The Town had to settle for a point against Port Vale in their final home match before Christmas at Kenilworth Road.
Cohen Bramall’s fabulous free-kick put the Hatters in front but Jack Wilshere’s side could not build on that and bottom-of-the-table Vale fought back to lead early in the second half.
However, the Town rallied and were rewarded when Mads Andersen nodded home an equaliser with 20 minutes left.
The Hatters tried to find a winner in the closing stages but could not prevent a third draw in a row in League One to keep them on the fringes of the play-off places.
It began with Wilshere making two changes to the side that drew with Leyton Orient on Tuesday night with Andersen and Milli Alli in from the start. After his cameo at Brisbane Road in the week, Jordan Clark was once more named among the Hatters substitutes.
After an even opening to the game the Hatters slowly found their rhythm but failed to seriously test Ben Amos int the Vale goal.
The visitors, who arrived in Bedfordshire without a win or a goal in their previous six league games, were the closest to breaking the deadlock when captain George Byers smashed a drive inches wide on 20 minutes.
But back came the Town. Amos needed to keep half-chances from Kal Naismith and Gideon Kodua but, on 26 minutes, the Town went ahead in sensational style when Bramall added a third goal to his stunning collection of free-kicks. With the ball 25 yards out the wing-back sent a brilliant effort into the very top corner giving Amos no chance.
Naismith headed straight at Amos following George Saville’s free-kick on 38 minutes as the Town sensed a second but three minutes before the interval the visitors were level. Ruari Paton curled in a dangerous free-kick from the left and Ben Waine rose highest in the penalty area to plant a bullet header past Josh Keeley.
The goal – Vale’s first in over nine hours of League One football – gave the visitors confidence and Darren Moore’s side were soon celebrating another at the start of the second half. Paton was again the architect; his shot was parried by Keeley and Devante Cole was on hand to stroke home from close range to give Vale the lead.
All of a sudden the visitors were smelling blood, and the Town had a let-off on the hour when Paton spurned a chance at the back-post after the ball ran free.
Clark and Nahki Wells were introduced on 62 minutes as the Hatters went in search of a leveller and it arrived eight minutes later. Liam Walsh’s corner from the left found Andersen and the Dane nodded a header past Amos despite the visitors’ protests.
With 20 minutes remaining the Town upped the ante and, with Lamine Fanne replacing Nigel Lonwijk, Wilshere’s side seemed to have regained the ascendancy.
However, clear-cut chances were few and far between with Teden Mengi and Bramall both off target from range as time ticked down.
Eight added minutes were signalled but the best the Town could muster was a volley from late substitute Lasse Nordås with an acrobatic volley that was deflected wide and it ended 2-2.
Town: Keeley, Bramall, Lonwijk, Naismith, Andersen, Mengi, Saville (sub Clark 62), Walsh (Nordås 86), Kodua, Alli (sub Morris 46), Brown (sub Brown 62).
Subs not used: Shea, Makosso.
