The 2017–18 season was the 132nd in the history of Luton Town Football Club, a professional association football club based in Luton, Bedfordshire, England. Their fourth-place finish in 2016–17 and defeat to Blackpool in the play-offs meant it was the club's fourth consecutive season in League Two and 92nd season in the English Football League. The season ran from 1 July 2017 to 30 June 2018.
Background and pre-season
The 2016–17 season was Nathan Jones' first full season as manager of Luton Town, having been appointed in January 2016. Luton finished in fourth-place in the 2016–17 League Two table, having spent only one week of the season outside the top seven positions. This meant they reached the play-offs, and were beaten 6–5 on aggregate by Blackpool in the play-off semi-final, with the tie decided in the fifth minute of stoppage time by an own goal from goalkeeper Stuart Moore, who was on loan from Reading.
At the end of the 2016–17 season, Luton released Stephen O'Donnell, Danny Green, Zane Banton, Craig Mackail-Smith and Liam Gooch. Jonathan Smith, Josh McQuoid and Jake Gray were placed on the transfer list, with the latter signing for Yeovil Town for an undisclosed fee. Cameron McGeehan and Jack Marriott were sold to Championship and League One clubs Barnsley and Peterborough United respectively for undisclosed fees. Dan Potts was retained with a new one-year contract, while Craig King rejected a new contract in favour of dropping into non-League. James Justin signed a new three-year contract after Luton rejected a reported seven-figure bid from Championship club Nottingham Forest, while midfielder Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu extended his own contract at the club until 2020. Luton made eight summer signings, including goalkeepers Marek Štěch from Sparta Prague, James Shea from AFC Wimbledon, Harry Isted from Stoke City, defender Jack Stacey from Reading, midfielders Alan McCormack from Brentford, Andrew Shinnie on loan from Birmingham City, and strikers James Collins from Crawley Town, and Elliot Lee from Barnsley.
In terms of backroom staff, Luton chairman Nick Owen, who had fronted the consortium that took over and stabilised the club in 2008, announced he was to step down from the position on 3 August.
+ Pre-season match detailsDateOpponentsVenueResultScoreF–AScorersAttendanceHitchin TownAD2–2Tomlinson 60', James 73'1,332Bedford TownAW2–1Collins 22', Potts 72' pen.1,279NK BravoAW6–2Vassell (2) 8', 40', Cook 42', Collins (2) 58', 79', E. Lee 86' pen.—Hitchin TownAW2–0Rea 50', Collins 86'533Boreham WoodAW2–0Mpanzu 12', O. Lee 51'—Leicester CityHL0–14,237Scunthorpe UnitedHW2–1Collins 22' pen., Stacey 81'1,735
Review August Luton began the season at home to Yeovil Town and won the match 8–2, the club's biggest Football League victory since a 6–0 win over Crewe Alexandra in December 1996. Otis Khan gave the away team the lead in the seventh minute with a free kick from 22 yards, before Olly Lee equalised five minutes later with a volley from Isaac Vassell's cross. James Collins put Luton in front on 19 minutes when he chipped the ball over goalkeeper Artur Krysiak and into the net, before Alan McCormack scored with a volley from 25 yards five minutes later to make the score 3–1. Vassell then scored twice in two minutes to give Luton a 5–1 lead, before Marek Štěch saved a penalty from Khan to ensure the score remained the same going into half-time. Collins scored twice in eight minutes after half-time to complete his hat-trick, before François Zoko scored a consolation goal for Yeovil a minute later with a header from Ryan Dickson's cross, and Elliot Lee scored Luton's eighth goal in the ninth minute of stoppage time. Transfer-listed midfielder Jonathan Smith had his contract with Luton terminated by mutual consent, allowing him to join Stevenage, while forward Harry Cornick was signed from AFC Bournemouth on a two-year contract, with the option of a one-year extension, for an undisclosed fee. Luton were knocked out of the EFL Cup in the first round after being beaten 2–0 at home to Championship club Ipswich Town, who scored in each half through David McGoldrick. Frankie Musonda signed a new contract with Luton, which contracted him to the club until the summer of 2019, and Kavan Cotter joined Southern League Premier Division club Hitchin Town on a one-month youth loan. Luton suffered their first league defeat of the season after losing 1–0 to Barnet, who scored in second-half stoppage time through Jack Taylor with a 25-yard curling shot. Vassell joined Championship club Birmingham City for an undisclosed fee.
Luton's first match in the EFL Trophy was at home to Tottenham Hotspur U21, and took the lead in the 19th minute through Luke Gambin with a drilled shot into the bottom corner, before the visitors equalised two minutes later when James Shea scored an own goal after Joe Pritchard's shot hit the post and rebounded off him. After going behind two minutes after half-time to Ryan Loft's goal, Josh McQuoid equalised on 51 minutes with a header from Jack James' cross. The match finished 2–2 and Luton went on to win the penalty shoot-out 4–2. This was followed by a 3–0 win at home to Colchester United, in which Olly Lee gave Luton the lead in first-half stoppage time after Colchester failed to clear a corner. Collins doubled the lead on 52 minutes with a curling shot into the top corner before Dan Potts touched in Alan Sheehan's free kick in the 83rd minute. Midfielder Luke Berry was signed from Cambridge United on a three-year contract, with the option of a one-year extension, for an undisclosed fee. Luton drew 2–2 away to Mansfield Town, who took the lead in the 23rd minute through Rhys Bennett after Luton failed to make a clearance, before Lee Angol doubled the lead on 71 minutes. Collins brought Luton back into the match in the 85th minute with a tap-in from close range, before Danny Hylton equalised four minutes later with a header from two yards. Štěch then saved a penalty from Jimmy Spencer in the sixth minute of stoppage time to ensure the score remained 2–2. Tyreeq Bakinson joined Championship club Bristol City for an undisclosed fee, while striker Aaron Jarvis was signed from Basingstoke Town on a one-year contract, with the option of a one-year extension, for an undisclosed fee.
September Luton recorded their second successive away draw as they drew 0–0 with newly promoted Lincoln City. This was followed by a 3–0 defeat at home to Swindon Town, in which Scott Cuthbert was sent off in the 32nd minute for shirt pulling in the penalty area, with Luke Norris scoring the resulting penalty to give the visitors the lead. Chris Hussey doubled Swindon's lead six minutes after half-time, and Paul Mullin finished the scoring on 62 minutes with a powerful shot past Štěch. Luton returned to winning ways after a 2–0 win at home to Port Vale. Ben Whitfield scored an own goal on 38 minutes to put Luton in front before Jack Stacey scored five minutes after half-time with a powerful shot into the roof of the net to make the score 2–0, having run 60 yards in the process. Luton went behind away to Wycombe Wanderers when Adebayo Akinfenwa scored a header from Michael Harriman's cross in the 40th minute, before goalkeeper Scott Brown saved a penalty from Hylton on 52 minutes after he was fouled by Joe Jacobson. Cuthbert equalised with a volley in the 90th minute, and Collins scored with a close-range header in the eighth minute of stoppage time, meaning the match ended in a 2–1 win for Luton. Cotter returned to Hitchin Town on a one-month youth loan, while McQuoid was loaned to National League club Torquay United for three months. Hylton scored the only goal in the 53rd minute as Luton recorded a third successive victory after a 1–0 win at home to Chesterfield. Luton's run of wins ended with a 0–0 draw away to Morecambe, in which Jarvis made his debut as a substitute in the 87th minute. Sheehan scored a free kick to give Luton a 12th-minute lead at home to Newport County, before Hylton doubled the lead from close range 10 minutes later. Hylton then scored a penalty in the 35th minute to make the score 3–0 after Ben Tozer handled the ball in the penalty area, and Joss Labadie scored a consolation goal for Newport 10 minutes into the second half with a volley, the match finishing 3–1.
October Luton went behind at home to Barnet in the EFL Trophy when Shea fouled Andre Blackman in the penalty area, with Jack Taylor scoring the resulting penalty to give the visitors the lead in the 63rd minute, before Elliot Lee equalised two minutes later with a 20-yard curling shot. The match finished 1–1 and Luton won the penalty shoot-out 4–3. Luton won 2–0 away to Accrington Stanley, a result that saw them move above Accrington into third place in the table. Collins opened the scoring with a tap-in on 22 minutes, and Hylton doubled the lead with a penalty late in the first half after Sheehan was tripped by Janoi Donacien in the penalty area. Berry scored a header to give Luton a third-minute lead at home to Stevenage, and Hylton scored four minutes later when he capitalised on a defensive mistake to make the score 2–0. Berry made it 3–0 with a shot into the bottom corner on 21 minutes, before Ben Kennedy pulled one back for Stevenage in first-half stoppage time. Hylton scored a penalty early into the second half, before Berry completed his hat-trick 10 minutes later with a 20-yard curling shot, and with further goals from Gambin and James Justin in stoppage time, the match finished 7–1.
Luton moved to the top of the table after a 4–1 win away to Exeter City. Collins opened the scoring for Luton from close range in the eighth minute, before Exeter equalised when Jake Taylor curled a shot into the top corner on 21 minutes. Potts restored Luton's lead shortly after half-time, before Hylton made it 3–1 with a powerful shot past goalkeeper Christy Pym in the 52nd minute, and Cornick finished the scoring three minutes later with a tap-in from close range from Hylton's cross. Luton's run of four successive league wins ended after drawing 0–0 away to Crawley Town, who had lost their last four home matches. Cotter's loan at Hitchin was extended for another month. A 3–0 defeat at home to Coventry City saw Luton's nine-match unbeaten run in the league come to an end, with the visitors taking the lead in the 17th minute through Marc McNulty with a header. Coventry scored twice in second-half stoppage time, the first coming after Rea was sent off for a foul on McNulty, with Jordan Shipley scoring the resulting free kick, and the second was scored by Duckens Nazon four minutes later to finish the scoring. Luton progressed to the second round of the EFL Trophy as Southern Group F winners after a 2–1 win away to AFC Wimbledon, in which they took the lead in the 12th minute when Andrew Shinnie's shot beat goalkeeper Joe McDonnell. Lyle Taylor equalised for AFC Wimbledon two minutes later with a shot into the bottom corner from close range, before Shinnie scored the winner on 72 minutes with a side-footed shot into the bottom corner.
November