John Ward named an unchanged side for the third game in a row as the team went in search of their thirteenth consecutive home League win, and their sixth League win both home and away.

Simon Hackney made his 100th appearance for the club and it was, coincidentally, his 50th League start.

The game suffered a hesitant start in the difficult conditions with Luton quick in to the tackle, and it took a long run and shot from midfield from David Bell, in the 12th minute, to bring anything like a moment of worry for the defenders.

Simon Hackney timed his 13th minute volley well at the other end, when the ball dropped to him on the edge of the box, and it took a smart save from Brill to make sure that it was pushed safely behind for a corner.

The Hatters enjoyed a decent spell, using the flanks, but Furlong struggled to make the crosses count under the close attentions of Murphy.

Grant Smith brought the best out of Brill in the 21st minute when he watched the ball on to the boot before shifting his bodyweight and unleashing a blistering shot. The keeper reacted sharply, getting across quickly and palming it away. The resulting corner was delivered neatly and Danny Livesey scored his second goal in 4 days when he took advantage of the space and time that the poor defending allowed him, and he side footed the ball in to the back of the net.

An Evan Horwood cross almost caught Brill out in the 29th minute when the wind held it up and directed it towards the roof of the net. Brill managed to get it over the bar, but the corner that followed caused all sorts of problems for the Hatters back line.

Murphy had the first shot, bringing a reaction save from the keeper, and that was closely followed by another stinger from Bridge-Wilkinson. Brill did his job again, but he was at fault when the ball was lofted back in, committing himself to a cross that he was never going to catch. Peter Murphy made no mistake, guiding his header over the stranded keeper and in to the back of the net.

The lead could have been extended on the half hour when a slick footballing move released Raven on the right. His low cross was tempting for Graham, but the big striker couldn't get the touch that was needed to guide it in to the back of the net.

Keith Keane had a toe poke that was easy for Westwood on 33 minutes, when Bell miscued a shot, and the Hatters midfielder was visibly disappointed that he hadn't done better. Paul McVeigh put one over the bar in the visitors next attack as they tried to get some kind of foothold in the game, but it was comfortable for United as the Luton midfield struggled to get any kind of momentum going.

Half Time: United 2 - 0 Luton

The Hatters looked up for it after the break, and they got the lifeline they needed in the 51st minute when Bell drilled one beyond Westwood at his near post after creating space for himself inside the area. The goal had been threatening to come as both Furlong and Keane had missed opportunities to put crosses away just moments before.

McVeigh found a way through on 53 minutes, but couldn't get beyond Murphy, and he repeated the feat in the 55th minute as the blue shirts sat deep and allowed him to advance. Westwood was able to watch his shot go over, but he wasn't best pleased with his cover as he asked the question as to why the visitors were being given the space.

Chris Lumsdon nicked possession in the 58th minute, as United tried to reassert themselves, and the cross in to the box was heading for Graham, who was well placed to finish it should the opportunity arise. Perry made sure that didn't happen with an excellent covering tackle, deflecting it away for a corner.

Graham then went up against Brill from a weak back pass, chasing with the keeper to see who would get their first, but Luton were the ones creating the better of the second half openings in a spell of dangerous possession.

Bell broke again in the 62nd minute, fortuitously finding McVeigh in a shooting position, and he wasn't about to pass up on the opportunity, sweeping an angled volley towards the top corner and bringing a superb save from Westwood.

The pressure on the ball in midfield killed the game as a spectacle, with individual tussles and unforced errors taking centre stage, and neither side could find a way to test the keeper with any venom.

Luton had a goal disallowed in the 87th minute as they had the better of the closing stages, when a push in the box cancelled out the finish, but Luton had their tails up and stayed forward in numbers. They wasted a chance right at the death, though, when a far post corner was skied over the bar, signalling the end to a valiant second half effort from the troubled visitors, who had made the home side work hard for their points.

Goals

United - Livesey (22), Murphy (29)

Luton - Bell (51)

Teams

United - Westwood, Raven, Livesey, Murphy, Horwood, Taylor (Carlton 79), Lumsdon, Bridge-Wilkinson, G Smith (J Smith 74 (Madine 90+4)), Hackney, Graham. Subs - Howarth, Arnison.

Luton - Brill, Perry, Bell, Jackson, Emanuel, Keane, Spring, Davis, McVeigh, Furlong (Parkin 79), Charles (Talbot 72). Subs - Hutchinson, Bevan, Currie.

Away fans - 112