Millenic Alli’s early strike handed Luton a lifeline in their battle for Championship survival as they beat fellow strugglers Derby 1-0 at Pride Park.
Matt Bloomfield’s men remain in the relegation zone, but the away win means they are now behind their 21st-placed opponents on goal difference alone with three games to go.
John Eustace’s side recovered from a difficult start to eventually seize control of the contest. But they were unable to fashion the equaliser they probably deserved with Luton goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski making several important saves.
It was no surprise to see Derby and Luton show signs of nerves in what was a game of critical importance to both their seasons.
But Alli gave the visitors a huge confidence boost when, in the 10th minute, he fired past Josh Vickers from close range after Mark McGuinness had guided a corner back across the box.
It was the midfielder’s second goal since leaving Exeter during the January transfer window.
Derby, who had seen Marcus Harness waste a promising opportunity moments after kick-off, quickly suffered another setback.
This one came in the shape of an injury to Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, who proved unable to continue due to injury in the 15th minute.
Already without his first choice goalkeeper Jacob Zetterstrom, the 33-year-old winger’s exit forced Eustace to make another adjustment which had the expected effect upon his team’s rhythm.
Luton should have taken advantage of that midway through the first period, when Derby’s rearguard failed to deal with a long punt forward by Kaminski. But Lamine Fanne, seizing possession inside Vickers’ area, wastefully thrashed over the crossbar.
Derby finally began to apply some pressure just before the interval.
Centre-back Matt Clarke might not be the most prolific player at Eustace’s disposal but it was his presence which forced Christ Makosso to make an important clearance following a scramble in the box.
Soon after, Jerry Yates saw a shot deflected behind for a corner as Luton began to wobble.
The break did not stall Derby’s momentum, with Kane Wilson and Yates both seeing attempts blocked in quick succession.
Those efforts, even though neither reached Kaminski, saw doubts begin to creep back into Luton minds.
Kaminski was called into action just before the hour mark when Yates burst into the area and his shot was parried. McGuinness then cleared a follow-up drive from Harness off the line.
Derby continued to dominate the second half as they looked for a crucial equaliser to maintain the three-point gap between the teams.
But substitute Kayden Jackson saw a low shot turned away by Kaminski after wriggling clear of his marker and the hosts could not find a way through in seven minutes of stoppage time.
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