Luton pulled off a sensational giant-killing by outplaying Premiership Sunderland from start to finish.

Sunderland were reduced to 10 men when Greg Halford was given a second yellow on 62 minutes, but by then Luton were in such control it would have mattered little.

Goals from David Bell on 16 minutes and Paul Furlong on 43 and 75 were no more than the Hatters deserved as they booked their place in the Carling Cup Third Round and wiped out memories of the 5-0 drubbing at the end of last season.

That day, the two sides LOOKED two divisions apart even though they were not. Tonight, though there WAS a gap between them, you would have been forgiven for thinking that it was the Hatters who were from the higher division.

Luton looked assured throughout and played with class and style. Premiership Sunderland by contrast were uncertain and out of sorts.

Everywhere you looked there were heroes in white shirts and manager Kevin Blackwell now has a real headache picking Saturday's side with Dave Edwards and Darren Currie likely to be recalled.

Luton took the lead after Dean Morgan had been hauled down on the edge of the box by Halford. The referee gave a free kick but did not show a card. But Luton made them pay anyway as Bell rifled his shot through the wall and inside the left hand post.

Sunderland had a few chances with Murphy and Stokes haveing a couple of shots each, but Luton were playing the better football.

It was no surprise when they went 2-0 up. Goodall played the ball out of derfence and found Furlong insde the area on the left in yards of space. As keeper Ward came out, the big forward turned, looked up and calmly lifted the ball high over him and into the empty net.

Sunderland did hit the bar from Stokes's dipping shot from distance but Chopra headed the rebound into Forde's grateful arms just before the break, but David Forde in the Luton goal only had one real save to make in the whole game. That he did, turning Leadbitter's drive around the post on 72 minutes.

But three minutes later, Luton made it 3-0. Coyne took a free kick from halfway, Bell rose high to head it back across goal from the right, and Furlong pounced first to tuck it inside the far post.

It was no more than Luton deserved and they ran out the rest of the game, the Luton fans chanting Ole, Ole as the Hatters played keep-ball and fireworks lit up the sky over Kenilworth Road.

It was that sort of night. By the end, the Luton fans were chanting: There's only one Keano. They meant Keith, not Roy.

What a difference three months makes...

FIRST HALF ACTION

Luton manager Kevin Blackwell had made two changes to the side that started at home to Gillingham on Saturday, with Darren Currie and Dave Edwards rested and Dean Morgan and Steve Robinson coming back in.

Sunderland manager Roy Keane also fielded a strong side with top scorer Michael Chopra playing along with Dickson Etuhu and Nyron Nosworthy.

Luton got off to a lively start and went close twice early on, first Furlong turning Jackson's firmly-hit cross wide of the post after six minutes and then on 13 minutes, Morgan got past his man down the left to the byline, cut in a low cross which Talbot did well to reach under pressure as he came flying in at the near post but could not turn his shot in.

There was controversy a minute later when Spring's pass put Morgan through and he was hauled down by Halford on the edge of the box. The referee gave a free kick but did not show a card.

But Luton made them pay as Bell blasted the kick through the wall and inside the post to give the Hatters a 1-0 lead after 16 minutes.

Sunderland started to press on 20 minutes when Murphy had two shots, one wide of the top left corner and one into Forde's arms, then Stokes fired a shot that Coyne deflected behind by sticking a leg out.

Etuhu was booked on 29 minutes for scything down Morgan on halfway and was lucky to stay on three minutes later when he pulled Spring back by the shirt. The referee gave a free kick, gave Etuhu a long talking to, but did not show a second yellow.

Luton had a setback after 35 minutes when Jackson went off injured and was replaced by Keith Keane at right back.

Stokes had two decent shots, the first deflected over and the second all along the ground wide of the diving Forde's post.

But then Luton made it 2-0 when Goodall's ball found Furlong clean through and the big striker with plenty of time calmly lifted the ball high over the stranded keeper Ward and into the net.

Fearing Roy Keane's half time talk, Sunderland came back and Stokes from distance clipped the bar, Chopra turning the rebound into Forde's arms.

HALF TIME: LUTON 2-0 SUNDERLAND

The game opened up after the break with half chances at both ends. Bell put over a cross that bounced inside the six yard box before being hacked back to him and the second time his shot was deflected behind for a corner.

Sunderland were becoming frustrated by Luton closing them down, with Robinson full of running. Leadbitter fired aimlessly over after failing to find anyone he could pass to on 58 minutes.

On the hour Sunderland were reduced to 10 men when Halford, who had been booked for checking Talbot's run through, deliberately handled the ball as Spring tried to chip it past him. He was shown a second yellow and a red. He might have been sent off earlier as two minutes after his first yellow, he threw the ball away at a Luton throw but escaped with a talking to.

Morgan had a great run down the left from Furlong's fine over-the-shoulder pass but his low cross was hacked clear.

Luton had some defending to do as Forde pulled off a great save, tipping Leadbitter's shot round the post on 72 minutes.

Luton made it 3-0 when Coyne's free kick from halfway was met by a towering leap by Bell, who nodded the ball across and Furlong pounced to tuck it inside the far post.

We want five, chanted an ecstatic Luton crowd.

Sunderland were fretful by now and Connolly and Wallace were booked in quick succession as their night went from bad to worse.

Paul Furlong was announced as the man of the match and the crowd obviously agreed.

Now Luton were knocking it around and not giving Sunderland a kick as the crowd joined in with the Oles.

Teams:

LUTON TOWN: Forde, Jackson (Keane 35), Perry, Coyne, Goodall, Bell, Spring, Robinson, Morgan (McVeigh 70), Talbot (Andrew 78), Furlong

Subs not used: Hutchison, Brkovic

Booked: Morgan

SUNDERLAND: Ward, Halford, Nosworthy, Anderson, Wallace, Miller, Leadbitter, Etuhu (O'Donovan 62), Murphy (Connolly 62),Chopra, Stokes (Yorke 78)

Subs not used: Carson, Donoghue

Booked: Connolly, Etuhu, Halford, Wallace

Sent off: Halford (61)

Attendance: 4,401