The Hatters’ Under-21s were on the receiving end of a heavy defeat as an experienced Brentford side ran out 6-1 winners in the Premier League Cup at Kenilworth Road.

Alex Lawless’ side took the lead thanks to Fin Evans’ fourth-minute goal, the centre-half poking home from close range after the visitors had failed to clear a left-wing free-kick whipped in by Jack Lorentzen-Jones.

But that would be as good as it got for the Town as the Bees went on to dominate – the equaliser coming on the half-hour when Paris Maghoma curled home a fine strike from the edge of the box.

The Hatters missed a huge opportunity to retake the lead on 37 minutes when Dylan Stitt raced clear of the Brentford defence and rounded the goalkeeper but saw his shot cleared off the line by Benjamin Arthur.

Just as half-time approached, the visitors took the lead when Gustavo Nunes weaved at pace into the box and found Fabio Carvalho – on the bench for the Bees’ first team at West Ham on Monday night – who tapped home from six yards.

The young Town side, which contained four regulars for the Under-18s, got off to the worst possible start in the second half, conceding two penalties in the space of three minutes with Romelle Donovan and Myles Peart-Harris scoring for the Bees from 12 yards.

Brentford continued to press looking for more goals, and on 55 minutes it was 5-1 when Yunus Konak’s acrobatic bicycle kick found the top corner.

Five became six on 77 minutes when Carvalho sped clear of the Hatters defence and thundered an unerring finish past Henry Blackledge.

Brentford had the ball in the net for a seventh only to be denied by an offside flag and Blackledge made a superb stop with three minutes left to stop Michel Boni’s low strike from finding the corner.

The Hatters Under-21s are next in action when they travel to Dunstable Town in Beds Senior Cup next Wednesday.

Town: Blackledge, Asamoah Junior, Fox (sub Gawel 78), Paternoster, Kwame Anson, Evans (sub Barnes 90), Lorentzen-Jones, Ioannides (sub Shepherd 78), Odegah, Stitt, Trustram (sub Isufi 46).

Sub not used: Thomas.