FA Cup first round proper

Luton Town 3 (3) Rochdale 3 (0)

Out of the wilderness, Steve Basham and Shane Gore took centre stage for Town, but not even their heroics could stop the Hatters from throwing away a three-goal lead against Rochdale in the first round proper of the FA Cup.

Non-league Luton dismantled League Two high-flyers Dale in the first half as they raced into a 3-0 half-time lead courtesy of Basham's first two goals for the club and a fantastic chip from Adam Newton.

But the hosts tired after the break and their rearguard action eventually crumbled under the relentless pressure from Dale who scored twice in the last three minutes to force a replay at Spotland, likely to be scheduled for a week on Tuesday.

New Hatters manager Richard Money made a huge seven changes to the team that lost 2-0 at home to Rushden & Diamonds in the league of Saturday.

With Mark Tyler tweaking his back in the warm-up and Kevin Nicholls ruled out with a hip injury, they were left out of the squad entirely, while Ed Asafu-Adjaye, Tom Craddock, Asa Hall, Jake Howells and Rossi Jarvis all dropped to the bench.

As a result, in came Gore for his Luton debut in goal, the fit-again Keith Keane, Andy Burgess, Shane Blackett, Claude Gnakpa, Basham and Freddie Murray.

And Town made a dream start, taking the lead inside four minutes. Burgess produced a bit of magic in the middle before slipping Kevin Gallen free on the left. His pull-back found Newton, playing on the left wing, whose inch-perfect cross picked out Basham to head home from inside the six yard box.

It was a breathless opening, with the Hatters playing some good stuff and Basham and Burgess looking particularly lively.

However, it was Dale that threatened next. A forceful run down the left by Adam Rundle created the opportunity, but Gore was just about able to smother Chris Dagnell's low effort that was straight at him.

Murray was then yellow-carded by the referee after he was deemed to have tumbled unfairly in the Rochdale box, before the hosts went close again on 11 minutes.

Rochdale struggled to clear a Town corner and, when the ball finally came to George Pilkington, playing at right-back, he could only head right at Kenny Arthur.

League Two Dale, though, posed plenty of problems when they went forward. Captain Gary Jones thumped a long range effort straight at Gore, and Dale should have levelled on 13 minutes when Dagnell slipped in Rundle, but he could only pull his effort past the far post with just Gore left to beat.

Still trailing by a goal, Dale started to take control. Thomas Kennedy's free-kick may have cannoned off Town's defensive wall, but the ball fell straight to Dagnell who was only denied by a great combination of Blackett and Alan White.

Stand-in Hatters keeper Gore was growing into the game and came to Luton's rescue on 19 minutes. Chris O'Grady found himself in space on the left-hand side of the box and Gore pulled off a great full-stretch save low to his left to turn the effort away.

Having soaked up Dale's pressure, the Hatters doubled their lead with a beautiful goal two minutes later. Burgess was again instrumental, threading a lovely ball through to the onrushing Newton, whose first-time chip was far too good for the stranded Arthur.

And Town almost repeated the trick again on 27 minute when Murray's long ball forward found Gallen, but the veteran striker could only lift his effort well over.

But Town were 3-0 up just before the half-hour mark as they threatened to embarrass their higher division opponents. Pilkington's clearance fell nicely for Gnakpa who skinned his man on the right as he nipped to the byline. Craig Dawson could only clear his cross as far as Basham and he speared his effort into the top left-hand corner as the chants of "easy, easy, easy" echoed around Kenilworth Road.

Dale, though, continued to look dangerous every time they went forward and Gore came to Town's rescue again seconds later as he raced off his line to superbly deny O'Grady.

The visitors dominated the closing stages of the half, but despite all their possession and pressure chances were few and far between. Gore had to turn another O'Grady effort behind for a corner but that was about as much as the lacklustre visitors could manage.

And Town almost replicated their start in the first half after the break. Two Burgess corners picked out Pilkington, who had been moved into midfield following the substitution of Keane, but both times he could only head wide of the far post. Sandwiched in-between, Arthur was just about able to turn away a fierce Gnakpa drive.

Dale's bad day at the office, though, was summed up on 50 minutes when they spurned a glorious opportunity to pull a goal back. Rundle ate up the ground on the left before laying the ball across the box. Dagnell's dummy completely threw Town's defence, but O'Grady could only blaze wastefully over the bar with only Gore to beat.

The Luton keeper was then bravely off his line moments later as he did well to snaffle the ball off Jones as he looked to race through.

But Dale did grab themselves a lifeline on 58 minutes. The Hatter conceded a needless free-kick on the left and Kennedy whipped it in for McArdle to flick his header – albeit via a deflection – home.

Undeterred Town went close several times on the hour. Gallen's cross was headed powerfully towards goal by Pilkington, only for his effort to be blocked. Alan White had a shot repelled and Burgess could only skew his follow-up wide.

Gnakpa was then barged over in the box, but nothing was given, before Joe Thompson lofted an effort well over at the other end.

Buoyed by their strike, Luton started to rock as Dale chased a second. Marcus Holness' long ball was allowed to run straight through Town's defence but Gore was again at his best to brilliantly save at the feet of Jones before beating away substitute William Buckley's follow-up.

On the back foot, Town's play was becoming more aimless as they looked to contain Dale and offered little in attack.

The home side could barely get a kick as the game entered the last 10 minutes with Dale in complete control.

And their pressure finally told with three minutes left when the visitors made it 3-2. Town simply couldn't cope with Dale's seemingly endless series of crosses and, from Kennedy's delicious delivery, Thompson was on hand to force the ball home from close range.

A mix-up in the visitors' defence left their keeper stranded with two minutes left, but Gallen could only lob harmlessly wide.

Town should have sealed victory seconds later when Gallen and substitute Tom Craddock combined wonderfully to set the young striker through but Arthur somehow pulled of a great point-blank save to turn Craddock's effort wide.

And Town paid the ultimate price when the northerners levelled in the very last minute. Jones was allowed too much time to cross and Thompson was left with the simplest of tasks to net his header from close range and force a replay.

Hatters: Shane Gore, Keith Keane (C, Jake Howells 46), Alan White, George Pilkington, Adam Newton, Andy Burgess, Shane Blackett, Claude Gnakpa, Steve Basham (Tom Craddock 75), Kevin Gallen, Freddie Murray. Substitutes not used: Ed Asafu-Adjaye, Asa Hall, Rossi Jarvis, Ryan Charles, Callum Reynolds.

Dale: Kenny, Arthur, Thomas Kennedy, Jason Kennedy, Gary Jones (C), Chris Dagnell, Adam Rundle (Kallum Higginbotham 57), Joe Thompson, Chris O'Grady (William Buckley 57), Rory McArdle, Craig Dawson, Marcus Holness. Substitutes not used: Scott Spencer, Danny Taberner, Marcus Magna, Josh Brizell, Matthew Flynn.

Referee: D McDermid.

Assistant referees: C Breakspear and E Kaye.

Fourth official: J Hopkins.

Bookings: Freddie Murray y; Adam Newton 78.

Attendance: 3,167 (Dale 355).

Star Hatter: Shane Gore. Fine stops from the debutant kept Town in it.