The Hatters bid for survival Football League took another blow as their first visit to Aldershot in 41 years ended in defeat.

After dominating a first half which ended all square in which Dean Brill saved a penalty, goals from Scott Davies and Kirk Hudson earned Aldershot only their second win in 14 games.

Tom Craddock netted the Town's goal, equalising from close range for his ninth goal of the season but defeat the keeps the Hatters 14 points from safety.

Hatters manager Mick Harford kept the faith with the same 11 that triumphed 2-0 at Notts County on Tuesday night but made one change to the substitutes' bench with Lewis Emanuel - scorer for the reserves on Thursday - replacing Jake Howells.

With a fully-fit squad to chose from there were places on the bench again for Kevin Nicholls and George Pilkington.

Rossi Jarvis, Claude Gnakpa and Ryan Charles were all seen warming up with their team-mates prior to kick-off.

Former Town midfielder and Aldershot Town manager Gary Waddock made one change to his team following their 0-0 draw with Shrewsbury Town on Tuesday with Dave Winfield replacing Rhys Day in central midfield.

The Hatters kicked off in their white home shirts looking for their first back-to-back wins of the season and their third consecutive away victory.

It took three minutes for either side to register a shot and it fell to the hosts when Jake Robinson's right-wing cross was met by Andy Sandell but the Shots' left winger could only spoon his shot high over Dean Brill's crossbar.

The Hatters, however, began to pass the ball around with confidence, and on seven minutes Tom Craddock looked to extend his good run of form in front of goal with a fierce drive from a tight angle that almost crept in at the near post after being found by Kevin Gallen's cleverly disguised pass.

A minute later a dangerous Ian Henderson cross from the right almost found Craddock but he was adjudged to have fouled his marker and chance past.

Aldershot were guilty of giving the ball away, much to the annoyance of the Recreation Ground faithful, and on 11 minutes Ed Asafu-Adjaye robbed Sandell to feed Henderson but he shot straight into the arms of home goalkeeper Mikhael Jaimez-Ruiz.

Back came the Shots, and after Kirk Hudson beat Sol Davis down the Hatters left, his cross was fired over by Grant on 13 minutes.

However, a minute later the hosts took the lead against the run of play when Davis upended Grant inside the penalty area and referee Grant Hegley had no option but to award the Shots a spot-kick.

Brill dived the right way to deny Scott Davies, saving the kick brilliantly down to his right but, unfortunately for the goalkeeper, the rebound fell kindly to the midfielder and he spared his blushes by tapping home the loose ball for Aldershot's first goal in three matches.

Despite falling behind the Hatters continued to play neat football with Gallen the heart of most attacks, linking the play through Chris Martin, Craddock and Henderson to good affect.

On 28 minutes a lovely touch by Gallen saw him beat Davies and release Henderson but after nibble footwork tight on the byline by the former Northampton man his pass across goal was cut-out bravely by Jaimez-Ruiz.

Still the Town pressed and Martin had a shot blocked by Shots right-back Chris Blackburn on 31 minutes as the Hatters looked for an equaliser their football deserved.

But the goal their efforts deserved duly arrived on 35 minutes to cap another move of real quality.

Craddock won the ball 20 yards of goal which ran into the path of Henderson.

The Town's number 7 then dinked a cross to the backpost towards Asa Hall who's knock-back across goal fell to Craddock who was on hand to smash a left-foot shot beyond Jaimez-Ruiz from six yards.

It was the former Middlesbrough man's his ninth goal of the season and his fifth in eight matches.

Following the goal chances were few and far between and the closest either side came to finding the net before the break was when Davies fired a free-kick into the Hatters' wall from 20 yards after Gallen had given away a foul on the edge of the area.

HALF TIME: ALDERSHOT TOWN 1-1 LUTON TOWN

There were no changes for either side at the interval and, as in the first half, it was the home side that threatened first with a dangerous cross from Davies cut-out by Brill with Grant lurking.

But Aldershot retook the lead 30 seconds later when a terrific cross-field pass by Lewis Chalmers found Hudson down the Town left.

The right-winger got the better of Davis to thump home a brilliantly placed shot across Brill and into the corner of the net.

Davies was beginning to look a constant threat in the middle of the Shots' midfield and on 56 minutes he sent a shot just high and wide of the target with Brill beaten.

Aldershot were certainly enjoying their best spell of the game but as the game swung from end-to-end, Craddock almost came close to levelling things up but the striker left the ball behind as he ran at goal and the chance went begging.

Harford made his first substitution of the afternoon replacing Hall with Emanuel.

The hosts continued to press and Davies came within a whisker of extending their lead on 62 minutes when the midfielder crashed a shot from 25 yards off the crossbar and thankfully the Town were able to clear the loose ball.

There was a three minute stoppage shortly after Davies' effort as one of the assistant referees had to leave the field with an injury and be replaced.

Craddock was finding it difficult under pressure from the Shots' big-haired centre half Anthony Charles all afternoon and on 65 minutes the defender was again on hand to deny the striker after he was found by Martin's flick.

Emanuel had hardly had a touch since being introduced, but he warmed the gloves of Jaimez-Ruiz with a shot with the outside of his boot after being found by Henderson.

On 73 minutes Nicholls replaced Asafu-Adjaye which saw Keane move to centre half and Spillane to right back.

The club captain's first touch was to fire a shot well over the crossbar.

With 14 minutes left the Hatters were certain they should have had a penalty when Henderson was fouled by Straker down the right but inexplicably referee Grant Hegley awarded a free-kick on the edge of the area when it looked like the challenge was inside the penalty box.

With 10 minutes left the Hatters made their third and final substitution when Sam Parkin replaced Henderson as they looked to earn a point.

A minute later Brill was called into action to deny Grant's shot from creeping in after the Shots' leading goalscorer had turned Mark Bower in the penalty area.

With six minutes left Spillane spurned a great chance to equalise when he headed over Nicholls' right-wing free-kick after he had been left unmarked by the home defence.

As the Town continued to press a left-wing cross from Martin found Craddock at the back post but the striker couldn't plant his header on target.

In the final minute Sandell hit the bar direct from a corner and from the follow up Grant fired into the side netting as the hosts looked to put the game beyond doubt.

The Hatters were given an extra five minutes to find an equaliser following the injury to the linesman but the Town failed create a chance and it ended 2-1.

FULL TIME: ALDERSHOT TOWN 2-1 LUTON TOWN

Aldershot Town: Jaimez-Ruiz, Straker, Blackburn, Charles, Chalmers, Grant, Hudson, Winfield, Davies, Robinson (Morgan 90), Sandell.

Unused substitutes: Soares, Hylton, Newman, Cochrane.

Booked: Chalmers (36), Sandell (37), Winfield (90).

Luton Town: Brill, Davis, Keane, Henderson (Parkin 80), Hall (Emanuel 61), Asafu-Adjaye (Nicholls 73), Martin, Spillane, Bower, Craddock, Gallen.

Unused substitutes: Button, Pilkington.

Referee: G Hegley

Attendance: 3,098 (including 793 from Luton)