Magnificent Town dealt Luton Town a 5-0 thrashing at Portman Road in front of the Sky cameras. Sylvain Legwinski put the Blues in front as they dominated the first half, before Jaime Peters and an Alan Lee hat-trick completed the rout.

As expected Shane Supple replaced the injured Lewis Price in goal, Simon Walton took over from the suspended Mark Noble in midfield and Billy Clarke came in for Jon Macken up front, but other than it was the side which defeated Southend 3-1 last week. Ex-Blue Sam Parkin had not recovered from his ankle problem and was not in the Luton 16.

Other than a wayward Legwinski shot into the upper tier of the North Stand, there were few signs of the goal-fest to come in the early stages.

The Blues gradually gained control of the midfield and should have gone ahead in the 11th minute. A Matt Richards shot had deflected wide for a corner and from the former England U21 international's quadrant-kick, Jason De Vos headed the ball back, Alex Bruce added a touch and Billy Clarke shot over from close range when he probably should have scored.

A minute later Shane Supple was quickly off his line to clear after his Luton opposite number Marlon Beresford had kicked long as Clarke chased down a through ball.

On 14 Alex Bruce picked up his now obligatory yellow card, perhaps a touch unfortunately as he appeared to inadvertently fell Rowan Vine after he himself had tripped. The ex-Birmingham man has now collected eight yellow cards in his first 12 Town games.

Town continued to dominate and in the 18th minute the impressive Richards played in Dan Harding but the left-back went just wide.

Two minutes later, a corner was cleared to Simon Walton, who played the ball to Jaime Peters, the Canadian sending in a cross which Bruce headed off the crossbar. Leon Barnett put the ball out of play and from the corner Town were in front. Richards whipped in another dangerous corner and Sylvain Legwinski got ahead of his defender to nod the ball across the keeper and into the net for his second goal in two games.

The Hatters briefly came back at the Blues after the goal, Vine sending a low ball across the Town box but with no Luton player in the area the danger was short-lived.

On the half hour, Town came close to a second. Harding found Clarke with a diagonal pass, the Irish youngster playing the ball back to Peters who teed up Walton. The loanee from Charlton's 25-yard strike was brilliantly tipped over by Beresford. From Richards's corner, De Vos rocketed a volley wide.

The Blues were tearing the visitors apart and the pace of Peters and Clarke down the right led to Legwinski curling a low strike against Beresford's left post, the ball rebounding across the six-yard box to Alan Lee whose shot on the turn was seen out for yet another Town corner.

Peters headed a Richards cross wide, then Walton saw a strike deflect past the post. From Richards's corner, De Vos headed down to Legwinski's whose shot was saved.

Just before the break, Clarke was sent through one-on-one with Beresford but the former Burnley keeper stood his ground well and saved. Matt Richards seized on the loose ball and gave Clarke a second chance, but his shot from the left struck the bar, the third time the Blues had hit the woodwork during the first 45 minutes.

Town were enthusiastically applauded off at the break, having put in their best 45 minutes at Portman Road since Jim Magilton became manager. Legwinski, Walton and Richards had dominated the midfield, while the pace of Clarke up front and Peters wide on the right had given the Hatters' backline all sorts of problems.

The visitors started the second half more brightly and could have been on terms in the 47th minute. One-time Town target Carlos Edwards escaped the Blues' offside trap on the right and crossed for Warren Feeney, whose grandfather James played for the Blues in the fifties, and the Northern Irish international put the ball into the net. Fortunately for the Blues, the linesman's flag had been raised for offside.

Sylvain Legwinski received his third yellow card of the season soon after for encroaching at a freekick, although the Frenchman appeared to have charged the ball down after Dean Morgan had rolled the ball to David Bell to hit a shot. Referee Iain Williamson allowed the Hatters to retake the kick and this time Bell effort wide.

On 54 Harding played the ball into Walton's feet on the left, the midfielder flicking the ball into the path of Clarke who took the ball into the area but again seeing his strike saved by Beresford. Eventually the ball returned to Harding on the left, the full-back sending in a looping cross towards Lee, who tangled with Beresford. The loose ball dropped for Jaime Peters who turned the ball into the net from close range for his first goal in English football.

There was a palpable sense of relief that the Blues had finally registered a much-deserved second, memories of the recent Preston game still fresh in minds.

The third came after a period of sustained Town pressure. Legwinski slipped the ball through to Lee who found himself space to send the ball back across Beresford and into the net.

Shane Supple, largely a spectator, tipped away a dangerous corner which appeared to be on its way into the net in the 66th minute, before Jim Magilton gave Clarke and Peters a rest, introducing Gary Roberts and Danny Haynes, the loanee from Accrington joining Lee up front and Haynes going to the right of midfield. Two minutes later, Richard Naylor replaced Jason De Vos who limped off the field.

Haynes had the ball in the net in the 72nd minute but Roberts had taken the ball out of play as he crossed for the youngster.

The fourth goal came in the 75th minute, again from a Richards corner. Haynes's header was saved and Lee reacted quickest to stab the ball into the roof of the net.

Walton belted a 25-yard volley into the upper tier of the Greene King Stand, before Alan Lee shot just wide with Portman Road now involved in a Mexican Wave.

Roberts appeared to have teed Lee up for his hat-trick but the Irishman fluffed his shot, but his third and Town's fifth wasn't too long in coming. Richards played in Roberts inside the area behind Kevin Foley who tripped him. Referee Williamson had no doubt it was a penalty and Lee put the spotkick to Beresford's left to claim his first hat-trick for Town and the Blues' first since Dean Bowditch's against Watford, also in front of the cameras, in March 2004.

As the game moved into injury time, Roberts went for a sixth, but shot into the sidenetting.

A superb performance from the Blues against a well under par Luton side, perhaps hampered by the flu bug which struck them down earlier in the week. Town were irresistible throughout with Legwinski and Richards particularly impressive in the midfield and the pace and movement of Clarke and Peters always a threat.

Clarke was hugely unlucky not to get on the scoresheet, while Peters's confidence will be boosted by the goal and another impressive display. At the back, Town rarely looked threatened and there were few signs of the disorganisation of recent home matches.

Lee, who has now scored five goals in his last three games and eight in his last seven, took his chances well and is currently in supreme form in front of goal.

A confident home display was needed after the recent defeats to West Brom and Preston and this was exactly what was required.

Town: Supple, Wilnis, Harding, De Vos (Naylor 69), Bruce, Walton, Legwinski, Richards, Peters, Lee, Clarke. Unused: Drobný, Currie. Att: 20,975.

Photo: Action Images

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