Morris returns to score the winner for Luton at former club Norwich City

Striker Carlton Morris returned to haunt his old club with the winner as Luton picked up an absolutely superb 1-0 victory at promotion favourites Norwich City this evening.

The forward, who spent eight years at Carrow Road after coming through the academy, only made one substitute appearance in that time for his hometown club, but he was to show them just what they missed out on, bagging the only goal of the game and his seventh of the season in the second half to decide the contest.

With this match the second in a third game week, boss Nathan Jones made three changes, knowing that the last fixture was a certain trip to Hertfordshire.

Summer signing Alfie Doughty came in for his first start, while Fred Onyedinma and Harry Cornick were back too, Sonny Bradley, Henri Lansbury and Elijah Adebayo dropping to the bench.

It meant Doughty moved to an advanced left-sided role, as he and Cornick flanked Morris, with Onyedinma dropping to right wingback, Bell left, the back three of James Bree, Tom Lockyer and captain Dan Potts.

Despite Town having precious little possession in the early stages, they had the best opening on eight minutes, the dangerous Doughty breaking away and finding Onyedinma, whose low cross-shot flashed across, Morris not gambling.

Cornick was next to go close, just unable to stretch to meet Morris's cross, as although the hosts had the lions share of the ball, their only moment resembling a chance came midway through the half when Gabriel Sara ditched the intricate approach and blasted over from 25 yards.

Town keeper Ethan Horvath was tested on 26 minutes, Josh Sargent letting fly with a snapshot that the stopper managed to palm away to safety, before he was able to watch Liam Gibbs' hopeful long-ranger sail into the stands shortly afterwards.

With the home fans getting frustrated as yet another move broke down on the edge of the box and the hosts showing a continued unwillingness to pull the trigger, Town almost gifted Norwich the opener just before the break.

Bree and Lockyer got in each others way allowing Teemu Pukki to charge into the box, but with the striker so often lethal from that position, this time he got his angles wrong,

The Hatters then had a real opportunity when Doughty sent Cornick through, the attacker getting away, but with the angles against him, opted to cut back and try to locate a team-mate, Norwich getting man back to clear.

After the break, City really should have been celebrating a goal, as a clearing header dropped to Danel Sinani just 12 yards out, but he could only skew off target.

They went close again on 56 minutes, Aaron Ramsey taking it upon himself to have a crack from the edge of the box, not missing the target by much.

With Luton about to swap both of their strikers, they then won the ball back high up on 62 minutes with Morris bursting into the box.

After a number of stepovers to bamboozle his marker, he picked out the bottom corner to give Town the lead with a measured finish, opting to not celebrate against his former side.

Jones did opt for a double sub, Bradley and another ex-Norwich forward in Cameron Jerome coming on, but on 66 minutes, the hosts were hit by another blow, Kenny McLean shown a straight red by referee Oliver Langford for slapping Lockyer in the side of the face as the pair grappled for a corner.

With the City fans, already unamused by their side's approach, jeering manager Dean Smith from the interval onwards, sub Todd Cantwell tried to engineer an equaliser, but his fancy tricks and flick were falling on deaf ears, as Pukki's shot cannoning off Bradley's head, taking all the power out for Horvath to gobble up.

Duo Luke Freeman and Elijah Adebayo came, the former might have doubled Luton's lead, picked out by Allan Campbell's cross from the right, he tried a speculative volley, which almost went back to his team-mate.

Campbell then had a pop himself, his low daisycutter handled by the diving Gunn, while Lockyer once more showed his worth from shots as he threw himself in the way of Max Aaron's blast which looked like it made make the net ripple.

Town then had to deal with eight minutes of stoppage time, but to a man, the visitors kept their hosts, who had previously scored in every single home game, to nothing worthy of a clear-cut opportunity, seeing the game out professionally to make it seven unbeaten, in what was a repeat of Luton’s FA Cup win back in 2013, also the perfect preparation for Sunday's trip to Watford.

Canaries: Angus Dunn, Max Aarons, Grant Hanley (C), Ben Gibson, Daniel Sinani (Marcelino Nunez 70), Gabriel Sara (Isaac Hayden 89), Aaron Ramsey (Onel Hernandez 70), Teemu Pukki, Kenny McLean, Josh Sargent (Todd Canthwell 46), Liam Gibbs (Dimitris Giannoulis 70).

Subs not used: Tim Krul,, Jonathan Tomkinson.

Hatters: Ethan Horvath, James Bree, Tom Lockyer, Dan Potts (C), Amari'i Bell, Alfie Doughty (Luke Freeman 77), Allan Campbell, Jordan Clark, Fred Onyedinma (Sonny Bradley 64), Carlton Morris (Elijah Adebayo 77), Harry Cornick (Cameron Jerome 77).

Subs not used: Harry Isted, Luke Berry, Henri Lansbury.

Referee: Oliver Langford.

Booked: Potts, Cantwell, Bradley.

Sent off: McLean 66.