DAVE JONES knows he cannot get carried away, but the Hartlepool United manager feels better times could be around the corner.

Jones saw Pools suffer his third defeat at as Pools boss and the third on the road since he took charge.

It looked like becoming a rout when Danny Hylton and Luke Gambin fired in left-foot shots in the first 13 minutes at Kenilworth Road.

However, the young away side did just what Jones had demanded after Saturday's 4-0 caning at Mansfield - they dug in.

Such was the grit shown, Pools had the better of the second half against the promotion-chasing Hatters, but they could not force a goal with sub Ollie Palmer adding a third for Town against the run of play 10 minutes from time.

Jones said: "After the first 15 minutes I could not fault the kids.

"They re-grouped after that start, we just needed that bit of luck in front of goal.

"Luton got it near the end. Scott should have cleared it into row Z and the lad ended up scoring from a ricochet.

"The lads worked hard and dug deep.

"To play like we did against a team in fourth, I couldn't fault them.

"The lads will learn from this and get better and better.

"We just lacked that bit of luck in front of goal."

Jones had made four changes to the side beaten 4-0 at the weekend.

Michael Woods, Rhys Oates and Kenton Richardson were all handed starts with on-loan Middlesbrough keeper Joe Fryer handed the gloves.

And you had to feel for the 21-year-old as one of his first tasks was to pick the ball out of the back of his net.

Gambin played the ball in the Pools box, where Hylton's touch took him away from his marker and he slid the ball past the Boro prospect from inside six-yard box.

It soon got worse for Pools. Another simple ball forward over the top was not dealt with, allowing Gambin to race forward and shoot home from the edge of the box.

Matthew Bates, who had damaged his hamstring early on, hobbled off at this point with Lewis Alessandra coming on in midfield, with Brad Walker switching to centre-back.

And what a performance the midfielder put in alongside the equally impressive Scott Harrison as they dealt successfully with the threat of Hylton and Isaac Vassell.

Harrison even went close when he headed agonisingly wide from a Nathan Thomas corner.

Pools began the second half with some good possession play but, inevitably, the move faltered with a poor final ball.

But the side were beginning to finds some confidence and Luton were forced to clear a Thomas effort from a corner.

It should have been 3-0 in the 54th minute when Hylton showed great footwork to beat Walker and Harrison, but after doing all the hard work, he fired over with a full target to aim at.

Jones sent on Padraig Amond on the hour and his introduction signalled a spell of pressure, forcing the Hatters to concede corner after corner.

Pools should have pulled one back when Oates showed his strength to tee up Woods who fired just over from the edge of the area.

The home fans in the 6,965 crowd were feeling anxious and with justification as Pools kept coming with Thomas and Alessandra combining neatly in a bid to play in Amond, forcing Stephen O'Donnell

into making a vital interception.

However, just when Pools were looking like getting back into the contest, they handed the promotion-chasers a third goal 10 minutes from time for Palmer.

Harrison lost possession near his own corner flag to Palmer who broke into the box, where Richardson's attempted clearance hit Walker and landed at the feet of the sub who could not miss from a yard.

"We knocked it around nicely in the second half, we just needed that final ball in and around the goal," said Jones.

"We've been close, they've had to knock a couple clear, I thought we deserved a goal."

Jones had praise from Fryer who was preferred to Adam Bartlett between the sticks.

"I think I saw only one mistake all night," said the manager. "I don't think he had any chance with the goals.

"He made a couple of good saves near the end.

"He had a good debut, I couldn't fault him."

Goals: Hylton (5, 1-0), Gambin (13, 2-0), Palmer (81, 3-0)

Bookings: Thomas (42, foul), Richardson (45, foul), Rea (60, foul), Woods (84, foul)

Referee: John Brooks (Leics)

Attendance: 6,965

Entertainment: hhh

LUTON (4-4-2): Macey 6, O'Donnell 7, Mullins 6, Sheehan 6, Senior 7, Rea 6, Ruddock 6, Gambin 8, D'Ath 6 (Smith 66, 6), Vassell 7 (Marriott 73), Hylton 7 (Palmer 73). Subs (not used): Moore, Cuthbert, Gray, Justin

HARTLEPOOL UNITED (4-5-1): Fryer 7, Richardson 6, Bates 5 (Alessandra 14, 5), Harrison 6, Kavanagh 6, Featherstone 6, Woods 6, Walker 8 Thomas 6, Oates 5, Nelson 5 (Amond 61, 6). Subs (not used): Bartlett, Martin, Hawkins, Hawkes, Rooney

MAN OF THE MATCH

Luke Gambin - livewire made one and scored one