Hatters U21s are no match for Posh in Premier League Cup defeat

Luton Town suffered a 4-0 defeat in their Premier League Cup group stage game at Kenilworth Road this evening. The visitors, who picked a far more experienced side, with seven players who have played first team football to Luton's four, and all but one of those bar Christian Chigozie, fleeting outings in the Vertu Trophy, should have opened the scoring inside two minutes, only for Chris Conn-Clarke to curl a more than inviting chance over the bar. Town's only effort in the first six minutes saw Alvin Isufi have a crack from distance, which was parried away by Bastian Smith. Luton then had the ball in the net on 10 minutes when Archie Shepherd tapped in at the far post after Tate Xavier-Jones' shot was deflected, but the offside flag saw the goal ruled out. Just before the half hour mark, Town were indebted to a brilliant save from keeper Charlie Booth to keep it goalless, as he threw himself to his left to palm away Harry Ashfield's glancing header. With Posh looking to have gained the upper-hand, Jack Lorentzen-Jones attempted to give Town the lead on a rare foray forward, sidefooting narrowly wide from range, but the visitors came close again, Patryk Sykut smashing against the bar from 12 yards out. Peterborough continued to have the better of things, Booth once more to the rescue, as his trailing leg denied Ashfield, who appeared destined to find the back of the net. The stopper continued to be a huge thorn in United's side as Conn-Clarke was played through on goal in a neat move and he was able to stand up well before throwing himself to his left and palm his shot However, Posh finally got the lead they fully deserved on 41 minutes when an excellent break and cross from Evan Weir was clinically tucked home by Ormerod, a striker who scored 31 goals for National League North side AFC Fylde last term, before a reported £600,000 move to London Road. He went close once more, hitting the bar, while in the second period, it was all Luton in the opening 90 seconds, Lorentzen-Jones seeing a shot deflected behind as they won a flurry of corners, Archie Shepherd denied by Smith, Darren Frimpong-Kwakye's attempt blocked away too. Posh settled though, Ejiro Abbey lashing over the top, before Abbey almost barrelled his way through, denied by a goal-line saving block tackle from Evans. Dawid Gawel finally had one sight of goal, released by a pass to the right to shoot straight at Smith, while Evans almost pulled one back himself, seeing a header nodded off the line. United had their third on 65 minutes when Town's defence couldn't cope with the visiting attack and substitute Kurtis Simmons tapped into the unguarded net. It should have been 4-0 when Conn-Clarke twisted and turned in the area only to pull his shot wide with the whole goal to aim at. Simmons then fluffed his lines on an overlap, but the visitors were soon celebrating once more when they passed their way through Luton's back-line, Abbey walking it into the net. To their credit, the Hatters kept on pushing, Sam Hincapie Alfonso testing Smith from distance, the Posh stopper extended even further when Lorentzen-Jones had a pop, before a fine move from Takawira and Shepherd saw Hincapie Alfonso have a glorious chance to net a consolation only to slice wildly over. Hatters U21s: Charlie Booth, Kyreese Richards, Darren Frimpong-Kwakye (Tatenda Takawira 65), Jack Lorentzen-Jones, Finley Evans, Christian Chigozie, Tate Xavier-Jones, Alvin Asufi (Nassim El Gourja 80), Dawid Gawel, Dylan Stitt (Sam Hincapie Alfonso 80), Archie Shepherd. Posh U21s: Bastian Smith, Eddie Fox, Evan Weir (Cam'ron Ismail 46), Luca Mendonca, Noah Freeman, Donay O'Brien-Brady (Luca Christoudias 80), Ejiro Abbey, Harry Ashfield (Ben McWilliams 61), Danny Ormerod (Kurtis Simmons 61), Chris Conn-Clarke (Maxim Mlityalwa 89), Patryk Sykut. Booked: O'Brien-Brady 28.