The Hatters Under-18s fell to an agonising penalty shootout defeat to Crewe Alexandra in the FA Youth Cup at Kenilworth Road on Friday night.
Dylan Stitt and Christian Chigozie saw their spot-kicks saved by visiting keeper Mikolaj Lenarcik after both sides played out an entertaining 2-2 draw after 120 minutes under the lights.
Crewe took the lead in the 20th minute when Luca Moore found space on the edge of the box and his low shot crept into the bottom corner.
The Hatters responded well to going behind and were level at the interval when Charlie Trustram lashed home an emphatic finish inside the penalty area on 40 minutes.
Both teams had chances in an end-to-end second half as Lenarcik saved efforts from Chigozie and Tate Xavier-Jones.
Stitt missed a great chance with a back-post header following a Trustram cross on 73 minutes and Jamie Odegah flashed a shot across goal two minutes later.
Jordan Hodkin spurned a glorious opportunity to restore the visitors’ lead with 11 minutes left on the clock, firing over from six yards out and, as the game ticked into the closing stages, both teams put bodies on the line to keep the score 1-1.
As the game entered 30 minutes of extra-time, the visitors led for the second time on the night when Patrick Mlynarski thundered home.
After the restart the Hatters pushed for an equaliser and on 113 minutes it was 2-2 when a shot from the edge of the box from Xavier-Jones deflected past Lenarcik.
Substitute Michael Takawira saw a shot flash wide moments later before Odegah was denied by Lenarcik as the Town sensed a late winner.
But Crewe almost snatched victory at the death as the Hatters had goalkeeper Charlie Booth to thank for a full-length stop to deny Owen Taylor’s shot.
With the penalties taken at the Kenilworth Road end, Stitt saw the Hatters’ first penalty saved by Lenarcik.
Xavier-Jones, Harry Fox and Charlie Trustram scored for the Hatters, but Crewe found the target with each of their four penalties.
And Lenarcik had the last word of the night when stopping captain Chigozie’s effort and it was Crewe who celebrated reaching the fourth round.
Town: Booth, Roberts-Edema (sub Takawira 110), Benagr, Ioannides (sub Harvey 90+1), Chigozie, Kwame Anson (sub Emery 103), Trustram, Stitt, Odegah, Xavier-Jones, Shepherd (sub Fox 99).
Subs not used: Hockey, Asamoah Junior, Ed-Okungbowa.
