Nathan Jones admits it has been frustrating seeing Luton’s relegation rivals picking up points, but is glad that the Championship run-in features “six-pointer” against clubs in the mix.
The Hatters are unbeaten since the restart with one win and two draws against three promotion-chasing teams, including Tuesday’s hard-fought points against leaders Leeds.
However, though they reduced the gap to safety to two points, they slipped to the foot of the table and then had to watch as Huddersfield pulled away after beating Birmingham City, extending the gap to three points once again.
Town host Reading on Saturday, with the Royals not totally safe, but then Jones prepares his side against Barnsley, Huddersfield and Hull City in the run-in.
Jones said: “I would prefer to be playing sides in and around us because, as you’ve seen, we’ve picked up results, but when you’re playing sides in and around you, they can pick up results as well, so that’s a little bit frustrating.
“So, we would rather play and if you win those games, you know your rivals are not gaining points or pulling away from you, or staying away from you.
“For us, with the proximity of games with only nine games left (at the beginning of the restart) and the points gap we had to get back, it really is a benefit to play those sides in and around you as they are effectively six-pointers.”
Asked if results for rivals would mean he’d have to reassess the points target he’s privately set his players to stay up, Jones said: “I don’t know. I’m not going to know that, but what we have is a realistic target that’s a very bold one, but it’s realistic and that’s what we have to stick to.
“If we get there and it’s not enough, then it would have meant that, all barring winning every single game, which is very difficult to do at this level, then there’s not much more we could have done.
“What we can’t do, is arrive at a points target and we feel we should have done more. So, we can only do what we can do. (We had) nine games to save our status, we started six, effectively seven points adrift, all we can do is keep chipping away at that and if, right at the end, it’s enough then brilliant.
“If it’s not, then as long as we gave it absolutely everything, then we can do so with a clear conscience.”
