A bullet header from Matthew Spring, a wonder strike from Steve Robinson and a late goal from Drew Talbot booked Luton's place in the Fourth Round of the Carling Cup with a 3-1 win over Charlton.

Dean Sinclair scrambled home a close range effort after just three minutes to give Charlton the lead, but Robinson's first goal in 18 months, firing an unbelievable first time volley from the edge of the area on the stroke of half time, took the game into extra time.

And Luton took over proceedings in extra time as goals each side of the interval firstly from Spring, his fourth goal of the season, and then from Talbot completed the victory.

It capped another memorable night of Cup football at Kenilworth Road and booked the Hatters a place in the last 16 of the competition.

Paul McVeigh was handed his first start of the season in what was one of two changes from the winning side against Port Vale at the weekend.

McVeigh, who had been restricted to seven appearances off the substitutes bench, looked set to partner Paul Furlong in attack as the Hatters reverted back to a 4-4-2 formation.

Jaroslaw Fojut made only his second start of the season as Chris Coyne was rested and dropped to the bench.

Charlton, who went into the game on the back of a 2-0 win against Leicester City, gave first starts to the season for experienced midfielder Matthew Holland and nippy full-back Osei Sankofa.

The Hatters handed the captain's armband to former Charlton favourite Chris Perry, and it was the Luton defender who sent Dean Morgan scampering towards goal inside two minutes.

The former Reading man picked up the ball just inside his own half, but after the Charlton defenders decided to back off a challenge, Morgan flashed a 25-yard shot well wide of the Addicks goal.

Charlton looked sharp on the attack with the speedy McLeod looking to get behind Luton's defence at every opportunity.

And when the former MK Dons striker managed to do just that, Charlton found themselves in front. Only three minutes had gone when McLeod got to the by-line, got over a cross that Todorov headed from three-yards out and after Brill only half saved, Sinclair scrambled the ball home from a few yards.

The visitors were clearly displaying why they are such firm favourites for a return to the Premiership as their pace was causing Luton many problems.

However, the Hatters were still finding sight of the Charlton goal and McVeigh should have done better on 11 minutes when he fired over the crossbar from the edge of the area.

Furlong almost added to his seasons tally when he had a shot deflected, following good work from Spring, that may have caused Charlton goalkeeper Darren Randolph problems.

But it was the visitors who continued to create the better chances and Charlton's French midfielder Therry Racon almost doubled the advantage in spectacular style on 26 minutes as he riffled an unstoppable 25-yard shot that left Brill motionless, but his effort crashed against the crossbar.

However Charlton should have extended the lead four minutes later, but McLeod was guilty of a blazing miss. The striker collected a pass from Svetoslav Todorov and after being kept onside by Alan Goodall, he went on to put his shot wide of Brill's far post.

Robinson then opened up the Charlton defence on 35 minutes which allowed Bell to try his luck from distance, but despite hitting his shot cleanly, his effort fizzed straight into the arms of Randolph.

McLeod was then put through again on 41 minutes and yet again he couldn't find the target, although on this occasion, Luton's Richard Jackson managed to force the striker to hit his shot early.

But them missed chances were to prove costly as Luton got themselves back on level terms in spectacular style from an unlikely source.

A Bell corner, with just a minute to go before the break, was only half cleared by the Charlton defence and as the ball reached Robinson on the edge of the area, he took aim and struck a sweet volley that left Randolph with no chance

AT HALF-TIME: LUTON 1 V 1 CHARLTON

Luton made a bright start to the second half as they looked to build on their strong finish to the opening 45 minutes.

And Furlong almost capitalised on a mistake in the Charlton midfield when, after picking up possession just inside the visitors' half, he displayed great trickery to open up enough space on the edge of the area to fire a shot straight at the body of Randolph.

The Hatters seemed more fired up in the second half and looked the likelier side to score. Bell picked out McVeigh on 51 minutes and his curling shot almost crept in to the corner of the net.

Charlton attacks were rare, but in Todorov they were still looking like they could find a second goal of the evening. It was his pass the released Darren Ambrose on 61 minutes, but the midfielder curled his 20-yard effort wide of the target.

Luton were not afraid to push bodies forward and McVeigh almost came close on 70 minutes, but his 16-yard shot was blocked by Patrick McCarthy.

Five minutes later and Morgan forced Randolph into a flying save to his right when the Luton midfielder sent a 25-yard curling free-kick towards goal.

Both teams threw caution to the win in the final stages of the match as extra time began to loom. Fojut tried his luck with a towering header on 84 minutes while Ambrose's first time volley was cleanly gathered by Brill.

Both teams almost won it in the closing stages with Spring firstly hitting a ferocious volley from the edge of the area inches wide before Brill spectacularly tipped over Ambrose's towering header two minutes into stoppage time.

AFTER 90 MINUTES: LUTON 1 V 1 CHARLTON

So another 30 minutes awaited as Blackwell decided it was time for another fresh pair of legs in attack with Talbot replacing McVeigh.

And the first opportunity of extra time fell to McLeod as the striker turned inside Perry on 96 minutes, but curled his effort wastefully over the crossbar.

Three minutes later, Robinson found himself in a similar position to when he fired the Hatters back on level terms, but on this occasion the midfield spurned his opportunity off target.

Brill then kept Luton on level terms with a point-blank save from Luke Varney as the former Newcastle man was clear of the Hatters defence after being put through by McLeod's header across goal.

But just when it looked as if the first period of extra wouldn't produce a goal, Spring popped up with a bullet header to put Luton in front as the Hatters midfielder stole into the Charlton area unmarked to finish off Darren Currie's cross to the back post.

Spring almost grabbed a carbon-copy of his goal in the second period of extra time, but on this occasion fired over the crossbar, before Talbot wrapped up proceedings in the final three minutes of the game as he capitalised on a slip from Yassin Moutaouakil to neatly side foot home a shot that hit the inside of a post and rolled into the net.

AT FULL TIME: LUTON 3 V 1 CHARLTON

Luton: Brill, Goodall, Perry, Morgan (Currie 85), Bell (Brkovic 103), Jackson, Robinson, Spring, McVeigh (Talbot 91), Furlong, Fojut

Subs not used: Coyne, Andrew

Bookings:

Charlton: Randolph, Moutaouakil, McCarthy, Holland, Todorov (Arter 85), Ambrose, Sinclair, Racon (Varney 70), Bougherra, Sankofa, McLeod

Subs not used: Weaver, Fortune, Thomas

Bookings: McLeod (106)

Referee: Mr A P D'Urso

Attendance: 4,534 (776 from Charlton)