Lasse Nordås bagged a brace in an entertaining 4-0 win over Exeter City to put the Hatters into the next round of the Vertu Trophy at Kenilworth Road.
Goals from Nordås paired with cool finishes from Shayden Morris and Zack Nelson completed a fine performance from the Town.
The striker started the match perfectly with a towering header at the far post, rising highest to power a downward header past Grecians keeper Jack Bycroft in the 13th minute after a delightful cross from the left courtesy of Milli Alli.
It wouldn’t take long for Nordås to make his mark again in a starring role in the first half, this time turning provider as he found Morris with acres of space in the box for the winger to fire home a low drive from 15 yards to double the Town’s lead in the 34th minute.
With five minutes to go in the first half, Nordås doubled his tally after an excellent free-kick delivery from Joe Johnson found the Norwegian in the box and at the second attempt the striker lashed the ball home to make it 3-0.
As the Hatters looked for more goals in the second half, Nordås raced through clean on goal looking to complete his hat-trick when racing clear in the 63rd minute, only for Exeter substitute Sil Swinkels to match the Norwegian for pace and apply a superbly timed blocked tackle.
Midway through the second half it was four when Exeter goalkeeper Bycroft’s poor pass was intercepted by Zack Nelson who curled into the bottom corner from the edge of the penalty area in the 67th minute.
Complimenting a fine evening from the Town in front of goal was the return of defenders Johnson and Reuell Walters who performed well after returning from injury, while the late introduction of debutants Jack Lorentzen-Jones and Zach Ioannides rounded off the evening with both defenders turning in composed performances.
Town: Shea, Walters, Johnson, Andersen, Makosso, Nakamba, Nelson, Kodua, Morris, Alli, Nordås.
Subs not used: Booth, Gbodé, Ioannides, Fox, Paternoster, Evans, Lorentzen-Jones.
Attendance: 2,233, including 136 from Exeter.
Report by Liam Wilmot
