Luton suffered their first home defeat of the season after a Rickie Lambert brace maintained Bristol Rovers' unbeaten start to the campaign.

The former Rochdale striker scored in spectacular style inside two minutes before Matthew Spring was forced to take his penalty three times as the Hatters equalised midway through the half.

But Lambert's header with just eight minutes remaining gave Rovers all three points. Paul Peschisolido came close to finding an equaliser in stoppage time, but he had an effort cleared off the line.

Luton full-back Richard Jackson made a return to the Hatters starting-line and was one of six changes from the side which beat Northampton Town in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy in midweek.

With Dave Edwards away on international duty, Steve Robinson returned to the centre of midfield whilst David Forde was back in goal, as Dean Brill failed to make the 16-man squad.

Meanwhile both of Luton's goal scorers in the 2-0 win over Northampton, Don Hutchison and Peschisolido, were amongst the substitutes as Drew Talbot and Paul Furlong started in attack.

Bristol Rovers, unbeaten in League One, made three changes to their side as Lambert, Ryan Green and former Hatters loan player Sammy Igoe returned to the starting line-up.

And the visitors couldn't have asked for a better start as the game exploded into life in spectacular style.

70 seconds had surpassed when a long kick up field from the Rovers defence was half cleared by a Chris Coyne header, but as the ball dropped down, Lambert displayed great technical ability to his an instant right footed dipping volley from 30-yards over the head of Forde.

Luton fans have seen many memorable goals scored at Kenilworth Road and Lambert's strike would have certainly been amongst the best.

But the Hatters kept their discipline and their shape and enjoyed much of the early possession as Furlong went close on four minutes as he dinked a shot from the edge of the area inches wide of Rovers goalkeeper Steve Phillips' left-hand post.

Coyne sent a header towards goal two minutes later after Alan Goodall sent over a pinpoint cross from the left, but the Hatters were not enjoying to much success in front of goal.

But then the breakthrough came for the Hatters, although the goal was brought much frustrations from the Luton bench as Spring struck the equaliser from the spot.

There was no complaints over the penalty as Furlong went down under a challenge from Bristol Rovers defender Byron Anthony with referee Fred Graham quickly pointing to the spot.

However the Essex official then got involved with a furious set of Luton players as Spring was twice ordered to retake his spot kick as Hatters players ventured into the penalty area before the kick was taken.

On each of the three occasions, Spring kept his nerve and scored from the spot, but the incident infuriated the Hatters bench and supporters as Graham began to get find himself under increasing pressure.

However, to their credit, Luton continued to remain focused on the job in hand and were displaying some excellent cross-field passing, particularly from the flanks where David Bell and Darren Currie were proving so effective.

But it was getting in behind the visitors defence that was proving to be the problem. Spring tried his luck from distance on 22 minutes before Furlong sent a header just wide three minutes later.

Although their attacks were rare, Rovers were looking promising coming forward and Lewis Haldane came close on 34 minutes after he fired over from 20-yards.

But with the visitors putting plenty of men behind the ball, Luton couldn't find a second goal before half-time as Rovers defended admirably.

AT HALF-TIME: LUTON 1 BRISTOL ROVERS 1

Luton opened the second half in a bright fashion and five minute after the restart Currie, who had swapped flank with Bell, sent over a cross from the left to the back post, which was headed across goal by Coyne, but Furlong couldn't direct his header from eight yards on target.

Igoe had Forde scampering across his goal four minutes later as the midfielder struck a 25-yard shot the wrong side of a Luton post.

And the visitors came even closer on 57 minutes as Rovers began to enjoy their best spell of the half. Stuart Campbell's corner found the head of Steve Elliott who directed the cross towards goal, only for Currie to clear the goal bound effort off the line at the back post.

Rovers continued to look the more likelier side to score and Lambert should have had his second of the afternoon on 64 minutes when he was found unmarked in the area, but his turn and shot failed to trouble Forde.

Craig Disley almost matched Lambert in the spectacular goals category on 72 minutes, when he came close to finding the net with an ambitious curling shot from an acute angle that whistled past Forde's post.

Luton were then indebted to some fine goalkeeper from Forde as he kept out efforts, from successive corners, from Lambert and Elliott's 15-yard shot.

But it was third time lucky for Rovers as a short corner delivered on 82 minutes from Campbell was flicked on by Disley at the near post and Lambert headed home from close range into an unguarded net.

Luton threw men forward in search for an equaliser and it nearly came in the first of four minutes of stoppage time but Peschisolido had an effort cleared off the line by Anthony after Phillips had spilled a cross into the area.

AT FULL TIME: LUTON 1 V 2 BRISTOL ROVERS

Luton: Forde, Goodall (Hutchison 89), Perry, Coyne, Bell, Currie (Morgan 78), Jackson, Robinson, Talbot (Peshisolido 67), Spring, Furlong

Subs not used: Andrew, Fojut

Bookings: Robinson (66)

Bristol Rovers: Phillips, Green (Hinton 77), Igoe, Elliott, Campbell, Williams (Walker 77), Lambert (Rigg 90), Carruthers, Anthony, Disley, Haldane

Subs not used: Lines, Book

Bookings: Caruthers (24)

Referee:

Attendance: 6,131 (564 from Bristol)