It’s not that the Hatters lost to a strong Fulham side, but the manner in which they played into Aleksander Mitrovic’s expensive hands as the Serbian hit a winning hat-trick.
In truth, the scoreline could have been rather more humbling after a first half where, in boxing terms, Luton rarely laid a glove on the Londoners.
Not for the first time this term, Town, unchanged from the side that beat Bristol City at the weekend, were the architects of their own downfall for the first two goals.
Matty Pearson’s mishit pass in front of his own box was sloppy but then Sonny Bradley allowed the Championship’s top scorer – all £22million of him – the freedom of Craven Cottage to turn and rocket an opener beyond James Shea.
After somehow surviving an onslaught of wasted opportunities from Joe Bryan, Ivan Cavaleiro, Anthony Knockeart, Mitrovic and Bobby Decordova-Reid, getting to half time with just the one-goal deficit, Town shot themselves in the foot again, just when they were enjoying their best spell.
Dan Potts failed to track the run of Decordova-Reid and the forward had a cigar on as his picked out Mitrovic. The hitman couldn’t miss from five yards out.
It was a lesson in razor-sharp finishing that Harry Cornick did not exhibit immediately after the restart. Izzy Brown – largely Town’s chief creative outlet – put him through on goal, but the forward cracked wide when the very least was a requirement to fire on target.
Luton did score though and it came from Brown’s free-kick, with Potts stealing a yard on Bryan to glance a header in off the turf.
But, anything the Hatters could do, Mitrovic could do better, coming away with the match ball when he stooped to head home Bryan’s free-kick at a time when Luton were in the ascendancy.
It killed them, though there was a late consolation when substitute Luke Bolton sent a cross skimming through the six-yard box to where fellow new introduction Kazenga LuaLua was waiting at the back stick.
It was too little, too late and, despite an improved second half, made the scoreboard look rather more flattering for the Hatters.
