A bullet header from Jacob Brown was the difference as the Town back to winning ways with a narrow victory against in-form Cardiff.

The forward netted his second goal of the season to give the Hatters their first win in three games to lift them out of the Championship relegation zone.

Brown rose highest in a crowded penalty area to nod home Alfie Doughty’s left-wing corner shortly before the hour to seal the Town’s first win since beating Watford last month.

In truth, it was the highlight of a game low on goalmouth action. The closest the Town came in the opening 45 minutes was a Carlton Morris header that flashed over the bar following Doughty’s left-wing cross.

Morris and his teammates were convinced the Town should have had a penalty when Callum Chambers handled in the box – only for referee Matt Dononue to wave away the appeals and book Morris for his protests.

Cardiff had showed glimpses of why they arrived in Bedfordshire as one of the Championship’s form teams in the first half, and seven minutes after the start of the second half the Bluebirds came close to taking the lead. The Town needed the fine agility of Thomas Kaminski to turn away a top-corner bound diving header from substitute Yakou Meite.

But five minutes later the Hatters were in front. Morris won a corner down the left which was swung in dangerously by Doughty. Brown lost his marker in the penalty area to thump a header past Jak Alnwick in the visitors’ goal.

Immediately from the restart Kaminski was needed once more, springing away with a fine fingertip save to prevent David Turnbull’s audacious effort from finding the corner.

But that would prove to be the last time the Town keeper was called into action as the Hatters ended the game strongly.

Substitute Elijah Adebayo almost flicked home Morris’ cross on 69 minutes and Mark McGuinness, strong in defence all night against his former club, saw a header from a Doughty corner stopped by Alnwick six minutes later.

As time ticked down the Town held firm and despite a late injury to Doughty that saw 10 minutes of added time played.

Cardiff pushed for the latest of levellers but were off wildly off target with two tame efforts and the Hatters were able to celebrate a deserved win.

Town: Kaminski; Hashioka, Doughty, McGuinness, Bell, Mengi; Krauß (sub Nakamba 88), Clark, Chong (sub Baptiste 65); Brown (sub Adebayo 61), Morris.

Subs not used: Krul, Moses, Woodrow, Mpanzu, Walsh, Holmes.

Attendance: 10,646, including 1,035 from Cardiff.