The Hatters came from behind to end Morecambe's 12-match unbeaten run to record their third straight victory and keep their survival hopes alive.

It was no more than the Town deserved with goals from Chris Martin and Kevin Gallen securing their sixth away win of the season.

Morecambe took the lead in the 21st minute when Stewart Drummond headed home but Martin levelled two minutes before half-time.

Before Martin's equaliser Asa Hall had a goal ruled out for a push and in first half stoppage time Martin had a shot from cleared off the line.

But the Hatters continued to press after the break and their impressive performance was rewarded when Gallen volleyed home what turned out to be winner on 59 minutes.

Mick Harford made two changes to the Town side that beat Macclesfield 1-0 last Saturday.

David Livermore made his debut in the centre of the Hatters midfield after signing on a month's loan from Brighton and Kevin Gallen returned in attack.

Missing from the side was Michael Spillane who was nursing a dead-leg while a strong bench included Sam Parkin, Ian Henderson, Sol Davis and Rossi Jarvis.

That all meant Keith Keane dropped to right-back and Gallen formed a three-pronged attack along with Chris Martin and Tom Craddock.

Morecambe boss Sammy McIlroy made one change to his side following the Shrimps' 0-0 draw with Shrewsbury last weekend with Mark Duffy making his debut replacing Neil Wainwright.

Before the match there was plenty of Eric Morecambe themed entertainment with many supporters amongst the Christie Park crowd sporting hats, pipes and trench coats.

The Hatters kicked off sporting their navy blue away trip looking for their sixth away win of the season backed by a very healthy following of Town fans.

It was the Town who could have got the perfect start inside 90 seconds but after George Pilkington's pass found Gallen down the inside right channel, the striker could not pick out a team-mate and the chance went begging.

Morecambe were playing patient football and they had their first chance of the afternoon on four minutes when Wayne Curtis drove a shot wide of Dean Brill's right-hand post.

As both sides struggled to make much of an early impression, Kevin Nicholls screwed a shot wide on 12 minutes for the Town, but neither side we threatening to test either goalkeeper.

On 15 minutes the Town almost got themselves in a pickle when Brill had to clear a weak back-pass from Bower with Michael Twiss and Rene Howe bearing down on the Hatters' keeper.

A minute later, as the Hatters stepped up the tempo, Asa Hall had a shot blocked by David Artell and then Town forced Morecambe keeper Barry Roche into his first meaningful action when he got down to deny Craddock's well-hit shot on 17 minutes.

The Hatters were slowly beginning to get into the game but they were hit by a killer blow when the hosts took the lead on 21 minutes when Twiss's vicious out-swinging free-kick from the right was headed home at the back post by Stewart Drummond.

After going behind the Town responded well looking for an immediate equaliser and they thought they had done so on 24 minutes but Hall's header from six yards was harshly ruled out for a push following Craddock's deflected right-wing cross.

As the Hatters continued to press, Morecambe had to thank their goal hero Drummond from preventing the visitors from equalising on 32 minutes.

Nicholls played a quick one-two from a free-kick into the feet of Gallen and then fed Hall but as the midfielder crossed the ball across the face of goal, Drummond was on hand to slice a clearance over his own bar with Craddock amongst others waiting to tap-in an equaliser.

On 37 minutes the Shrimps had a penalty appeal waved away by referee Oliver when Howe raced clear and fell under the challenge of Keane.

The Hatters ended the second half well, dominating possession and playing some good football on a very bobblely pitch.

And the Town got their just rewards two minutes before the break when they deservedly got back on level terms.

Nicholls, who was beginning to boss things in the centre of the Hatters midfield, crossed from the right to find Martin who stooped to head through the legs of Roche in the Morecambe goal for his 11th of the season.

With the Town enjoying a very good spell, Morecambe had to thank Drummond again a minute into first half injury time when he was on hand to prevent the Hatters taking the lead.

Martin turned his marker in the six yard box to hit a shot that spun underneath Roche's body, but as the ball spun agonisingly towards the net, the hosts' goalscorer hacked the ball clear.

It would have been no more than the Hatters would have deserved and in truth the half-time whistle had come too soon as they pushed for a second goal.

HALF TIME: MORECAMBE 1-1 LUTON TOWN

There were no changes for either side at the break as the hosts begun the second half.

The Town were now attacking their ranks of supporters behind Roche's goal looking to pick up from where they left off in the first half.

And they almost did so when a terrific slaloming run from Craddock four minutes into the second period saw the striker have a great shot saved acrobatically by Roche after the former Middlesbrough man had danced around three Morecambe defenders.

Then, from the follow-up, Martin saw his goal-bound shot from six yards cleared by Garry Hunter with Roche beaten.

But the Hatters did get the goal there efforts deserved when they took the lead just before the hour mark with another move of  real quality.

A superb cross-field ball from Lewis Emanuel found Craddock down tight on the right-hand touchline who volleyed a cross towards Hall who's header goalwards was poked home by Gallen from close range.

As the home side appealed for both offside and a high-foot, the Town players celebrated the striker's goal in front of the delighted 666 Hatters fans behind the goal.

Brill was almost caught out by a stray cross which almost dropped in for the Morecambe equaliser on 67 minutes but then the goalkeeper did well to beat out a drive from Hunter after he had rounded Nicholls.

The Shrimps had come alive and had two good chances in the space of two minutes starting on 70 minutes when Danny Adams flashed a fierce shot over Brill's crossbar and then Duffy found the side netting a minute later from the right-edge of the area.

Craddock was a constant thorn in the home side's defence and another tip-toeing run from the striker found Hall but his shot was blocked by Adam Yates.

But back came Morecambe and Howe - a former Luton trainee - worked a yard of space on 73 minutes to drive a shot straight at Brill to the relief of the Town defence.

Harford made his first change of the afternoon on 15 minutes from time when Jarvis replaced Martin and it came at a stage when the home side were enjoying their best spell of the second half.

Morecambe were looking for an equaliser to preserve their 12 match unbeaten run and they came close to levelling matters on 83 minutes when Hunter found Twiss who's shot was well saved by a hand by Brill.

The Hatters wanted to kill off the hosts with a third, and another good move involving Gallen and Livermore released Keane but his cross with two minutes left was cut out by Roche.

Then in the second minute of three minutes injury time another weaving run from Craddock saw the striker hit a shot straight at Roche.

Seconds later a header from Drummond was comfortably held by Brill and that was the last of the chances as the Hatters held on to collect another three vital points and move them to within eight points of Chester at the bottom of League 2.

FULL TIME: MORECAMBE 1-2 LUTON TOWN

Morecambe: Roche, Yates, Artell, Bentley, Twiss, Hunter, Curtis (O'Carroll 85), Howe, Drummond, Duffy, Adams.

Unused substitutes: Edge, McLachlan, Taylor, McStay.

Luton Town: Brill, Keane, Pilkington, Nicholls, Emanuel, Livermore, Hall, Martin (Jarvis 75) , Bower, Craddock, Gallen.

Unused substitutes: Button, Davis, Henderson, Parkin.

Booked: Pilkington (77), Craddock (90).

Referee: C Oliver

Attendance: 2,599 (including 666 from Luton).