Luton left stunned as second half horror show sees Town let 3-0 lead slip to lose 4-3 at Bournemouth

Luton suffered a potential dagger blow to their efforts of staying in the Premier League this season as they somehow let a 3-0 half time lead slip to go down 4-3 at AFC Bournemouth this evening.

The interval came with Town looking set on moving out of the relegation zone thanks to goals from Tahith Chong, Chiedozie Ogbene and Ross Barkley, but the hosts went one better, scoring four times in a crazy second 45 minutes to condemn the Hatters to what could well be a morale-sapping and crushing defeat.

Luton made one change from their 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace on Saturday, Japanese international Daiki Hashioka in for his full Premier League debut, replacing Gabe Osho. The visitors’ injury crisis meant their bench contained three academy graduates, Zack Nelson, who made his debut at the weekend, plus Axel Piesold and for the first time this campaign, U18s midfielder Dominic Dos Santos Martins.

With the game rearranged after Tom Lockyer's cardiac arrest in December, the defender was on hand to be introduced to the crowd before kick-off, thanking the medical staff who were on hand to save his life that day, receiving a warm ovation from all sides of the ground. The hosts started well though, Antoine Semenyo whipping over a dangerous cross from the right which was diverted wide by top scorer Dominic Solanke.

Defender Teden Mengi was then called upon to make a terrific block after Ryan Christie got the better of Hashioka and from that, it began the move which Luton cut through their visiting defence to take the lead. Ogbene sprinted away on the right and waiting for support, found Issa Kabore, who in turn looked up and fed Jordan Clark, the midfielder taking a touch and dinking over a brilliant cross for Chong to head home from a matter of yards.

Town continued to get joy on the right hand side, Kabore this time sending over a cross that Chris Mepham just about beat the diving Morris to head behind. Hatters were thankful to keeper Thomas Kaminski for another stop on 16 minutes, Luis Sinisterra breaking through the defence and should have really picked out the unmarked Alex Scott, but went himself, the Belgian saving low with his legs, Dango Ouattara wayward with his rebound.

Colombian international Sinisterra remained a dangerous outlet, testing Kaminski low down on 22 minutes, as Kabore showed he was switched on at the back post once more, while Mengi made a brilliant clearing header to prevent Solanke from having a tap in. Although having been on the back foot, Luton showed just how dangerous they can be as they doubled their lead with a quite brilliant move on 31 minutes that was started by Chong.

He turned, advanced with the ball, and played a delicious outside of the foot pass for the advancing Doughty, who didn't have to break stride, picking out the unmarked Ogbene at the back post who tucked away. Cherries remained in the ascendancy when it came to territory and chances though, Sinisterra left unattended from a corner, his effort deflecting behind for a set-piece that Mengi thumped another header away from.

The Chong/Doughty combination was proving hugely effective too, as they combined once more, with the wingback finding Ogbene again, although this time he was smothered by some covering defenders. Bournemouth kept pressing, Semenyo's low attempt taking a flick on its way behind and then an unsighted Kaminski opting to punch Lewis Cook's swerving attempt which flew through a body of players in front of him.

However, on the stroke of half time, Town were in dreamland with another display of ruthless counter-attacking efficiency, Kabore flooding forward and then finding Barkley who had timed his run perfectly, simply thrashing a shot beyond the startled and statuesque Neto to make it 3-0. With boos ringing out at half time, home boss Andoni Ireola responded by making two changes, taking off the dangerous Sinisterra and Scott for Marcus Tavernier and Enes Unal, sending his players out very early for the restart.

It paid off as with just five minutes gone, they were back in the game, with a marvellous goal from Solanke as he twisted and turned Hashioka inside the area, keeping his calm to lift an impudent finish over Kaminski and pull one back. Now fully energised again, Bournemouth almost had a second straight away, Semenyo getting the better of Hashioka once more and whizzing marginally over.

Chong thought he had restored Luton's three goal lead with his second of the evening when tucking home after Neto had palmed away Morris's header, but he was flagged offside, the officials in Stockley Park agreeing with the on-field call. After a minutes applause for Lockyer, Luton needed a period of calm, but they couldn't get it, Bournemouth back to within one on 62 minutes when a corner was headed goalwards and cleared off the line by Doughty. Illia Zabarnyi returned it with interest, as despite Doughty being there again, referee Sam Allison's watch signalled it had crossed the line.

Two minutes later and the Cherries had amazingly restored parity, as with Bournemouth clearly targeting Hashioka, Cook swung an instant pass out to Semenyo on the right and he cut inside the Japanese international to rifle into the bottom corner. Edwards opted to make a tactical switch, removing Hashioka from the firing line and bringing on Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu, Luton swapping to a back four in a bid to try and stem the flow of the attacks.

A free kick won by Chong almost saw Town back in front again on 70 minutes, Doughty's terrific delivery met by the shoulder of Morris and dropping for Barkley, who somehow turned over the bar from just two yards out. Chong couldn't continue from the foul as he went off holding his arm, Saturday's hero Cauley Woodrow having the final 20 minutes to try and repeat his Selhurst Park heroics.

The scoring finally took a break for a few minutes, Christie hammering a half volley into the home fans, while Unal was teed up, shooting straight at Kaminski. However, the goal that had been coming, then arrived with seven minutes to go, Doughty trying to win the ball back high up, failing, and then leaving Semenyo with a free run on Kaminski as he thundered past the keeper to break Town's hearts.

Unal could have put the game beyond doubt only to slice wide after a slip by Doughty, as Luton had nine minutes in which to try and salvage a point. Kaminski kept them alive with a quite remarkable save with an outstretched leg to prevent a deflected effort making it 5-3, as with time ticking away, Town had two chances to load the box, but both Doughty and Andros Townsend's deliveries were gobbled up by Neto.

The full time whistle saw Luton's players slump to the floor, clearly unable to compute what had just happened, as Edwards now faces a huge task to rally them for an even bigger game when Nottingham Forest head to Kenilworth Road in a few days time.

Cherries: Neto, Lewis Cook, Chris Mepham, Dominic Solanke (Philip Billing 90), Ryan Christie (James Hill 90), Dango Ouattara, Alex Scott (Enes Unal 46), Adam Smith (Tyler Adams 71), Luis Sinisterra (Marcus Tavernier 46), Antoine Semenyo, Illia Zabarnyi. Subs not used: Mark Travers, Milos Kerkez, Romain Faivre, Justin Kluivert.

Hatters: Thomas Kaminski, Issa Kabore, Teden Mengi, Reece Burke, Daiki Hashioka (Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu 68), Alfie Doughty, Ross Barkley (Luke Berry 88), Jordan Clark, Tahith Chong (Cauley Woodrow 73), Chiedozie Ogbene (Andros Townsend 88), Carlton Morris (C). Subs not used: James Shea, Tim Krul, Axel Piesold, Zack Nelson, Dominic Dos Santos Martins. Referee: Sam Allison. Booked: Clark 29, Ogbene 65, Smith 68.