It took only 10 minutes for their intensity to pay off. Crosses were flung in constantly while Tony Mowbray’s visitors were technical and nimble, Luton overhauled them by bringing the chaos. From the opening whistle they hurled into challenges, pressed ferociously and, backed by a quite extraordinary din, asked questions of a makeshift back line. In losing narrowly at the Stadium of Light they had not fully exploited Sunderland’s aerial weakness, which was the result of a lengthy defensive injury list, but the lesson was heeded. With David Pleat and Mick Harford, now their chief recruitment officer, looking on they produced a night’s work to sit with the glory years of the 1980s. Luton had their second goal and an aggregate lead it said everything about their spirit, steel and execution that they never looked like relinquishing it. When Alfie Doughty swung yet another ball into Sunderland’s box two minutes before half-time it was Lockyer, the thought of coming second best never an option, who powered in and headed past a motionless Anthony Patterson. “We had to mix it up and be horrible and dirty and that’s how we won the game,” said the Luton captain, Tom Lockyer, who barely lost a challenge in either penalty area all night. Coventry or Middlesbrough will have to deal with the awesome energy and power of this Luton side at Wembley if this season is to be denied its greatest story. ![]() If the team had produced then their faithful had too, combining to create a blistering atmosphere inside this eccentric old venue and an environment Sunderland simply could not handle. Many of them waited for Rob Edwards’s players to emerge from the dressing room one last time to soak in the adulation, the manager greeting them with fist pumps and a thumbs-up. It will be a wonder if, upon waking up on Wednesday, any of the 9,000 raucous home supporters will have the capacity to vocalise exactly how this felt. One match lies between them and the top flight: for a club that was clawing its way out of the National League nine years ago it is a staggering achievement and, as the revellers eventually acceded to requests they return to the stands, the possibility of further celebrations on 27 May felt tantalisingly real. Should any minor repairs be needed, Luton Town can add them to the £10m bill that would be required for ground renovations upon promotion and it is unlikely they will mind. ![]() At full time the Kenilworth Road pitch filled with incredulous fans, one of them claiming a shirt from the striker Elijah Adebayo and a few others setting off orange flares.
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