Late goal sees Luton overcome Forest Green Rovers in seven goal contest in FA Cup

Luton Town scored a late winner to beat Forest Green Rovers 4-3 in an eventful FA Cup First Round tie at Kenilworth Road.

It had seemed like the Hatters were on course for a straight forward victory when they went 3-0 up at home to a side two divisions below them, with Lamine Fanne and a Nahki Wells double giving Jack Wilshere’s side the three goal advantage.

But Forest Green Rovers fought back, with Tom Knowles, Kyle McAllister and Aidan Dausch all coming off the bench to wipe out the home side’s lead and bring the tie back level.

With extra-time looming, a Hatters sub decided the game as Gideon Kodua’s goal in the second minute of stoppage time restored Luton’s lead.

Victory means that Luton survived the scare against National League level opponents, as they hold on to book their place in the Second Round.

The match on Halloween night was the first tie to be played in the FA Cup First Round this season, with Luton entering in the First Round as a League One club, in their first appearance this early in the competition since winning promotion to the Championship at the end of the 2018/19 season.

Against a Rovers side doing well in the 5th tier under the management of Robbie Savage, Luton named a strong side with 9 of the starting line-up from last weekend’s win over Northampton.

The hosts would break the deadlock in the 23rd minute. A few moments after he had fired wide from a Wells pass, Fanne was on target for the Hatters when he received Wells’ pass on the edge of the box and fired a strike into the back of the net.

Luton then made it 2-0 seven minutes later. Forest Green Rovers keeper Fiachra Pagel couldn’t hold Cohen Bramall’s long-range free-kick and Wells followed up to dink the ball into the goal for the home side’s second.

A third goal would then come for the home side less than ten minutes into the second half. Jack Richards played the ball out for Fanne in the centre-left channel, and he was able to square it back across goal for Wells to tap in from a few yards out.

Before Luton could truly relax and declare the job done, Forest Green Rovers pulled a goal back to make it 3-1 seven minutes later on the hour mark. Knowles’ curling strike took a big deflection off Luton defender Teden Mengi, which helped divert the ball into the back of the net.

Not long after that, Forest Green Rovers cut the deficit further. Mengi’s foul on Harry Whitwell was penalised, and from 12 yards, McAllister beat Luton’s Josh Keeley to bring the score back to 3-2 with just over 20 minutes of the 90 to play.

Forest Green Rovers then completed the comeback to get back to 3-3 in the 78th minute. Whitwell’s cross wasn’t cleared and debutant Dausch was in place to rifle past Keeley to equalise for the visitors.

Things nearly got even worse for Luton, as Laurent Mendy’s header at a free-kick hit the bar.

But in the second minute of added time, Luton got back in front. Two subs combined for Wilshere’s side as Jerry Yates fed Kodua, who duly walloped the ball into the back of the net to make it 4-3.

An extraordinary night still could’ve taken a further twist, as Dausch miscued his strike when seemingly in a perfect place to fire past Keeley and equalise.

But Luton eventually got it over the line, taking the victory and booking their place in Round 2, with the draw taking place on Monday (03/11).