A tense penalty shoot-out saw Luton eventually progress to the Second Round of the Carling Cup at the expense of plucky League Two side Bristol Rovers.

Adam Boyd's first goal for the Hatters after only three minutes had given Luton a dream start, but Rovers found an equaliser midway through the second-half when Richard Walker riffled home from 15-yards.

After an anxious extra time, the game had to be decided by penalties with Andy Sandell missing the crucial penalty for the home-side, as Marlon Beresford saved the third Rovers spot kick.

As so often is the case for early rounds in the Carling Cup, Luton made a number of changes to their starting line-up as Mike Newell named only five players that started Saturday's 2-2 draw with Stoke City.

Keith Keane was given an opportunity to impress on the right side of defence, whilst Boyd was handed his first start of the season, partnering Dean Morgan in attack.

Ahmet Brkovic and David Bell was also handed their first starts of the season, with Stephen O'Leary given a rare start, joining Peter Holmes in the centre of Luton's midfield.

Bristol Rovers, struggling at the wrong end of the League Two table after only one win from their first four games, made three changes to their side with Steve Elliott, Stuart Campbell and former Hatter Sammy Igoe all included.

Playing in their new orange kit for the first time this season, Luton made an impressive start and a well worked move resulted in the visitors taking a third minute lead.

Luton were enjoying a tremendous passage of play and a string of approximately 15 passes was eventually finished off by Boyd, as the former Hartlepool striker turned on the edge of the area to bury a shot past Rovers goalkeeper Steve Phillips.

Morgan ran half the length of the pitch eight minutes later as Luton continued to dominate the early stages of the game. The former Reading man ran onto Chris Coyne's headed clearance and his attack saw a long range effort cleanly gathered by Phillips.

Rovers showed the occasional sign that they were not to be taken lightly as Chris Carruthers tried his luck from distance on 16 minutes, although the Rovers striker was unable to find the target.

However, despite that chance, it was Luton who continued to stamp their authority on the game as the gap in league status continued to show in the early exchanges in the first half.

Another display of precise passing almost led to Luton doubling their advantage on 20 minutes. Coyne's surging run into the Bristol half saw the defender pick out Morgan whose quick thinking picked out Boyd.

Finding himself on the edge of the Rovers penalty area, Boyd curled a shot wide of the target, with Phillips struggle to make the ground.

With the atmosphere particularly quiet around the Memorial Stadium, the home crowd were praying that their players could give them something to cheer about and on 21 minutes, they nearly found the perfect answer.

With Luton's defence caught napping, Rovers skipper Craig Disley almost took full advantage when he found space in the Luton area and struck a right footed shot that was pushed onto a post by Marlon Beresford.

Lewis Haldane was causing Luton's defence all kinds of problems and twice, in quick succession, the Rovers striker got behind the visitors back four and had his cross found the target, the Hatters could have been back on level terms.

Boyd almost grabbed his second before half-time when Brkovic's header back across goal picked out the Luton striker, but he saw his half-volley blocked by Rovers defender Bryon Anthony.

AT HALF-TIME: ROVERS 0 V 1 LUTON

Luton began the second-half brightly and Morgan quickly began terrorising the home-sides defence with his pace certainly causing the home-side problems.

Leon Barnett almost added to his two goals already this season when the centre-back drifted up field for a free-kick. The defender rose highest in a crowded penalty area to head Morgan's kick over the crossbar.

However the home-side certainly began the second-half with more threat in attack and they were rewarded with a well-worked goal that brought them back on level terms on 61 minutes.

Having cut through the Luton defence, Haldane found himself at the by-line to pull back a pass to Walker, whose low drive nestled into the corner of the net, with Beresford well beaten.

Newell felt a change was needed so he introduced Rowan Vine and Carlos Edwards into the equation, just after the hour mark.

Igoe came close to giving the League Two side the lead on 71 minutes as Rovers began to look the better side. Cutting in from the left, the midfielder took aim from 22-yards but saw his shot fly over the crossbar.

After bombarding the Rovers goal in the first-half, Luton were failing to make inroads in the second-half, with wayward passing the main culprit for their struggle.

Morgan's surging run on 82 minutes saw Luton create a half-chance as the midfielder dragged his shot wide.

Rovers had an opportunity to virtually book their passage in the second round when, on 86 minutes, Andy Sandell hit a left-footed drive straight at Beresford from eight-yards out.

A well worked free-kick resulted in Edwards crossing in for Brkovic two minutes later, with the Croatian attempting an overhead kick that flew straight into the arms of Philips.

In a pulsating end to the 90 minutes, Luton could have snatched it in additional time when Brkovic's header from six-yards came back off the crossbar, after good work down the right flank from Edwards.

AFTER 90 MINS: ROVERS 1 V 1 LUTON

Only 20 second had surpassed in the first period of extra time when Phillips was forced into making a neat save from Morgan. The Rovers goalkeeper was at full stretch to prevent the Luton midfielder from grabbing his second goal of the season, pushing his shot around a post.

It was Beresford's turn, five minutes later, to make a vital save as the 36-year-old displayed great reflexes to prevent Steve Elliott's close range header, from Campbell's cross, from finding the net.

Luton almost found a way through on 103 minutes but Coyne was denied by Phillips' full stretch save as the central defender met Bell's corner with a powerful header from six-yards.

AFTER 105 MINS: ROVERS 1 V 1 LUTON

Chances in the second period were few and far between, with penalties becoming inevitable.

Morgan's thunderbolt shot on 113 minutes, from 22-yards, cannoned off the stanchion as Luton tried to capitalise on some tired and weary Rovers bodies.

Vine and Edwards tried long range efforts in the closing stages, but neither effort troubled Phillips, with penalties to decide the fate of the two teams.

AFTER 120 MINS: ROVERS 1 V 1 LUTON

PENALTY SHOOT-OUT

LUTON - Brkovic - Scores 0-1

ROVERS - Walker - Scores 1-1

LUTON - Vine - Scores 1-2

ROVERS - Elliott - Scores 2-2

LUTON - Foley - Scores 2-3

ROVERS - Sandell - Saved 2-3

LUTON - Morgan - Scores 2-4

ROVERS - Anthony - Scores 3-4

LUTON - Davis - Scores 3-5

FULL TIME: ROVERS 1 V 1 LUTON (Luton win 5-3 on penalties)

Bristol Rovers: Phillips, Green, Elliott, Anthony, Carruthers (Lescott 111), Igoe, Campbell, Disley, Sandell, Haldane (Rigg 106), Walker.

Subs not used: Hinton, Lines, Shearer.

Bookings: Haldane (22)

Luton: Beresford, Keane, Coyne, Barnett, Davis, Morgan, Brkovic, Holmes (Edwards 65), Bell, O'Leary (Foley 85), Boyd (Vine 65)

Subs not used: Stevens, Brill

Bookings: Holmes (14)

Attendance: 2,882 (275 from Luton)

Referee: Mr J Singh