LUTON TOWN 2 FOREST GREEN ROVERS 1

THERE was yet more 90th minute heartache for Forest Green at Kenilworth Road as Tom Craddock pounced to spare the blushes of misfiring hosts, writes Peter Orchard.

Trailing to Craddock's first-half penalty until the 80th minute, Rovers looked to have salvaged a point when Conal Platt netted from the spot.

But with nearly 6,000 home supporters baying for blood, Craddock rammed home the winner to deepen relegation worries at the New Lawn.

Veteran striker Kevin Gallen got the better of Craig Armstrong in the ninth minute, turning inside for a shot which flashed across the face of goal.

Luton were not shy in going direct to the ex-QPR man, and his knock-down fell perfectly for Craddock to curl inches wide of the far post from 20 yards.

But Rovers had attacking intentions of their own, Paul Stonehouse testing home keeper Mark Tyler's handling with a driven near-post effort.

Fine interplay between Platt and Isaiah Rankin then created a chance for David Brown, but he scuffed his shot from the edge of the area and Tyler saved comfortably.

Confidence was visibly growing among the men in green, but that all changed in the 37th minute when Craddock jinked past Jared Hodgkiss and was tugged back by the Rovers full-back.

There were plenty of complaints – though tellingly not from Hodgkiss himself – before Craddock calmly sent Danny Ireland the wrong way from the spot.

The visitors twice came close to levelling before the break. First Brown saw a sweet left-footed strike blocked, then Rankin came within millimetres of connecting with Danny Powell's cross with only Tyler to beat.

Richard Money's side looked more likely to add to the night's goal tally until Jonathan Smith stepped over a ball across the box and prostrate defender Janos Kovacs handled it.

Platt was assuredness personified in slotting past Tyler, but the same could not be said about the defending for Luton's winner as Rovers failed to clear their lines.

Craddock saw a loose ball cannon off his knee, forcing a point-blank save from Ireland, and the rebound fell for him to bundle into the net.

Luton Town: M. Tyler; E. Asafu-Adjaye, G. Pilkington, J. Kovacs, F. Murray; C. Gnakpa, K. Keane, A. Hall (R. Jarvis 46), T. Craddock; K. Gallen, M. Barnes-Homer (J. Howells 62); Subs not used: S. Blackett, M. Nwokeji, S, Gore.

Forest Green: D. Ireland; J. Hodgkiss, O. Thorne, C. Armstrong, P. Stonehouse; C. Platt, J. Smith, D. Brown (M. Fowler 69), D. Powell; T. Ameobi, I. Rankin (R. Styche 69); Subs not used: C. Henry, J. Else, D. Wilkinson

Referee: R. Fletcher (Derby)

Attendance: 5,884

Star man: Conal Platt