A late Callum McManaman pearler was not enough to prevent Luton sinking to defeat with a whimper against Nottingham Forest, with defensive frailties were ruthlessly exposed.
Lewis Grabban left James Bree for dust just before the break after the defender – one of three changes to the starting line-up – conspired with Sonny Bradley to give the striker a sniff where there wasn’t one.
And then, before the hour mark Sammy Ameobi was given the freedom of Kenilworth Road to turn his 6ft 4ins frame and take aim, his shot taking a deflection off Sonny Bradley on the way past James Shea.
With a third of the game still to play, it killed the contest at an already subdued Kenilworth Road. The 10,053 crowd probably clocked that the Hatters chances of scoring dramatically reduced once Izzy Brown – for the third game in a row Town’s primary creative spark – hobbled off the pitch half an hour in.
But the Hatters, who bossed 70 per cent possession with little to show for it, did have the ball in the net. Twice in fact. With the scoreboard all square, Dan Potts poked Brown’s cross in at the second time of asking and the flag went up, though a TV replay suggested an incorrect decision.
Then with just over ten minutes remaining James Collins nodded in Matty Pearson’s flick. Again it was chalked off. This time deservedly so.
McManaman raised some hope when he produced a smart Cruyff turn to provide the space for a curler beyond keeper Brice Samba, but it was too little too late.
