Luton Town 4-2 Corby Town

It was a case of what might have been for Corby Town. They went into this FA Cup first-round replay dreaming of glory, upsetting the odds and setting up a dream trip to big guns Charlton Athletic in round two.

Instead, they ended up bowing out with their heads high after a tough night in Bedfordshire when they were forced to battle for 70 minutes with only 10 men.

Needing a good start, the Steelmen got just the opposite as they conceded after only four minutes. A corner from Andy Drury wasn't properly cleared and Matthew Barnes-Homer lashed home a low volley. Barnes-Homer was Luton's main threat early on but he couldn't add to his tally as three times he was denied by fine Chris Mackenize saves.

Then on 24 minutes, Corby's night got worse as Nathan Jarman was sent off following a clash with one of the Hatters' coaching staff that led to several men squaring up to each other. The end result saw Luton assistant boss Gary Brabin sent to the stands while Jarman trudged off. The red card looked harsh, but everyone knows that these days you can't raise you hands to an opponent, playing or non-playing.

However, there was also the feeling that referee Chris Sarginson could have shown a bit of common sense and made do with a yellow card for Jarman. By showing red, he effectively ended Corby's hopes there and then.

Things deteriorated further for the Steelmen on 28 minutes when Barnes-Homer beat the offside trap and crossed for Taiwo Atieno to double the home side's lead with a close-range tap-in. Just to complete a dreadful half-hour, Corby lost skipper Richard Lavery to injury and they also saw Asa Charlton limp off before the break.

Before half-time, Luton almost made it three as George Pilkington's header was cleared off the line by Phil Gulliver and Andy Drury's long-range shot was tipped on to the bar by Mackenzie.

With their dreams and gameplan both in tatters, the Steelmen would have been forgiven for battening down the hatches and salvaging some pride from the night.

Instead, they boldly stuck to their pre-game promise to attack as Steve Diggin was sent on for the second half and went to three at the back with Chris Hope pushed further forward.

However, it looked like all instantly going to pot when Atieno put the ball in the net on 47 minutes but he was flagged offside. Atieno was then denied again by a combination of Mackenzie and the woodwork and the keeper also blocked Dan Gleeson's header as Luton looked to turn the screw even more.

The third finally came on 62 minutes as Atieno flicked home from close range. It was tough on Mackenzie, who was magnificent on the night and proved the point soon after as superbly denied both Barnes-Homer and Atieno. But he was beaten again nine minutes from time by Claude Gnakpa's low shot.

However, that was the cue for Corby to suddenly come to life and finally give their superb fans, something to cheer. Glenn Walker pulled one back on 83 minutes and when Hope drove in a second two minutes later, there was even talk of a comeback.

That never happened but at least Corby had something to smile about. It was the least they and their fans deserved.

Full coverage in Thursday's Evening Telegraph

By John Smith