Cornick nets the only goal as injury-hit Luton battle to a superb win at Cardiff

A battered and bruised Luton showed their tremendous fighting spirit to pick up yet another massive three points in their quest for the Championship play-offs with a superb 1-0 win at Cardiff this afternoon.

The visitors were dealt not one, or two, but three injury blows during the game, with James Bree, James Shea and Fred Onyedinma all forced off at various stages of the contest.

However, unbowed by the changes they had to make, Town struck the only goal of the game when one of their replacements, Harry Cornick, rose to head home his 12th of the season on 71 minutes to secure a victory which pushed the visitors ever closer to securing a place above the dotted line.

The Hatters made two changes to the side who had triumphed over Nottingham Forest on Good Friday, one enforced with captain Sonny Bradley suspended following his late red card, Tom Lockyer coming in.

Dan Potts also returned, Cornick dropping to the bench, Henri Lansbury fit enough for a place among the substitutes too, as ex-Hatter James Collins missed out once more for the hosts.

It saw another switch in personnel, Onyedinma moving alongside Elijah Adebayo upfront, Potts and Lockyer forming the back three with Reece Burke.

The Hatters might have led inside the opening minute when Robert Snodgrass's deep free kick was met by Potts, his looping header dropping over the bar.

Town went close again shortly afterwards, Snodgrass the architect once more as picking up a loose ball he found Onyedinma, who couldn't locate the target from 18 yards when he should have at least worked Dillon Phillips.

Kal Naismith then followed suit, gathering a poor pass out of defence, he did well to fashion a shooting opportunity from 22 yards, only to rather rashly send it into the home stands.

With 15 gone, Cardiff began to mount some pressure of their own, a neat move on the left seeing Jordan Hugill fail to connect with a low cross, while a stretching Rubin Colwill volleyed wastefully after losing Amari'i Bell at the back post.

The hosts then lost Alfie Doughty to injury on 20 minutes, Isaak Davies replacing him, as they began to enjoy a good spell of possession and territory, winning a number of corners after some desperate blocks by the visiting defence, Snodgrass and Naismith both bravely throwing themselves in the way of goalbound blasts.

City had a brilliant chance on 38 minutes when Naismith's pass rebounded off Allan Campbell into the path of Doyle who broke to find the run of a clearly offside Hugill, Shea out quickly to spread himself well and with the flag staying down, had he been beaten, it would have controversially counted.

Town's appalling luck with injuries then struck for the first time, as they were hit with a double whammy in the final two minutes of the first half.

First Bree was caught when sending a cross in and went down off the pitch holding his ankle, eventually hobbling gingerly to the dug-out, Cornick coming on, Onyedinma moving to right wing-back.

Worse was to follow just before the break too, Bell not clearing his lines, City winning the ball back to send over a dangerous cross that Shea was out bravely to claim, suffering what looked like a serious knee injury after colliding with Lockyer.

Although the keeper was initially able to get up following treatment and restart play, he was soon sitting down once more, clearly in severe pain when kicking upfield, meaning Harry Isted, as he had been against Chelsea, was introduced, to make his Football League debut in the process.

He had to face one corner ahead of the interval, Ryan Wintle heading harmlessly over as the Hatters could then regroup in the dressing room and hope for better luck after the break.

Following a tight first period, the resumption was anything but, chance after chance at both ends in the opening stages.

Town showed first, Burke escaping on the right, his cross falling at the feet of Snodgrass, who brought out a flying save from Phillips.

City threatened too, Doyle well over from range, before they had the best opportunity when Luton gave the ball away upfield, that man Doyle racing away before finding an unmarked Davies who thrashed off target from 15 yards.

Back came Luton, the Bluebirds this time caught in possession, Cornick going for an audacious first time curler which had Phillips worried, landing on the roof of the net.

Town's injury misfortune wasn't over either, forced into yet another change on the hour mark, Onyedinma holding the inside of his thigh after racing on the outside of his man to win a corner, becoming Town's third player who had to go off, Peter Kioso his replacement.

His first involvement was almost a telling one, motoring away on the right to meet Campbell's pass and deliver a cross that Cornick fluffed, the rebound calmly picked up by Phillips.

The forward got it spot on four minutes later though, as despite not being known for his heading ability, leapt highest to meet a wonderful cross by Snodgrass and direct his attempt beyond a full-stretch Phillips into the corner.

Looking for an immediate response, Cardiff finally tested Isted, danger man Doyle with a penetrating run into the box, Town's keeper equal to the low drive, while he also confidently claimed a corner and was out bravely to gobble up Curtis Nelson's downward header.

Late on, Town's determination to win shone through as Snodgrass once again threw himself in the way of a blast, with Kioso leaping heroically to clear his lines as well ahead of four minutes of stoppage time.

Campbell did magnificently to earn the Hatters a breather with some tenacious tackling as a late corner saw Phillips up, but although he got the first contact, Town's defence once more cleared their lines and finally break their league hoodoo against the Bluebirds, ending a run of five straight defeats and no win in eight, for a first win since October 2005.

The only down side was the sight of both Shea and Bree on crutches at the final whistle, unable to celebrate the victory with the 1,000-plus travelling fans, who were able to travel back to Bedfordshire celebrating a result which pushed the dreams of a place in the Premier League next term ever closer.

Bluebirds: Dillon Phillips, Joel Bagan, Will Vaulks, Jordan Hugill (Uche Ikpeazu 81), Ryan Wintle, Curtis Nelson ©, Cody Drameh, Alfie Doughty (Isaak Davies 19), Tommy Doyle (Mark Harris 78), Rubin Colwill, Perry Ng.

Subs not used: Rohan Luthra, Mark McGuinness, Aden Flint, Ollie Denham.

Hatters: James Shea (Harry Isted 45), James Bree (Harry Cornick 43), Reece Burke, Tom Lockyer, Dan Potts, Amari'i Bell, Kal Naismith (C), Robert Snodgrass, Allan Campbell, Fred Onyedinma (Peter Kioso, Elijah Adebayo.

Subs not used: Admiral Muskwe, Danny Hylton, Carlos Mendes Gomes, Peter Kioso, Henri Lansbury.

Bookings: Bagan 56, Naismith 90.

Referee: Andy Davies.

Attendance: 19,381.