‘We usually make history, or put records straight quite well here,’ says Jones with eye on end to 2-year away run

Manager Nathan Jones wants Luton to put the records straight over an unwanted two-year away-day drought – even if most of it didn’t happen on his watch. 

In games when they’ve conceded the first goal on the road, the Hatters now haven’t won a game since October 2, 2018, when they came from behind to beat Oxford United.

But, the team only lost once more on their travels in total after that until Jones left for Stoke in January 2019, and only twice more after that in their League One-winning campaign.   

Away form is however proving a concern this season and Luton travel to Reading on Boxing Day in the Championship on the back of a three away defeats in four, where they’ve drawn a blank in all of them.

Asked about the importance of scoring the first goal on their travels, Jones said: “It’s always vital at this level because it’s tough. When you say two years, I probably wasn’t here for 18 months of that and, baring in mind before, we didn’t tend to be behind too often. 

“So, there’s of things you can do that can be manufactured or can be manipulated in any way, shape or form, but what we don’t want to do is go behind. 

“I’d prefer that we never concede a goal, but if we have to do that, improve that and put that to bed then we usually make history, or put records straight quite well here, since we’ve been at the club. 

“So, if that’s something we have to do, then hopefully we can do it.”

When Jones returned in May for a second spell in charge, after a three-month coronavirus lockdown, he had nine games to successfully pull off the Great Escape from relegation, which was helped by three wins and a draw on the road.  

Jones said: “At the end of last year we were excellent, we were outstanding away from home and now we’re trying to evolve a little bit. We’re trying to be a little bit more proactive than we were because we know it was about results at the end of last year. 

“Now we’re trying to evolve a little bit but, look, we want to improve our away form. I think we have won three away from home and I felt we definitely should have got something away at Middlesbrough. 

“It is not disastrous form but we would like to pick up a few more wins because we do pick up points away from home, it’s just we would like to pick up a few more wins.”

For the trip to the Madejski Stadium, Jones will have a near fit squad to pick from, with only right back James Bree still expected to be unavailable for at least the next week.

Left back Dan Potts has recovered from a knock which saw him substituted during Saturday’s 0-0 draw against table-toppers Bournemouth, while Glen Rea is back in contention after serving a one-match suspension for that game. 

The weekend also saw Croatian international keeper Simon Sluga return to the bench, but he may have to bide his time as his rival James Shea has kept three clean sheets in his last four games. 

“It’s good competition and we have that,” said Jones, adding: “Simon has been number one and has done very well for us. Shea has come in and done what he always does. 

“(He’s) a real good goalkeeper, someone we can go to at any point. Whether we continue with that or bring Simon back, that is something we will decide but I’m very happy with James so there is no urgency to do it.”