A late rally was not enough to prevent the Hatters from slipping to their first League One defeat of the season at Bradford.
Substitute Gideon Kodua pulled a goal back for Matt Bloomfield’s side with four minutes left after the Town had trailed 2-0 at Valley Parade.
And despite pushing for a late equaliser the Hatters could not pinch a late point on a disappointing day in West Yorkshire.
Showing three changes to the side that beat Peterborough last weekend, the Town started brightly as they pushed the newly-promoted Bantams on the back-foot.
But the afternoon began to take a turn for the worse mid-way through the first half when Millenic Alli was withdrawn on 24 minutes after coming close to receiving a second yellow card for two quick-fire fouls.
Nine minutes after the wing-back was taken off and replaced by Kodua, the hosts took the lead when a deflected ball into the box caught the Town off guard. Antoni Sarcevic got the better of Mark McGuinness inside the six-yard box to square for Stephen Humphrys who poked home.
Behind at the break, Bloomfield introduced Cohen Bramall for Nigel Lonwijk at half-time but the Town found themselves further behind just three minutes after the restart. Former Academy graduate Josh Neufville sped down the right to deliver an inch-perfect cross for Bobby Pointon to convert.
The Town responded well to that set-back but continued to struggle to properly test Sam Walker in the Bantams goal but with Kodua looking the Hatters’ main threat down the right flank.
As the Hatters pushed Kal Naismith tested Walker with a free-kick on 74 minutes while three minutes later Jerry Yates was a whisker away from getting on the end of McGuinness’ cross from the right.
Bradford then spurned a glorious chance to put the game to bed with eight minutes left on the clock when substitute Tyreik Wright somehow shot straight at Josh Keeley with the goal at his mercy.
And the home side were sweating following that miss as minutes later the Town halved the deficit when Bramall’s left-wing cross was nodded home well by Kodua for his first goal in Luton colours.
It gave the Hatters hope in the final moments and, two minutes later, Lasse Nordås almost conjured an equaliser when his low drive was kept out by Walker.
Four minutes were added at the end but the Town could not force one final chance and the home side were left to celebrate victory.
A frustrating afternoon for the Hatters but it’s back-to-back home games at Kenilworth Road next week, beginning on Tuesday when Wigan come to town.
We’ll see you then.
Town: Keeley, Lonwijk (sub Bramall 46), Alli (sub Kodua 24), Naismith, Andersen, McGuinness, Saville (sub Walsh 67), Clark, Baptiste (sub Nordås 52), Fanne (sub Nelson 67), Yates.
Subs not used: Shea, Holmes.
Attendance: 20,233, with 1,338 backing the Town.
