Carlisle 0-2 Luton

Back in the football league basement after 33 years, Luton got their Division Three campaign off to a winning start as goals from Paul Hughes and Carl Griffiths gave them a 2-0 victory over Carlisle.

In a dull first half it was the home side who went closest when teenage debutant Jonny Allan chipped a 20-yard effort on to the roof of the net.

And soon after the Cumbrians threatened again when Tony Hopper had a long-range drive tipped round the post by Luton goalkeeper Carl Emberson.

But the Hatters exploded into life after the interval and went ahead after just 23 seconds.

Lee Mansell broke and his cross was met by Nicholls who blasted home from close range.

Eleven minutes later, Griffiths increased the visitors' lead with a simple header after defender Russell Perrett had nodded Matt Taylor's free-kick back across goal.

In the closing stages, Carlisle tried everything to find a way back into the game but the nearest they came to scoring was when Dave Morley's header flew inches wide.

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Carlisle: Weaver, Andrews, Whitehead, Morley, Winstanley, Maddison, Soley, Hopper, Thurston, Allan, Halliday. Subs: Stevens, Varty, Murphy, Willis, Keen.

Luton: Emberson, Boyce, Perrett, Skelton, Johnson, Hughes, Nicholls, Mansell, Taylor, Griffiths, Howard. Subs: Douglas, Ward, Fotiadis, Locke, Dryden.

Referee: M Clattenburg (Cramlington)