Luton progress in cup

A spirited performance by the Hatters saw them keep their fourth clean sheet in five matches and earn a second round tie at home to Nottingham Forest on Tuesday 11 December.

Brentford, reeling from a 7-0 hammering on Saturday at Peterborough, showed little threat in attack despite having a reasonable share of possession, while Luton looked dangerous coming forward especially once Darren Currie came on for the injured Don Hutchison.

Luton’s lack of strike power continued to worry slightly, but two goals, one each by centre backs Coyne and Fojut, were enough to seal a comfortable win.

Coyne rose highest in a crowded penalty area to head powerfully home on 36 minutes and Fojut put the game beyond the home side on the hour following a corner which was only half cleared. The young polish defender was still in the danger area after going forward for the corner and turned on the loose ball and smashed it downwards and over the keeper from the edge of the box.

Luton played with two strikers in Andrew and Talbot but while they both worked hard Andrew had little luck and Talbot, with few opportunities in the side this season, looked rusty. However, he looked more dangerous as the night wore on and was unlucky to see a good shot hit the post after good work and a decent cross from Bell.

The most dangerous goal efforts came from Fojut and Coyne though, who both headed over from corners on more than one occasion and it seemed only a matter of time before one of them scored as the Bee’s defence never got to grips with them in the home penalty area, and so it proved.

At the other end, Dean Brill turned in another solid performance but Brentford were restricted to pot shots from a distance as the Town defence proved an iron curtain allowing no one to get past them.

When Edwards was replaced by Keith Keane, nothing really changed although surprisingly, Keane slotted in at right back while Perry moved forward into midfield but both acquitted themselves well. Edwards seemed to have a recurrence of the thigh injury he picked up in Germany playing for Wales, after a foul on him which earned him a yellow card which could only have been for diving! Strange then that he took no further part in the match.

Hutchison had been replaced by Currie as early as the 28th minute, with a calf strain, but by the time Edwards went off, in the 68th, it was virtually all over.

BRENTFORD:

Masters, O’Connor, Mackie (Osborne 75), Heywood, Charles, Ide, Pead (Smith 71), Moore, Poole, Thorpe, Connell (Shakes 71)

Subs not used: Brown, Oyebanjo

LUTON Town:

Brill, Perry, Coyne, Fojut, Jackson, Bell, Spring, Hutchison (Currie 28), Edwards (Keane 68), Talbot (McVeigh 80), Andrew.

Subs not used: Goodall, Furlong