Manager Kevin Blackwell praised his players for a fine result and performance.

"It was a good win. That's all you can ask from the players - a response after Gillingham and we got it.

"It's a great way to start a game with a great goal after three minutes, but to be fair to Northampton they got back into it. Sometimes a goal so early can make you sit back a little bit.

"They came back with a good goal but the boys rode back from that and went on to a very good win.

"We're still talking about putting in back-to-back results home and away and if we can do that then we'll go up the league. I think we've shown again today that when we play the style of football that we're capable of then we'll open anybody up. Their keeper Bunn's made some great saves and dominated his box quite well with crosses and if we'd finished those off more clinically we could be sitting here with a six- or seven-goal win.

"But the boys have done the talking. After Gillingham that's all you can ask for. It looks as though they learned their lesson from last week otherwise it would have repeated itself.

"I think the lads have put down a marker and now I want them to maintain the level. It can't always come from the management and the coaches. We've seen some top quality performances this season, but not the consistency I would like and consistency is what we're looking for."

And the Hatters boss praised the coolness of his penalty taker.

"They say practice makes perfect and at the moment Springy's doing very well with penalties. For the second one tonight, the keeper's come up and moved the ball twice so it just shows the strength of mind of Matthew Spring to score anyway. We knew he had that from the three-penalty episode against Bristol Rovers."

Could he clear up who scored the third goal? Did Paul Furlong get a touch to Darren Currie's free kick?

"Listen, he's six foot two - you go in the changing room and tell him it's not his goal. Paul Furlong's been a revelation here. He's 39 years of age and he looks 19. But tenacity got him the penalty as well.

"And Drew gave me everything and came off exceptionally tired. That's what you want from your strikers. If they work hard and put the opposition under pressure you create chances. We had more than enough in the first half. We created four or five really good chances before half time and once again we could have finished the game off a lot earlier.

"We started the season with Parkin and Peschisolido up front and both of them are out. I brought Furlong in to do a particular job and it's gone way above what I thought and he's been an absolute revelation. Now I'm looking for the youngsters like Calvin and Drew to step up to the plate and learn from the master. It's been difficult to try to establish a pairing and I've said to the lads: 'Look, there's positions here up for grabs, now take them.' "

And the manager was pleased with his young keeper.

"Dean Brill made a good save in the second half and if that had gone in it would have been 3-2 and you put yourself under pressure. But as a goalkeeper has to pull a save off at crucial times in the game. It's concentration with goalkeepers. The top class goalkeepers have nothing to do for 90 minutes and then still pull off a world class save. I said to Brilly during the week that his concentration levels must rise. I think that showed that he has got the ability, but he's got to do it week in week out."

And what is it about the Kenilworth Road lights that give Luton a lift?

"I'd love to play all our home games under lights. For whatever reason, home games here under lights Luton play exceptionally well and if I could move them all to seven o'clock at night I certainly would.

"What's frustrating is that everybody expects so much from the players and sometimes the likes of Drew and Calvin and Goodall and Edwards - they're all young players and they need to be encouraged and they're learning their trade at the same time.

"We've been fairly entertaining at home. Maybe one half against Bristol Rovers and one against Doncaster where we've not been at it and we didn't entertain the fans, but on the whole many people who have come to night games here have seen excellent football and good goals. But don't forget the Club's being rebuilt and I'd love everything to fall into place in two minutes, but that isn't the way it works, is it?"