Luton 7 Hereford 0

Luton handed out a thrashing to Hereford this afternoon and moved nine points clear at the top of the table.

Luton started this fixture on the back of 10 wins in a row at home and with a club record of 21 league game unbeaten record to defend. Hereford, meanwhile, were unbeaten in their last 3 away games.

With the action underway Luton were denied an early penalty, with only two minutes gone, when Guttridge appeared to be felled in the area by McDonald. A chance fell the way of Gray, after good work by Guttridge but his shot was cleared off the line by Graham.

A minute later, a teasing cross from Howells was dispatched over the bar by Gray. Hereford responded with some pressure of their own which saw a corner, from Walker flash across the goal. But Luton were to take the lead in the 12th minute through that man Andre Gray.

The goal coming after the Hereford keeper, Lloyd-Weston, spilled a low shot from McGeehan for Gray to smash home his 20th goal of the season. Luton continued to attack and a cross from Gray just evaded Benson. Gray and Benson combined again but just as it looked as if the lead would be doubled the keepers` legs saved the visitors.

Hereford looked dangerous going forward with Walker particularly active and Henry was required to clear the danger. The defender then did well to head clear a dangerous looking cross from Brown with Rankine lurking. After a spell of pressure from the visitors Gray almost scored a second for the Hatters collecting a loose ball, surging forward but then hitting his shot over the bar.

McGeehan picked up the first yellow card of the game for a tackle on Brown. From the resulting free kick the ball fell to McDonald but his shot was just over the bar. Guttridge became the next to be shown a yellow card before Tyler was forced into action to saw a shot from Walker. As half time approached Guttridge almost wriggled free but he was tripped by James who, quite rightly, was shown a yellow card.

Two minutes of added time were played during which Ruddock saw a long range shot deflected behind for a corner which Benson headed over at the back post.

Half Time – Luton 1 Hereford 0

Hereford got the action underway at the start of the second half attacking the Oak Road end. An early corner, taken by Howells, was headed over by Benson. Four minutes into the half Luton doubled their lead when Paul Benson scored. The veteran striker bundled the ball home after Gray had won a corner, Howells played the ball in, McGeehan got a touch and Benson was on hand to do his job scoring his 12th goal of the season.

Gray, looking to spring another Luton attack, was blocked by Bush with the opposition player receiving a yellow card for his misdemeanour. In the 56th minute Luton were awarded a penalty when Ruddock was fouled in the area, Jake Howells stepped up and gave Luton a 3-0 lead beating the keeper with power after the keeper had guessed the right way.

As the hour mark was approached Kenilworth Road was rocking and the noise levels increased when Pele Ruddock made it 4-0, scoring his first goal for the Hatters after some neat exchanges of passes in and around the area, three goals in eleven minutes had wrapped matters up for the home side.

Luton grabbed a fifth, in the 68th minute when Andre Gray grabbed his 21st goal of the season and second of the game when the in-form striker raced onto a through ball from Guttridge, raced clear and sent his shot in off the post.

John Still made a change a minute later with Robinson entering the action with the on-loan Norwich player, Cameron McGeehan leaving to a standing ovation. Robinson`s first major contribution was becoming the fifth player to be shown a yellow card. With fifteen minutes to go, Howells was replaced by Alex Lawless. In the seventy-ninth minute John Still made his final change taking of Benson and bringing on Jon Shaw.

With eight minutes of normal time left Andre Gray got his hat-trick and made it 6-0 finishing off smartly after a great ball in from Lawless. The hat-trick made it 22 for the season for the striker and 8 goals in his last 3 games.

Luton almost had a seventh when Gray was through but his touch was poor and the ball hit the side-netting. With two added minutes, Lawless almost got the seventh but his shot was saved by the keeper.

But the seventh was to come in the dying seconds of stoppage time when Alex Lawless slotted home after a free kick from Robinson had been saved by the keeper.

What a performance.