Town Under-18s lose unbeaten record
The Hatters Youth fell to their first defeat of the season at Ely Way on Saturday when they were defeated by a single goal against Watford.
Boss Paul Driver named the same start line up as for the previous week's game at the MK Dons with Under-16, Sam Alderson on the substitutes’ bench for the first time.
The first half started brightly with both sides putting some useful moves together but it was the visitors who took the lead at the midway point with a run and cut back from the right leading to a shot from 15 yards that Ben Barnes got both hands to but was unable to keep the strike out.
The Hatters pushed hard from the start of the second half for the equaliser, creating a number of good chances throughout. Charlie Smith had a number of longer range efforts saved by the visiting keeper and Arel Amu looked unlucky to have an effort ruled out for offside before Jemale McKenzie-Lowe struck from just inside the box but his effort deflected just wide.
As the game entered the final minutes, Amu broke clear and was denied by a superb last ditch tackle by a Watford defender. The resulting corner was met by McKenzie-Lowe but his headed effort went wide.
A disappointed Driver told lutontown.co.uk afterwards: "Despite losing I was pleased with the boys and feel we could have got something from the game - we will certainly play a lot worse and win this season.
“We have got to pick ourselves up now and go again in the FA Youth Cup during the week and then at Orient in the first of the league cup games next Saturday.”
Town U18: Barnes, Crilley (sub Allman), Hawkes, Rees, Chabata, Tamplin, Amu, Smith, McKenzie-Lowe, Tayali (sub Amadi), Ngwala. Subs not used: King, Perry, Alderson.