Luton boss Nathan Jones celebrated a “massive three points” after his side defeated Bristol City 2-1 at Kenilworth Road.
The Hatters scored two wonderful goals through Glen Rea and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in either half to see off their opponents, who had levelled in the second period through Sonny Bradley’s own goal.
Jones said: “It’s a massive, massive three points.
“We had a meeting on Monday and we said ‘whatever happens this week, at five o’clock on Saturday we’re not on 27 points’.
“That’s what we started the day on and we wanted to increase our points tally as then we get to the halfway stage.
“To get to the halfway stage and double it, we’re on 27 which would mean we’re on 54, which is better than last year, but we don’t just want to be content with that.
“This is a big, big three points tonight to set us up nicely for the weekend and to move forward.
“They were good goals. The first one is a training-ground routine, then Kiernan has done that for Leicester, he’s done that for Blackpool and that’s part and parcel of why we brought him here.”
Town took the lead after 17 minutes with a wonderful volley from Rea, who hammered Dewsbury-Hall’s corner past Dan Bentley with unerring accuracy.
City thought they had a penalty when Antoine Semenyo went over in the box, while Chris Martin headed against the bar.
After the break, Town top scorer James Collins was denied by Bentley, and the Robins drew level when Luton captain Bradley put Nahki Wells’ low cross into his own net at full stretch.
The Hatters did not let their heads drop, Dewsbury-Hall finding the bottom corner from 22 yards for his first goal for the club, and they might have had a third when Rhys Norrington-Davies’ effort was saved by Bentley at his near post.
City boss Dean Holden, who was without a number of players due to injury, added: “We’ve missed a header and we have to improve on set-pieces, we’re conceding too many.
“We fancied our chances to come here and get a result tonight, and we played well enough to get something, arguably deserved to win the game.
“It’s (injury situation) tough. Take those first-team players out of any squad and it will be tough.
“But that’s what we’ve been dealt, that’s the cards we’ve got and we’ve got to use those cards as well as we can.
“The lads are giving everything, we’ve got youngsters on the bench who have never been involved at this level. It won’t be used as an excuse, but it’s tough.
“You don’t sometimes get decisions like that (penalty for Semenyo). I’m not sure why he didn’t give it, but he didn’t.”
