Town 3
Brown 2, Doughty 28, Woodrow 66
Gillingham 2
Clarke 55, Nichols 88
In their first match at Kenilworth Road this season, the Hatters booked their place in the third round of the Carabao Cup with a win over League Two Gillingham.
Three really well-taken goals from Jacob Brown - his first for the club - Alfie Doughty - with an absolute beauty - and Cauley Woodrow had the Hatters in command.
The Hatters started showing eight changes to the side that lost at Chelsea on Friday, with a debut in goal for Tim Krul and first starts for Brown and Cheidozie Ogbene.
And the Town began with real gusto and were almost ahead inside 60 seconds when Doughty's shot from close range was blocked.
But the Hatters' did not have long to wait for the opener when, with one minute and 37 seconds on the clock, Brown finished brilliantly inside the area after taking Luke Berry's knock-down - staking a claim for the fastest goal scored by a Town home debutant.
Brown continued to be a menace to the Gills' backline but his finish was relegated to second best when Doughty doubled the lead on 28 minutes. Last season the wing-back won the goal of the season award and he has an early contender for this season's prize with the sweetest of left-foot strikes. Receiving the ball back from Berry following a short free-kick, Doughty sent a stunning, curling shot into the top, top corner to make it 2-0.
The hosts, who had started the season winning five out of six in all competitions, came out all guns blazing in the second period and nine minutes after the restart they halved the deficit when Jayden Clarke slotted past Krul.
With their tails up there was a danger the Hatters could have been punished and Krul had to be wary to keep out a shot from Ashley Nasedan moments later.
But any fears of a Gills leveller were extishigsued on 66 minutes when Woodrow arrowed an unerring finishing high into the net from 12 yards to restore the Town's two-goal cushion.
With 25 minutes left it looked as though the Town were comfortable, but Gillingham forced a grandstand finish with two minutes remaining when substitute Tom Nichols headed beyond Krul.
The visitors sensed a last-gasp equaliser - which would have sent the tie to penalties. Krul needed to be alert to stop efforts from Scott Malone and Jonny Williams and keep the Gills at bay.
With the visitors pushing as time ticked down, the Hatters almost added extra gloss in the dying moments of injury time with Ross Barkley forcing a save from Glenn Morris and Woodow's follow-up blocked but it mattered not at the Town are in the hat for round three.
Next up. The Premier League comes to Kenilworth Road. West Ham are in town. Be there.
Town: Krul; Doughty, Giles (sub Kabore 60), Andersen, Lockyer (sub Burke 45), Bell; Mpanzu, Berry (sub Barkley 60), Woodrow; Brown (sub Adebayo 81), Ogbene (sub Nakamba 69).
Subs not used: Shea, Morris, Chong, Johnson.
Attendance: 9,468, including 1,058 supporting the Gills.