The Hatters’ first penalty shootout since the Championship play-off final at Wembley ended in defeat as Queens Park Rangers booked their place in the next round of the Carabao Cup at Loftus Road.
Cauley Woodrow and Tahith Chong missed their spot-kicks in the shootout and, with Rangers scoring all four, the Hatters were dealt a quick exit from the competition they won back in 1988.
An entertaining game went to penalties after a 1-1 draw in normal time. The Town, who made five changes to the side that lost at Preston including a first start since December for Marvelous Nakamba, were on top for large parts.
However, Rob Edwards’ side were behind on 11 minutes when Hevertton Santos tucked home the rebound after Thomas Kaminski failed to hold onto Elijah Dixon-Bonner’s shot.
Back came the Hatters, though, and minutes after Elijah Adebayo’s angled drive was tipped wide by Joe Walsh in the Rangers goal, they were level in emphatic style. Alfie Doughty’s left-wing corner was flicked on by Carlton Morris and Zack Nelson, waiting on the edge of the box, arrowed a beautiful half-volley into the corner of the net. It was the 19-year-old’s first senior goal and what a strike it was too.
As the Hatters continued to press Adebayo saw a free-kick from 20 yards deflect off the QPR wall and trickle millimetres the wrong side of the post 10 minutes before the break.
At the start of the second period Edwards made a triple substitution, bringing on Mads Andersen, Tom Holmes and Liam Walsh with Nakamba one of those making way after an impressive cameo on his first appearance since last year.
Eleven minutes after the restart the Town forced Walsh into another good save, this time keeping our Carlton Morris’ header from an Alfie Doughty corner.
Rangers, who had rarely troubled Kaminski since their opener, were brought to life by the introduction of substitute Alfie Lloyd and the hosts’ winger was denied twice by Kaminski in the space of 60 seconds midway through the second period.
However the Hatters ended the game the stronger. Chong saw a shot saved by Walsh and Adebayo was denied by a last-ditch block as the Town went in search of a winner.
Kaminski showed good handling to prevent a Zan Celar header from finding the bottom corner but on 72 minutes Woodrow, on as a substitute for Morris, curled a shot inches wide of the target with a well-struck shot from the edge of the box.
As time ticked down goal hero Nelson had the two final chances for the Hatters but failed to find the target but Rangers – with their first corner of the game in the 96th minute – almost snuck a late, late winner only for the Town to clear.
And so penalties.
Woodrow saw the Hatters’ first saved well by Walsh, diving to his left, and Chong’s effort, the Town’s third, cannoned back off the crossbar.
It was therefore left to Rangers’ Kenneth Paal to crash home the fourth and decisive spot-kick to send Rangers through to round three.
The Hatters don’t have long to wait for revenge. Rangers visit the Kenny on Friday night with important Championship points at stake. We’ll see you then.
Town: Kaminski, Walters, Doughty, Burke (sub Holmes 46), Bell (sub Andersen 46), Nakamba (sub Walsh 46), Nelson, Clark (sub Baptiste 63), Chong, Morris (sub Woodrow 75), Adebayo.
Sub not used: Shea, Mpanzu, Taylor, Johnson.
Attendance: 7,132, including 1,045 backing the Hatters in the away end
