A young Luton Town side booked a place in the Beds FA Senior Cup final under the Kenilworth Road lights next month with a hard-fought 1-0 win at Potton United tonight.
Josh Neufville's 77th-minute goal proved decisive as the Hatters, featuring five young professionals and the rest Under-18s, ground out a semi-final win over the Spartan South Midlands Premier Division hosts.
January signing from Hartlepool, Peter Kioso, made an impressive debut in an orange shirt, playing at right-back in the first half and on the left after the break, while Harry Isted, Corey Panter and Neufville showed their experience of loan spells in Non-League football had proved beneficial to help see Dan Walder and Paul Benson's side over the line.
The fifth pro, Jake Peck, lasted another hugely impressive 90 minutes in the centre of midfield as he continues his comeback from a broken ankle.
Neufville had proved the early threat for the Hatters, before Coree Wilson and Tra Lucas spurned good chances while Isted was alert to keep the scoreline blank at the other end.
Isted made two crucial tip overs in as many minutes midway through the opening period, the first from a Rafe Goodman drive and then from an Ibara Camara header from the resulting corner.
Wilson had fired over in the tenth minute after Panter had picked out Neufville with a diagonal ball out to the right, before the winger - currently on loan at National League Woking - took a pinpoint pass from Peck in his stride in the 21st minute, cutting inside only to fire straight at keeper Sam Irish.
Lucas spurned a great chance just before the half-hour after Under-16 midfielder Tyrelle Newton, who enjoyed a terrific performance in the middle of the park, had charged down a defender's clearance.
Lucas, discovered last season playing in the Luton Street League by the Community Trust, was soon racing down the right and leaving a trio of defenders in his wake, but his whipped cross evaded everyone in the six-yard box.
Wilson would see another chance gathered safely by Irish, before Potton centre-half James Smith fired over the bar in stoppage time of a blistering first half.
The second half was a more scrappy affair, with the Town youngsters digging in to match their more experienced opponents on the physical side of what became a battle of attrition.
The one true moment of class came via the unlikely source of Neufville's left boot, as he cut in from the right flank with 13 minutes remaining and let fly with a 25-yard rocket of a shot that flew into the top corner, giving Irish no chance.
Neufville had the perfect opportunity to wrap things up with two minutes left after good work from Wilson, but a home defender produced a brave block, although it was in vain as the final whistle signalled the Town youngsters' progess to a final against Bedford Town at the Kenny next month.
TOWN: Isted, Kioso, Moloney, Panter (c), Halsey, Peck, Newton (Nicolson), Pettit, Neufville, Wilson, Lucas (Stevens). Subs: Horlick, Jones
GOAL: Neufville 77