Luton Pip Forest Green in Seven-goal FA Cup Thriller

League One Luton Town survived a scare to beat National League side Forest Green Rovers 4-3 in the FA Cup first round.

Gideon Kodua came off the bench to win it in stoppage time after the visitors came from 3-0 down in the second half to level the match.

Lamine Fanne and Nahki Wells had put Jack Wilshere’s side in control at the break, and Wells thought he had secured victory with his second goal of the game early in the second half.

However, substitutes Tom Knowles, Kyle McAllister and Aidan Dausch pulled Rovers back into it before Kodua struck with a decisive finish on a night of high drama at Kenilworth Road.

Both sides traded early chances before Fanne curled an effort just wide. Moments later, he found the net with a similar chance from the edge of the area after being fed by Wells, despite being off balance.

Wells pounced to double the lead on the half-hour mark after Fiachra Pagel spilled Cohen Bramall’s free-kick into his path. The striker should have had another goal a second a minute later but he fired over after springing the offside trap.

Jili Buyabu thought he had halved the deficit with half-time looming. A well-worked corner kick found him in space but his attempt at goal was blocked by Teden Mengi.

Wells made it 3-0 with another close-range finish as Fanne repaid the compliment from his earlier assist after Tre Pemberton was dispossessed high up the pitch.

On the hour, Knowles pulled Rovers back into the game with a curling effort from the edge of the Luton box, which wrongfooted keeper Josh Keeley after a deflection off Mengi, but few in the ground could have foreseen what was to come.

Mengi’s night took a turn for the worse just seven minutes later when he brought down Harry Whitwell in the area to concede a penalty kick, and McAllister stepped up to make it 3-2.

With 11 minutes remaining, the ball fell to debutant Dausch after Luton failed to clear and he levelled the scores, sending Forest Green boss Robbie Savage and the travelling fans wild.

Rovers captain Laurent Mendy almost completed an amazing turnaround but his header hit the crossbar with four minutes to go.

Kodua broke Rovers hearts in stoppage time when he smashed home from close range, but there was still time for Dausch to squander a wonderful chance to take the tie into extra time.

‘We found a way’ – Wilshere

Luton Town manager Jack Wilshere told BBC Radio Three Counties:

“It was a tough second half. It is hard to analyse right now because there was so much happening. But it is three wins in a row [for us] and I’m not sure when that last happened.

“That is important for the players, that they see we are about winning. We have to be better in the second half but we will look at that.

“Credit to them. We expected them to be like that, a Robbie Savage team. In the first half we did well with killing their spirit. We kept the ball well and it is difficult when they get a bit of momentum.

“We found a way and sometimes you have to find a way.”

‘One of the best moments of my footballing life’ – Savage

Forest Green Rovers manager Robbie Savage told BBC Radio Gloucester:

“It is one of the proudest moments of my footballing life.

“For my team to do that at 3-0 down, to have the courage, the application, the desire, the willingness to work, to go 3-3 and hit the bar.

“Dauschy was in tears at the end, walking off. The Luton fans gave us a round of applause, clapping us off as a team. They know. I love this team and they were magnificent.

“We knew they would get tired. Three subs all scored. I’m so proud of them.”

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Source: BBC