Two first half goals were enough to give the Hatters their second consecutive away win and their fifth on the road this season to move them to within 13 points of Grimsby at the bottom of the table.

A superb goal from Chris Martin put the Town ahead on 25 minutes and a penalty from Tom Craddock in first half stoppage time sealed an important three points.

It was no more than the Hatters deserved on a night when Dean Brill was rarely called into any serious action.

Hatters boss Mick Harford made one change to his side following Saturday's 2-1 defeat at home to Exeter City.

Defender Michael Spillane was recalled to the side replacing Sam Parkin in a switch that saw Keith Keane move to midfield and revert Kevin Gallen to the centre forward role which he played so well during the win at Port Vale 10 days ago.

Spillane partnered Mark Bower in central defence.

Parkin was amongst the Hatters' substitutes on a bench that also saw places for Kevin Nicholls and George Pilkington after the duo recovered from injury.

The Town kicked off sporting their third choice orange strip for the second away game in succession looking to record their fifth away win of the season.

In the opening stages Notts County were looking to utilise the huge Meadow Lane pitch to their advantage with the likes of Myles Weston, Delroy Facey and Jonathan Forte all possessing lighting pace.

It took until the 13th minute for either side to fashion and a chance and it came to hosts.

Winger Matt Hamshaw showed great close control to wriggle past Sol Davis and stand-up a cross to the back-post which after being cleared by Bower was headed straight at Dean Brill by Weston.

Immediately after that chance, quick thinking from Brill released Ian Henderson down the right flank but his dangerous cross looking for Martin was cleared by County.

The Hatters began to get on top and the hosts had goalkeeper Kevin Pilkington to thank for keeping the scoreline blank on 18 minutes.

Davis made a surging run into the Notts half and played a one-two with Gallen. The ball then fell to Craddock who struck a well-hit left-foot shot from 18 yards that Pilkington did well to turn around his right-hand post

A minute later Asa Hall shot wide of the same post as the Town continued to press.

But the visitors did not have to wait much longer to make their dominance count when they took the lead on 25 minutes with a stunning strike.

After the Magpies failed to clear the danger following Henderson's left-wing free-kick, a neat pass by Craddock fed Martin inside the area.

The striker then turned and unleashed an unstoppable left-footed angled drive into the top left hand corner of the net giving Pilkington no chance for his 10th of the season.

A minute later - with the Hatters laying siege to home side's half - Keane tried his luck from 30 yards with a shot that was comfortable for Pilkington and then on 27 minutes a Hall header teed-up Henderson for a shot that the goalkeeper did well to hold on to.

The goal lead was no more than the visitors deserved and another fine flowing move of good football from the Hatters on 34 minutes involving Davis, Martin, Hall and Gallen saw Keane shoot over from 25 yards.

County though responded well and squandered two great two chances in the space of two minutes to equalise starting in the 35th minute when the lively Weston saw a header saved by Brill.

Then Richard Butcher broke from midfield but somehow he scuffed his shot wide of the target from two yards after Weston had nodded down a right-wing Hamshaw centre across goal.

County were enjoying their best spell of the match and a superb crunching tackle by Spillane prevented Forte from bearing down on Brill's goal.

However, all the home side's endeavour was wasted a minute before the break when the Hatters doubled their lead from the penalty spot.

Henderson sent Martin racing away down the Town left and, after riding an initial challenge, the on-loan Norwich striker was sent tumbling by Adam Tann and referee Christopher Sarginson had no choice to but to award the visitors a spot kick.

It was the first time this year that the Hatters had been awarded a penalty and Craddock was in no mood to let the opportunity pass as he coolly slotted past Pilkington for his eighth goal of the campaign and his fourth in his last seven games.

HALF TIME: NOTTS COUNTY 0-2 LUTON TOWN

County came out for the second half with attack in mind looking to halve the deficit, and 65 seconds after the restart Forte stabbed a shot that squirmed wide of Brill's right-hand post to signal their intent.

The hosts continued to look for an avenue back into proceedings and came close twice in a three minute spell eight minutes after the break.

Firstly a goal bound shot from Butcher from 18 yards was saved by a block by Bower on 52 minutes and then Weston ballooned a good opportunity high over Brill's crossbar after he was left unmarked down the Hatters right.

Luton had the ball in the County net for a third time on 58 minutes when Henderson rounded Pilkington but the linesman had already signalled for offside and the goal was chalked off.

On 70 minutes Martin shot well wide of Pilkington's right-hand post after he had done well to hold the ball up and carry the ball past two Notts defenders.

Then moments later Brill was called into his first meaningful action of the half when he punched away a dangerous cross from Hamshaw aimed for Facey.

The Hatters though looked always capable on the break, however, and Martin was denied a route to goal by Picken and then, on 73 minutes, an exquisite Cruyff turn from Martin enabled the striker to pick out Craddock but the former Middlesbrough man's shot sailed so far wide it went out for throw.

Back came County and only a magnificent tackle from Spillane denied Forte from getting a shot on goal from close range on 78 minutes and then Bower had to be alert to thump away another goal-bound shot, this time from Hamshaw a minute later.

With time running out for a County comeback, Harford made his first change of the evening with three minutes remaining introducing Jake Howells for Craddock.

Hall warmed the gloves of Pilkington with a minute left with a drive from 25 yards as the Town looked to put the game beyond the hosts.

With the game won, Harford introduced Nicholls three minutes into injury time for Henderson in what turned out to be the final moments of the game.

FULL TIME: NOTTS COUNTY 0-2 LUTON TOWN

Teams:

Notts County: Pilkington, Picken, Tann, Hamshaw, Forte, Weston, Clapham, Hunt, Thompson, Facey, Butcher.

Unused substitutes: Edwards, Forrester, Canham, Strachan, Fairclough.

Booked: Picken (68)

Luton Town: Brill, Davis, Keane, Henderson (Nicholls 90), Hall, Asafu-Adjaye, Martin, Spillane, Bower, Craddock (Howells 87), Gallen.

Unused substitutes: Button, Pilkington, Parkin.

Booked: Spillane (63)

Referee: C Sarginson.

Attendance: 2,886 (including 407 from Luton).