Luton Town booked their place in the Semi-Finals of the Vertu Trophy after a hard‑fought 2-1 victory over Plymouth Argyle at Kenilworth Road, with Jordan Clark’s late penalty sealing a home tie against Northampton Town.

Both sides named strong line-ups for the quarter-final clash, though Argyle were forced into a late alteration when Brendan Wiredu was withdrawn from the starting XI, allowing Bradley Ibrahim to step in.

The visitors created the first clear opening of the night. Xavier Amaechi raced through one-on-one, but goalkeeper James Shea reacted sharply, spreading himself well to divert the winger’s effort behind for a corner.

Luton struck with their first major opportunity. Jake Richards delivered a teasing cross that evaded the bodies in the box and found Isaiah Jones at the far post. The winger’s angled strike beat Conor Hazard, creeping over the line to give the hosts the lead.

Defender Teden Mengi later limped off after pulling up near the touchline, but despite the disruption, the Hatters continued to carry the greater threat. Hazard was called into action twice after the break—first to deny George Saville, making his 500th club appearance, and then to push away a stinging effort from Clark.

Argyle, winners of their last three league fixtures, were handed a route back into the tie when Shea miscued a sliding clearance outside his penalty area. The ball rolled straight to Tegan Finn, who took full advantage by calmly lofting a 30-yard finish into the unguarded net.

Just as the contest looked destined for further tension, Luton regained control. With time running out, Nahki Wells was tripped in the box by Mathias Ross, and Clark stepped up confidently to drive home the decisive spot-kick.

Julio Pleguezuelo went close to a second equaliser for the visitors, his header drifting narrowly over, but it was Luton who finished the stronger. Kasey Palmer forced another stop from Hazard as Jack Wilshere’s side saw out the victory.

Luton will now welcome Northampton Town to Kenilworth Road in the last four, while the competition’s other semi-final pits Doncaster Rovers against Stockport County.

Late penalty sends Luton into Vertu Trophy Semi-Final

Late penalty sends Luton into Vertu Trophy Semi-Final