The Town fell to another defeat on the road as a goal in each half from Jesurun Rak-Sakyi gave Sheffield United all three points.
It was uphill early on for the Hatters at Bramall Lane when Rak-Sakyi gave the hosts the lead in the 12th minute. Anel Ahmedhodzic hooked a ball into the Town box and after getting the better of Reuell Walters and Mark McGuinness, the winger blasted beyond Thomas Kaminski.
Clear-cut chances were at a real premium after the Blades’ opener and it wasn’t until the 34th minute that the hosts threatened again when Rak-Sakyi shot wide.
Two minutes later the Hatters had Kaminski to thank for keeping it 1-0 when his outstretched leg turned away a goal-bound shot from Kieffer Moore.
As half-time approached the Blades continued to push for a second. Kaminski beat away a piledriver from Vini Souza on 37 minutes before the goalkeeper then denied Rak-Sakyi once more after the winger had tiptoed into the box.
Behind at the break, the hosts started quickly at the beginning of the second half. Kaminski stopped Callum O’Hare’s volley and Rak-Sakyi was then inches away from converting a dangerous low right-wing cross from Rhian Brewster.
Back came the Town and, on 49 minutes, they forced their first real chance of the afternoon when Jordan Clark’s shot was saved by Michael Cooper.
However, within three minutes of that opportunity, the hosts doubled their advantage. Rak-Sakyi received the ball in the box, drove down the right and buried a low shot through the legs of Kaminski.
The Town then needed their goalkeeper to prevent it becoming 3-0 on 56 minutes when Kaminski flung himself to his right to keep out Brewster’s drive as the hosts looked to kill the game off.
Rob Edwards introduced Jacob Brown, Cauley Woodrow, Joe Tayor and Shandon Baptiste from the bench and, with 18 minutes left, the Town fashioned a chance but Clark was denied once more by Cooper.
The game was almost up for the Hatters on 77 minutes when Alfie Doughty and Clark failed to clear their lines on the edge of the box, enabling Vini Souza to charge into the box and fire a shot goalwards that came back off the post with Kaminski beaten.
Doughty came close to pulling back a consolation in injury time but Cooper was equal to it and that proved to be the final chance as the Town were left to reflect on a third defeat in four on the road in the Championship.
Town: Kaminski; Walters (sub Taylor 68), Doughty, Mengi, McGuinness, Burke; Nakamba (sub Woodrow 60), Clark (sub Nelson 88), Krauß (sub Baptiste 68), Moses; Adebayo (sub Brown 60).
Subs not used: Shea, Mpanzu, Holmes, Johnson.
Attendance: 27,925, including 1,760 backing the Hatters.
