Lukas Jutkiewicz scored a controversial late winner to consign Luton to a second straight Championship defeat after substitute Harry Cornick looked to have rescued an unlikely point with virtually his first touch.
The Birmingham striker, who will also have an entry for miss of the season, looked to have climbed all over Matty Pearson’s shoulders to head home from close range in the 82nd minute, while there was a case for a infringement on Kazenga LuaLua in the build-up too.
But the goal stood, and it undid Cornick’s cracking fifth of the season, which came in a 20-minute flourish from Town, cancelling out Kristian Pedersen’s headed opener on the stroke of half time.
Afterwards Luton boss Graeme Jones said: “We’re in the ascendancy and there’s only one team winning the game. I don’t know if its a foul, they tell me he’s got hands all over his back and he can’t jump, but if you were were talking about being Championship savvy, that what we’re talking about, that small detail there where you don’t get beat.”
Until the hour mark, Town had been decidedly second best. Had it not been for a few magnificent James Shea saves in the first half and a horrendous open goal miss from the eventual match-winner, the visitors should have been dead and buried.
That outlook changed, albeit briefly, when Cornick and James Collins were introduced, giving Town some attacking verve, seriously lacking beforehand.
Izzy Brown, Town’s main creative force, capitalised on a poor Pedersen pass to stab into the path of Cornick who, through on goal, took one touch to steady himself and lashed in off the underside of the crossbar.
Collins then had a golden chance to put Luton in front when Brown picked him out at the back stick with a deep cross, only for the striker to fire wide on the stretch.
And it proved a costly mistake when the visitors failed to clear a corner, the ball got pumped back to the box to where Jutkiewicz was waiting.
