Hatters rack up seven at Basingstoke

Luton Town racked up seven goals as they hammered Southern League Division One Central opponents Basingstoke Town this evening.

Town boss Graeme Jones picked yet another strong 11 for the first quarter of 30 minutes at Winchester City FC's home ground, including all four of his summer signings.

Elliot Lee shot straight at the home keeper early on, before Callum McManaman skied his angled effort.

Luton had the lead on 23 minutes when a corner was met by Sonny Bradley, with Matty Pearson bundled over inside the area.

James Collins stepped up to coolly beat the home keeper from the spot and make it 1-0 to Luton.

Town made one change for the second quarter, Harry Isted on for Marek Stech.

The sub keeper was picking the ball out of the net early on, with his positioning suspect, allowing Reece Rusher to collect a long ball forward and easily lob him from the edge of the area.

Collins threatened an immediate response, his low effort smothered behind by the Stoke keeper, while Lee turned cleverly before hammering over the bar.

Town were back in front towards the end of the second quarter, as Andrew Shinnie won a free kick on the edge of the box and his resulting set-piece squirmed under the dive of the Stoke stopper and into the net.

Luton then swapped Pearson and Bradley for Lloyd Jones and trialist centre half Deji Oshilaja, formerly of AFC Wimbledon, as the visitors' class then began to tell.

A flowing move saw Lee break the offside trap and although the home keeper stopped his first effort, he was powerless to prevent the second.

Within a few minutes, Town had a fourth, Shinnie gliding away and feeding McManaman who feinted his way past two markers and then burying an effort into the bottom corner

The third quarter saw Town ring the changes, as only Ryan Tunnicliffe remained on the pitch, George Moncur, Harry Cornick and Luke Berry all on, youngsters Corey Panter, Josh Neufville and Sam Beckwith included too.

Cornick was close to scoring, as he couldn't quite lift an effort over the keeper, before Moncur's curler struck the post from Jake Jervis' run and cross.

Neufville then increased Luton's lead with 83 minutes gone, as he cut in from the right hand side of the box and unleashed a left-footed attempt which was good enough to beat the keeper.

The fourth and final quarter saw Town add a quickfire sixth, Moncur sliding Cornick in and he fired underneath the keeper.

A seventh arrived shortly afterwards too, Berry's deep corner met by Jervis at the back post who volleyed back into the net.

It might have even been eight, Beckwith forcing a save late on, as did Moncur, while Cornick raced away to narrowly miss the far post and Moncur missed a sitter.

Jervis blasted against the post in the 115th minute, while a Stoke defender almost put through his own net, the woodwork coming to the rescue.

In the final seconds, Stoke pulled one back in spectacular fashion though Riccardo Andrady, unleashing a fine attempt which left James Shea grasping at thin air.

Hatters first quarter: Marek Stech, Martin Cranie, Brendan Galloway, Matty Pearson, Sonny Bradley, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Ryan Tunnicliffe, Andrew Shinnie, Elliot Lee, Callum McManaman, James Collins.

Hatters second quarter: Harry Isted, Martin Cranie, Brendan Galloway, Matty Pearson, Sonny Bradley, Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu, Ryan Tunnicliffe, Andrew Shinnie, Elliot Lee, Callum McManaman, James Collins.

Hatters third quarter: James Shea, Josh Neufville, Corey Panter, Deji Oshilaji, Lloyd Jones, Luke Berry, Ryan Tunnicliffe, Sam Beckwith, George Moncur, Jake Jervis, Harry Cornick.

Hatters fourth quarter: James Shea, Josh Neufville, Corey Panter, Deji Oshilaji, Lloyd Jones, Luke Berry, Sam Beckwith, George Moncur, Jake Jervis, Harry Cornick.