A stoppage-time header from substitute Tony Thorpe sent Fulham crashing out of the Auto Windscreens Shield tonight as Luton Town earned instant revenge for their 4-1 thrashing by the Whites at Kenilworth Road last weekend.
The Hatters moved into the southern section semi-finals after beating a much-changed Fulham outfit at Craven Cottage with Ray Wilkins clearly focusing on the quest for promotion from the Second Division. Luton took the lead in the twentieth minute when the visitors punished some sloppy defending from a set-piece. Dwight Marshall tapped home from close range after Mark Walton had parried a shot from Alan White.
The home side did equalise just after the hour through Kyle Lightbourne, who headed home his first Fulham goal from Matt Lawrence’s cross. The on-loan Coventry City striker looked lively throughout but the Whites were to pay for his failure to beat Kelvin Davis on two subsequent occasions as they pushed for a winner. It was the visitors who progressed as extra time loomed when Thorpe stooped to head home a right-wing cross from six yards out having snuck between Mark Blake and substitute Andy Arnott.
FULHAM (4-4-2): Walton; Lawrence, McAnespie, Maher (Arnott 59), Blake; Carpenter, Thomas, W. Collins, Brooker; Lightbourne, Freeman (Scott 45). Subs (not used): Aggrey.
GOAL: Lightbourne (62).
LUTON TOWN (3-5-2): K. Davis; White, S. Davis, Harvey; McClaren (Waddock 75), Oldfield, Allen, Davies, Evers; Patterson, Marshall (Thorpe 79). Subs (not used): George.
GOALS: Marshall (21), Thorpe (90).
REFEREE: Paul Rejer (Leamington Spa).
ATTENDANCE: 5,103.
