New Year, same old result as Luton suffered a ninth straight away-day defeat, succumbing to a second half Millwall comeback onslaught having led at half time.
Sonny Bradley had headed that elusive opening goal – the first time they’d done so on the road since September – but Tom Bradshaw levelled on 69 minutes as Town failed to deal with yet another cross.
Nine minutes later Connor Mahoney hit Town on the break and then Matt Smith made sure of the points three minutes later, nodding in another cross.
It was the third game in succession that the Hatters have conceded three goals, but it had all been going so well in a first half where Town nullified the hosts for 15 minutes and then fashioned the better chances.
It was solid, steady and very unspectacular, but it worked. And then Bradley was left unmarked from a corner as he guided a header into the bottom corner to leave the New Den frustrated at the break.
After the restart it was a harrowing tale. At no point did it look like Town were equipped to withstand virtually a whole half of pressure and dreaded crosses. It merely seemed a matter of time for Millwall to make the breakthrough.
When it came, from Bradshaw – who’d been preparing to come on as an early first half tactical change when Town scored – it was disappointingly familiar.
Jed Wallace stood up a deep cross to the back post and there were two Hatters on Smith but the striker still nodded across goal. Bradshaw was marked but wanted it more and headed in from point blank range.
Town made a change with Harry Cornick replacing Kazenga LuaLua to give them something, anything, resembling an out-ball from the encampment they’d got stuck in, in their own half.
They had one attack, but it was centre back Matty Pearson doing the pushing and when he was dispossessed on the edge of the Lions penalty area, it didn’t take long for Mahoney to smash beyond James Shea.
In terms of the result, the third goal was neither here nor there, as Town’s race was run, but, for the record, it came from another wide ball into Luton’s box.
Death from a thousand crosses.
