Club News

NJ UP FOR SKY BET LEAGUE ONE MANAGER OF THE MONTH

Hatters boss Nathan Jones is on the four-man shortlist in line for the Sky Bet League One manager of the month award for October.

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The Town chief led his side up to fifth place with five wins from six matches in October, and to the second round of the Checkatrade Trophy as group winners with a game to spare, with the only blemish being a 3-2 defeat at high-flying Barnsley in the live Sky game on the 13th.

Just as in that game at Oakwell, Jones' side scored twice or more in every game during the calendar month, kicking off with that last-gasp win at Oxford United, when Dan Potts headed a 97th-minute winner.

A 3-2 home win over Scunthorpe saw the Welshman celebrate 150 games in charge of the Hatters in style, before the Barnsley reversal was quickly consigned to the memory bank.

Victories over high-flying Walsall - unbeaten on the road to that point - and fourth-placed Accrington Stanley extended the unbeaten start to the season at Kenilworth Road, the former beaten 2-0 with arguably the most complete performance by Jones' team so far, and the latter seen off 4-1 with a Danny Hylton hat-trick and one from Andrew Shinnie.

The month was rounded off with a gritty 2-0 win at AFC Wimbledon, with Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu and Elliot Lee on target as the Town cemented a place in the play-off spots having started it in 12th position.

Here's what the league sponsors had to say about Nathan and the three men he is up against...

Nathan Jones (Luton Town)

Thrills, spills, goals and points. Jones inspired his side to the lot in October. Fifteen goals and 15 points from six games, his side scored at least twice in each of their fixtures and proved themselves to be the division’s entertainers.

Chris Powell (Southend United)

It is what we do in adversity which defines us. Powell steered Southend to 10 points from six games despite the blows of losing Harry Lennon to a broken leg, as well as Tom Hooper and Ben Coker to season-ending injuries.

Mark Robins (Coventry City)

His side ended the month with five successive league wins, making light of the transition from League Two following promotion. Impressively, his side scored eight goals in winning away at Charlton, Southend and Bradford.

Jack Ross (Sunderland)

Expectations on Wearside of a promotion challenge could have weighed heavily on Ross. Instead, the Scot is embracing the challenge and 13 points from five unbeaten games moved his side smoothly into third place.

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