This match report was kindly provided courtesy of the superb Luton Town news Website www.lutontoday.co.uk.  Lutontoday.co.uk kindly allow us to use their match reports, and, as Hatters fans, we'd urge you to check out their excellent Website, which always contains up-to-date Luton Town news, views and match reports.  The photos are also with the kind permission of Luton Town Football Club and their excellent photographer Gareth Owen.

VENUE Brunton Park ATTENDANCE 4,432 REFEREE M Clattenburg (Northumberland) MATCH DATE 11 August 2001 KICK OFF TIME 15:00

CARLISLE UNITED Luke Weaver   David Morley   Mark Winstanley   Stuart Whitehead Peter Murphy 59   Lee Maddison   Lee Andrews   Mark Thurston   Scott Willis 84   Tony Hopper   Steve Soley   Steve Halliday Jonathan Allan   Ian Stevens 69   SUBS NOT USED Will Varty   Peter Keen

LUTON TOWN Carl Emberson   Emmerson Boyce   Russell Perrett   Aaron Skelton   Marvin Johnson   Adam Locke 54   Lee Mansell   Stuart Douglas 72 Paul Hughes   Kevin Nicholls Matthew Taylor   Steve Howard   Carl Griffiths   Andrew Fotiadis 89   SUBS NOT USED Richard Dryden   Scott Ward

Match Report	11 August 2001
Carlisle United 0 - 2 Luton Town

CARLISLE UNITED 0 N/A  LUTON TOWN 2 Paul Hughes '46 Carl Griffiths '57

LUTON GAIN OPENING DAY WIN...

Summer signings Paul Hughes and Carl Griffiths scored the goals on their debuts as Luton won 2-0 at Brunton Park against Carlisle United on the opening match of the 2001-02 season.

After a dire first-half, Luton looked lively in the second-half after a stern talking to by acting manager Mick Harford at half-time, and the Hatters picked up the three points they desperately needed.

Hatters manager Joe Kinnear gave debuts to six of his seven new summer signings, only Adrian Forbes missing out, the former Norwich singer out with injury, but likely to return in next Saturday's home match with Cheltenham Town.

Aaron Skelton was used as a central defender, partnered by fellow new signing Russell Perrett, while new signings Kevin Nicholls and Paul Hughes played in midfield. Striker Carl Griffiths, signed from Leyton Orient for £65,000, played in attack alongside Steve Howard.

The first-half was a non-event, Luton looking very nervous and finding it hard to gather any momentum. The best chance of the first-half actually fell to the home side, Johnny Allan curling an effort against the crossbar from 20-yards.

In a scrappy first-half, there were many late tackles and late lunges, Luton's best chance falling to Carl Griffiths after 6 minutes, when he just failed to connect with a Matthew Taylor cross.

"Luton came out with all guns blazing"

0-0 at the break, and Mick Harford must have given the Hatters players a stern half-time talking to because Luton came out with all guns blazing, new signing Paul Hughes scoring just 30 seconds into the second-half, converting a Lee Mansell cross with great aplomb on the half-volley. Hughes then celebrated his debut goal with some 800 travelling Luton supporters, who had made the long trip to Cumbria.

"It was soon 2-0 to Luton"

It was soon 2-0 to Luton, Russell Perrett heading a free-kick back across the face of goal and Carl Griffiths tucking the ball away for a debut goal after 57 minutes.

Club captain Marvin Johnson then limped off injured and was replaced by Adam Locke, Locke going into midfield and Matthew Taylor moving to left-back.

Lee Mansell was then replaced by Stuart Douglas, with the decision to rest Mansell, who had been injured during pre-season, taken.

Matthew Taylor almost made it 3-0, but his right-footed shot was saved by Cumbrians goalkeeper Luke Weaver.

Tackles continued to fly-in, with the tough-tackling new Hatters midfielder Kevin Nicholls usually involved.

Luton then just played out the rest of the game and the referee blew the final whistle and it was a deserved three points for the Hatters. WE ARE GOING UP, SAY WE ARE GOING UP!

Kinnear's Comments	11 August 2001
Carlisle United 0-2 Luton Town "I’m delighted with three points to start with. A new manager’s just come in here and you don’t know what to expect. New ideas come in and we were aware that Roddy Collins would probably have the team up for it. So all in all I was pleased. We kept our head at times and we kept the ball well. We tried to pass it round them as much as we possibly could, even though they dropped deep and made the pitch enormous. Overall two decent goals. "I think that we were a bit apprehensive first half because we didn’t really know too much about their side. I think we paid them far too much respect and weren’t positive enough going forward. We were just sort of fencing with each other, just having a look at each other. They dropped deep, which made the pitch really big. In the second-half, I said: ‘We’ve got to get amongst them. There’s three points here to be taken.' "It was a bit physical and there was some contact going on, but Nicholls puts his foot in and he looked after himself. He epitomised everything. He ran from box to box. The players are working for each other and there’s a good feeling about the dressing room compared to what it was last season and I think the players are comfortable with each other. they’re working hard for one another. "With so many new players in, it was mix and match and they haven’t had too much time. Hughsie has only been with us four days and he’s come in and scored. I’ve taken him on three months not because of his ability, but because of the length of injuries the boy’s struggled with all his career. When he was at Southampton he was out for a year and a quarter through injury, so I was worried in case the boy breaks down. But I stuck at it today and he ended up getting 90 minutes. I thought it would do him the world of good. "It was everything that we were looking for. Sometimes it doesn’t go your way in life, but today it did and I think that the two goals highlighted a very sound performance.”

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