McJannet at the double as Luton U18s sting the Bees

Played at the Brache, Town were looking to end a run of three games without a win, as they started well, Ben Stevens forcing the visiting keeper into a fine stop.

Barnet had their moments though, with two close range headers flying wide, while stopper Tiernan Parker needed to be alert to keep the scoreline blank at the break.

In the second period, the Bees did make the breakthrough after four minutes, but with an hour gone, McJannet was quickest to pounce as a Sam Beckwith free-kick came back off the bar.

With 15 minutes to go, U16 attacker had his second, bagging what proved to be the winner as he pounced on a loose ball to slot past the keeper.

Lead coach Dan Walder said: "We had an U15 in Jack Bateson at centre-half alongside an U16, Eddie Corbit, with another U16 – Josh Swan – playing left-back, when he’s normally a right-back, so the lads did exceptionally well.

“I was really pleased with the way they played, more so than the win, because we’d done some unit specific analysis during the week and explained exactly how we wanted them to play, with freedom to break swiftly.

“So to create 27 opportunities to score and have 55 per cent possession was outstanding for such a young team.

“That’s not to say Barnet didn’t have chances of their own. They did, and they were in the game.

"But to have three of the back four not being old enough to be scholars, yet perform like that, was excellent and the win lifts us into the top half of the table.”

The U18s are next in action on Saturday morning when they entertain AFC Wimbledon in a 10.30am kick-off at The Brache.

Hatters: Parker, Halsey, Bateson, Corbit, Swan, Pettit, Beckwith (C), McJannet, Stevens (Boorn), Kalonda (Nicolson), Lucas.

Subs: Horlick, Wedd, Boorn, Nicolson.