BATTLING Cherries were hit by a sucker-punch late winner as the Luton Town express rolled on at Kenilworth Road on August 30.

Sean O'Driscoll's injury-ravaged side produced an excellent defensive display and looked on course to dent the Hatters' 100 per cent league record.

But with just nine minutes remaining, Luton skipper Kevin Nicholls shattered Cherries' brave resistance when he popped up to bag the only goal of the game.

Cherries boss Sean O'Driscoll was forced to ring the changes due to a crippling injury crisis.

Midfielders Wade Elliott and Marcus Browning were both absent after picking up knocks against Wrexham on Saturday, while Derek Holmes, struggling with a groin problem, dropped down to the bench.

Neil Young, Garreth O'Connor and Alan Connell were all restored to the Cherries starting line-up and Ryan Moss, leading goalscorer in the under-17s last season, was a shock inclusion among the substitutes.

Cherries were quickly on the attack and Young sent the first chance dipping over the crossbar after latching on to James Hayter's knockdown before Connell clipped a shot wide of the target from 20 yards.

The Hatters countered when big Steve Howard, who was looking to score for the 10th time in as many consecutive appearances, headed Ahmet Brkovic's cross over the top.

Cherries goalkeeper Neil Moss got down smartly to his left to smother a speculative long-range effort from Nicholls before Rowan Vine hooked a Paul Underwood centre past the post.

Eddie Howe's brave block denied former Cherries star Steve Robinson a shooting chance while Carl Fletcher's sliding tackle also prevented the Northern Ireland international pulling the trigger.

Luton went close to breaking the deadlock in the 33rd minute when Moss was forced to push a goalbound header from Chris Coyne over the crossbar after the big defender had arrived to meet Robinson's corner.

And from the resultant flag kick, again taken from the left by Robinson, Coyne's defensive partner Curtis Davies thudded a header against the top of the crossbar.

O'Connor dragged a right-foot effort wide after Brian Stock's 40th-minute corner had found its way to him before Vine ballooned a volley high over the crossbar from just inside the 18-yard box.

Connell then headed tamely wide from Warren Cummings's deep cross after Cherries had mounted a swift break before Nicholls blazed high and wide at the other end in first-half stoppage time.

At the start of the second half, Connell required treatment after taking a tumble under a challenge from Coyne. The home fans then took it upon themselves to roundly boo Connell every time he touched the ball.

The 21-year-old striker almost provided the perfect riposte when he seized on a poor clearance by Hatters goalkeeper Marlon Beresford, but could only manage to lift his shot over the crossbar from just outside the box.

Young's timely interception nicked the ball off Brkovic's toes before Moss pawed a Howard snapshot around his right-hand post as the Hatters finally began to justify their position at the top of the League One table.

The best chance of the match fell to Vine in the 61st minute after Howe had allowed a hopeful headed clearance by Coyne to bounce past him and into the Pompey loan signing's path.

But with only Moss to beat, Vine was denied when the Cherries goalkeeper again saved the day by spreading himself superbly at the striker's feet to keep the Hatters at bay.

Moss was finally beaten midway through the second half, but Howe was on hand to clear the ball off the line from Howard's header following good work from Brkovic and Underwood.

With 15 minutes remaining, Cherries went within a whisker of taking the lead when Stock's free kick from the right eluded a posse of players inside the six-yard box and flashed past the post.

Disaster struck for Cherries when Luton opened the scoring out of the blue with just nine minutes left through Nicholls, the Luton skipper picking his spot past Moss's outstretched left hand with a shot from around 25 yards.