Hatters U21s clip Seagulls' wings to make Premier League Cup knock-out stage

Luton Town U21s produced a brilliant second half performance to progress in the Premier League Cup with a 3-0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion U21s on Tuesday night.

The Hatters went into the contest, staged at St Albans FC, knowing that only a win would see them through to the knock-out stages stages of the competition as one of the best-placed runners-up, as they gave January transfer window signing Christ Makosso his second outing since arriving from Belgian side RWD Molenbeek, while Northern Ireland youth international Dylan Stitt also started.

A quiet first half saw Luton threaten when Jack Lorentzen-Jones’s free kick flashed wide, but after the break, they stepped things up, Josh Phillips, who earned his first team debut at Bristol City on Boxing Day, shooting into the side-netting from close range. However, he didn’t let that affect him, as on the hour his left-wing trickery ended with a cross that was converted by Stitt from eight yards out.

With the Seagulls knowing a point would send them through at the Hatters’ expense, they came close to equalising when Harry Howell’s set-piece flew wide. Town almost had a second on 66 minutes as Taylan Harris teed up Lorentzen-Jones who was denied by Brighton goalkeeper Hugo Fisher, but Alex Lawless’s side were not to be denied as with seven minutes to go, Jamie Odegah robbed visiting skipper Charlie Penman inside the area to find Phillips who made it 2-0.

A goalmouth scramble saw the Hatters prevent their opponents from pulling one back, while with 10 minutes of injury time added, Town’s back-line came under increasing pressure. They held firm though and managed to add a third themselves, U18s striker Tate Xavier-Jones brought down in the box, getting up to convert the penalty himself and put his side into the hat for the second round.

Hatters: Liam Coyne, Tyrell Giwa, Benny Benagr (Kyron Roberts-Edema 80), Christ Makosso, Vladimir Paternoster, Jack Lorentzen-Jones (Zacharias Ioannides 79), Dominic Martins, Dylan Stitt, Josh Phillips, Taylan Harris (Christian Chigozie 90), Jamie Odegah (Tate Xavier-Jones 90). Sub not used: Cai Hockey. Attendance: 235.