance, in terms of how we pressed and worked, it shows we’re in a good place.

“We made nine changes to the side that played in the league and won on the weekend, so we know, as a group, we’re in a decent place.”

When asked if the triple substitution, Portugal star Bruno Fernandnes also introduced with 12 minutes to go, was a complement to his side, Jones continued: “You’ll have to ask them, but they needed a cushion and those three coming on, once you turn the ball over, they murder you.

“That’s what that type of player can do for you, but we were going for it right at the end and we want to give ourselves an opportunity to maybe get a goal and we left ourselves open.

“If I’d wanted to just have a 1-0 defeat, we could’ve shut up shop quite easily, but we kind of went for it.,

"We played two up top and were a little bit open and we got punished for it. That’s what top sides can do.

“It could’ve been a different story, they’re a top side but I’m proud of the performance and that’s what I can take from it.

"I know the group is in a good place.

"Structurally, we’re exactly the same as the league side and we’ve got great competition for our level.

"It shows that we are nowhere near, and in god’s will we won’t be anywhere near the level we were at last year."

Town been tough to break down in the first period until Brandon Williams went over George Moncur's outstretched leg in the area.

Jones had no real complaints about the decision by referee Tim Robinson, adding: "I think the speed of the referee giving it, I thought he had his whistle in his mouth before the foul was committed, but it’s a clumsy one, it’s a tiny, tiny nick and he’s gone over, but it probably is a pen.

"You’re going to get that, it’s clumsy defending, we need to defend better, against a top side you have to defend and I thought we did that for masses amounts of time.

"We limited them to nothing clear-cut, a few shots, which on another day can go in, but I’m proud of the structure we showed and how we went about it.

"This was a group who have come from League Two, we were playing League Two three years ago, so to put in a type of performance, because anyone can lose to Man United 3-0, but the manner of the performance, 95 per cent of it, that’s what I’m pleased with."