FEATURE: Jordan Clark's late goal at Blackpool equals a 40-year record for the Hatters

When Jordan Clark escaped the Blackpool back-line to volley home Admiral Muskwe's cross in stoppage time on Saturday, neither he or the 1,391 Luton supporters in attendance could have been aware of the significance of the strike.

A 3-0 away win might not seem too special due to the free-scoring manner of the Hatters in recent seasons, putting five past Swindon and four in the nets of Exeter and Yeovil, but at Championship, or second tier level, it was Town's biggest margin of victory on the road for over 40 years.

You have to trawl back through the record books to a Division Two trip to Leyton Orient on October 3, 1981 for the last time a Hatters team has managed three without reply against their hosts, with Mark Aizlewood, Ricky Hill and Steve White all on target in front of 4,944 that day.

It was some campaign for the Hatters as they finished top of the league to win promotion to Division One, but in their nine victories on the road that year, that particular result couldn't be topped.

Ten seasons followed in the top flight and when Luton dropped down to what was now called the new Division One in 1992-93, after the birth of the Premier League, they only picked up four wins away from Kenilworth Road, the biggest a 2-0 success at Tranmere in February 1993, Phil Gray and Marvin Johnson on target.

The following year saw only two away victories, 1-0 at Oxford and 2-1 at Notts County, before in 1994-95, Luton did manage to score three on their travels twice, at Sheffield United (3-1) and Wolves (3-2), while the 4-2 win at Watford in September 1994, although magnificent, was still not quite the three goal margin needed to match that victory at the O's from 13 years earlier.

Relegation followed in 1995-96, Luton's best away success a 2-0 triumph at West Bromwich Albion, Kim Grant and Bontcho Guentchev scoring, with their three other away day triumphs all by a 1-0 scoreline.

Nine seasons in the third and fourth tiers were endured, before Town made their return to the Championship, as the second tier was now known, in the 2005-06 season.

An excellent finish of 10th saw away victories achieved at Crystal Palace, Leicester, Hull, Cardiff, Sheffield Wednesday and Plymouth, but the best of those were 2-0, at the King Power Stadium thanks to Ahmet Brkovic's goal and Kevin Nicholls' late penalty, the Town captain on the spot again at Hillsborough, Rowan Vine on target too.

In the 2006-07 season, Luton were relegated once more, as although they did three past Southend at Roots Hall in their last away fixture, Calvin Andrew, Matt Spring and Besian Idrizaj all finding the net, Lee Bradbury's goal for the hosts meant it was only 3-1.

It took over a decade before the Hatters were back in the Championship, led there by Mick Harford, as the 2019-20 season saw Barnsley defeated 3-1 at Oakwell and Blackburn overcome 2-1 at Ewood Park, both a case of close but no cigar.

Victories on the road were increasingly tough to come by as Luton struggled, until Nathan Jones took over as they picked up three from four, the best a 2-0 success at Huddersfield.

Last term, Town managed a superb nine wins away from the confines of Kenilworth Road, as the opening seven all came by the final score of 1-0.

Then they managed to bag three at Wycombe and Bristol City, but the hosts replied with one and two themselves to leave Luton waiting for that elusive margin of victory.

This term, Barnsley (1-0) and Millwall (2-0) were beaten on the road, before Luton finally equalled their best second tier away day on Saturday in Lancashire, Sonny Bradley and Elijah Adebayo putting the Hatters on their way, Clark doing the rest.