Nathan Jones labelled his Luton stars as the best group he worked with over 32 years in football after they hit Hull for 3-1 to moved to third in the Championship.
Elijah Adebayo bagged his 15th of the season before robbing the last man to tee up Harry Cornick. James Bree then put the seal on a magnificent away day with a free-kick that crashed in off the bar.
And Town almost managed a 17th clean sheet of the campaign, but Tom Eaves scored a very late consolation against a Hatters side that started the game without a recognised centre back, due to injuries that would cripple any other club.
Not Luton though, and they’re now just six points off the automatic promotion places, albeit having played two more games than second-placed Bournemouth.
But, to be third with eight games to go is a remarkable achievement and boss Jones said: “I’m so proud of them. It’s magnificent and to see where we are in the league. That’s utopia.
“If anyone had said that Luton would be eight games to go and third in the Championship I think there would’ve been a lot of laughing going on. But our numbers back up everything we do.”
Numbers of fit defenders are they only thing Luton are lacking, but not heart, pride and passion. They now go into the international break with a four point cushion in the play-off race and two weeks to try and get some of their depleted ranks back on their feet for the run-in, which promises to be a thrill ride.
Jones said: “From what we’ve been going through in terms of injuries, makeshift (team), the schedule and everything, the performances we’re doing, the pride I have is quite phenomenal.
“I could be excited but this is the best group I’ve ever seen. I’ve been in the game 32-and-a-half years, and this is the best group I’ve ever worked with. I’m so proud of them.
“It’s not the most talented, but it’s definitely the best, tightest, hard-working, humble and all the good words you want to use about human beings and players, these have it better than anyone I’ve ever seen.
“The work-rate and the desire to go and win a game, and press. They keep working hard, they don’t come off it and they’re just an absolute joy to watch, to work with, to watch back after you’ve analysed and they deserve everything they get at the minute.”
Luton’s work-rate and relentlessness was no more typified than for Cornick’s goal, after Adebayo picked the pocket of the last man before unselfishly squaring to his strike partner who had an empty net to roll into.
Speaking to the BBC, Jones said: “The goals were excellent goals in terms of the desire to be on the front foot and take the first goal. We almost had an identical chance prior to that, with Harry.
“Then we’ve robbed the centre half because we keep going after teams and that’s what happens when you’re relentless.
“We were in three-v-two and the foul, so the justification in Bree scoring from he free-kick, which was a wonderful free-kick, because we really had them. Clicker (Jordan Clark) was either going to shoot himself or slide someone in.
“I’m just so delighted. These are tricky games, especially after you’ve had two home games against promotion-chasing sides. Then you come here to a side that’s in relative safety and have nothing to fear or lose, or no pressure on them, it’s a difficult place to come to.
“To score three away from home, to win the game away from home and to almost keep another clean sheet, but right at the death we were down to ten men effectively with Clicker.”
