George Saville scored his first goal for Luton to see off Wigan but he had keeper Josh Keeley to thank for making him the match-winner.
While it wasn’t totally convincing, the Hatters got back to winning ways with their third clean sheet of the season.
In a lop-sided first half, where Town dominated and the former Millwall midfielder Saville opened his account in the ninth minute, it was the Latics that had the lion’s share of the chances – and big ones at that.
When Will Aimson wasn’t hitting the woodwork, which he did twice – the second only because Keeley dropped a high-ball – the home goalie set about redeeming that mistake and keeping Town’s noses in front with three big saves, deservedly wrapping up the man of the match gong by the break.
But when Saville stretched to score after Wigan gifted Liam Walsh space to whip a cross right in front of the midfielder, there was little sign that Keeley would have anything to do, such was the solid start from Town.
It was Luton’s quickest goal of the season so far but then Wigan began fashioning chances, almost out of nothing considering they claimed just 29 per cent of the first period possession.
Sandwiched between Aimson’s efforts, Paul Mullin was sent clean through and looked odds on to level, but Keeley was quick off his line and stood tall to block. The Irishman was then on hand to keep out Callum Wright’s glancing header and Jason Kerr’s point blank snapshot just before the interval.
Luton boss Matt Bloomfield said: “George has got attacking instincts, doesn’t he? He’s a midfield player, he’s done it over the years and now he’s played slightly deepest, so doesn’t get those opportunities as much. In the first half, the biggest threat against was giveaway and transitional moments, which nearly cost us a couple of times.”
Though Luton’s goal lived a charmed life until returning to the changing rooms, the second half saw the Hatters take control, but only once Cohen Bramall’s home debut was brought to an expected early end on 56 minutes, with the wing-back still playing catch-up with his fitness.
Lasse Nordås replaced him to partner Jerry Yates up front on his Kenilworth Road bow and the Norwegian’s evening almost yielded a first goal for the club.
But first, Milli Alli moved back to left wing-back and he drove from deep, blasting at goal only for Sam Tickle to beat away his stinger.
With chances at a premium, but little coming the other way, every touch and burst forward by Nordås was greeted with glee by the home crowd, none more so than when he Cruyff turned on the halfway line and drove into he box where his shot was blocked.
And he came closer still late on when he wrapped a left foot around the ball but hit the base of the upright, as Luton staged a late onslaught.
Alli saw another stinger saved and then, somehow, Wigan kept Luton out as a scorpion kick from Mark McGuinness sent the ball across the face of goal where Aimson made an almost impossible clearing header on the goal-line with Yates and Nordås smelling blood and going in for the kill.
Bloomfield added: “Second half, we were more secure in possession, but didn’t get the second and third. We at the post. Lasse hit the post and had one cleared off the line, Milli had a couple of longer shots. We got into the box a couple of times, we didn’t quite find that final moment.
“I think we needed to kill the game off at two and three to obviously stop the possibility of what nearly happened at the end, so still plenty for us to work on.”
That final moment was almost last-gasp drama at a corner where Tickle came forward and connected but sent his effort wide to end a tale of two goalkeepers in Keeley’s favour.
