Town chief credits players as Luton go seven unbeaten in the second tier for the first time in over 25 years

Luton manager Nathan Jones heaped all the credit on to his players after they made it seven games unbeaten in the Championship for the first time in just over 25 years when winning 1-0 at Norwich City last night.

The Hatters went into the fixture on the back of a six-match undefeated run, a feat they had managed twice since their return to the second tier, the back end of the 2020-21 term, plus the campaign before, in three matches either side of the season being halted for the Coronavirus pandemic.

However they hadn’t ever reached seven since some 26 years prior, the 1995-96 campaign, when under Lennie Lawrence, they beat Southend 3-1, Norwich 1-0, Sheffield United 1-0, Grimsby 3-2 and Millwall 1-0, drawing with Leicester 1-1 and Derby 1-1, between January and February 1996,

It ended with a 1-0 defeat at Sunderland, which was the start of a horrific run of form, Luton losing 11 from 16 to eventually finish bottom of the table.

With last night’s victory taking the Hatters up to fourth there is precious little chance of that happening again, Town now eying making it eight unbeaten when heading to sworn enemies Watford on Sunday.

However, Jones was quick to put all the praise on to his squad, saying: “To go seven games unbeaten in the Championship is some feat, not many that do that, whoever you are.

“You can win the league like Fulham last year, they might not have gone seven unbeaten and to do that and to have the clean sheets and to have what we’ve done, shows that it’s a wonderful squad, it really is.

“They keep working, it’s them, credit is down to them.

“We set them up and we do the easy bit.

"We look at videos, they go out and execute the game-plan, so they deserve all the credit, absolutely all the credit and I'm not being candid in that, that’s the truth.”

Striker Carlton Morris, who has started all seven of those matches, scoring four times, including the only goal at Carrow Road last night, continued: “It is a great achievement, but we can’t rest on our laurels at this point, we've got to kick on.

“We know we’re capable of getting a point and three points anywhere in this division and that’s the confidence we’re going to take game by game.”

To reach the magnificent seven, the Hatters defended superbly on the night in East Anglia, as keeper Ethan Horvath only had two shots to deal with, Luton largely nullifying an attacking threat containing Finland international Teemu Pukki.

Jones believes there is also room for improvement too, adding: “They work hard, they know how to the basics, the disciplines and we’ve had to do that.

“Set-plays we were excellent, first contacts and they’re an excellent side.

“If you finish above Norwich you’re going up this year, so that’s what you’ve got to try and emulate.

“We’ve gone above them in the league today and after 15 games to be above Norwich shows you’re in a good place, so I’m really, really happy, really delighted with the win.

“We know we can be better at times, better in possession, we can pick better choices, we can have a little bit more composure, but for effort, desire and defensive responsibility and grind and press, I can’t ask for more.”