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Jacob Brown opened the scoring after just 96 seconds at Kenilworth RoadLuton marked their first game at Kenilworth Road this season with victory over League Two Gillingham in the Carabao Cup second round.
Jacob Brown opened the scoring after just 96 seconds before Alfie Doughty's magnificent free-kick doubled the Hatters' lead before half-time.
Jayden Clarke gave the Gills hope after the break, only for Cauley Woodrow to restore Luton's two-goal advantage.
Tom Nichols made it 3-2 but Luton held on.
Luton chief executive Gary Sweet had described Tuesday evening's game as a "significant landmark" for the Hatters, who had to postpone their opening Premier League game at Kenilworth Road in order to complete a £10m renovation of the Bobbers Stand to meet top-flight standards.
The home side rose to the occasion with a fantastic start, Brown rifling Luke Berry's knock-down into the far corner to the delight of the crowd.
Gillingham, who were in the same division as their hosts as recently as 2019, responded well to falling behind but there was little they could do about Luton's second from Doughty, who played a short one-two with Berry before curling the ball past Gills keeper Glenn Morris from 25 yards.
The visitors reduced the arrears ten minutes into the second half, when Clarke raced down the left flank before cutting inside and calmly lifting the ball over the onrushing Tim Krul.
Clarke's smart finish appeared to spark the Gills into life and they spurned two good opportunities to restore parity, Krul blocking Ashley Nadesan's goal-bound shot with his right leg before Macauley Bonne blazed over the crossbar from a corner.
Those misses ended up proving costly, as Woodrow latched on to Shadrach Ogie's poor clearance and finished magnificently from inside the penalty area to put Luton 3-1 ahead.
Second-half substitute Nichols glanced a header past Krul with two minutes remaining to set up a nervous finish, but the Hatters held on to claim their first victory of the campaign.
Luton welcome West Ham to Kenilworth Road in the Premier League on Friday, while Gillingham - currently second in League Two - visit Grimsby on Saturday.
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Luton Town
Squad number23Player nameKrul
Squad number4Player nameLockyer
Squad number5Player nameAndersen
Squad number29Player nameBell
Squad number45Player nameDoughty
Squad number17Player nameMpanzu
Squad number8Player nameBerry
Squad number26Player nameGiles
Squad number7Player nameOgbene
Squad number10Player nameWoodrow
Squad number19Player nameBrown
Squad number6Player nameBarkley
Squad number11Player nameAdebayo
Squad number12Player nameKaboré
Squad number13Player nameNakamba
Squad number16Player nameBurke
Gillingham
Squad number1Player nameMorris
Squad number2Player nameAlexander
Squad number4Player nameMasterson
Squad number5Player nameEhmer
Squad number22Player nameOgie
Squad number3Player nameClark
Squad number10Player nameNadesan
Squad number38Player nameDieng
Squad number14Player nameMcKenzie
Squad number17Player nameClarke
Squad number45Player nameBonne
Squad number6Player nameWilliams
Squad number8Player nameWilliams
Squad number9Player nameNichols
Squad number13Player nameMalone
Squad number31Player nameSithole
Line-ups
Luton
Formation 3-4-3
- 23Krul
- 4LockyerSubstituted forBurkeat 45'minutes
- 5Andersen
- 29Bell
- 45Doughty
- 17Mpanzu
- 8BerryBooked at 34minsSubstituted forBarkleyat 60'minutes
- 26GilesSubstituted forKaboréat 60'minutes
- 7OgbeneSubstituted forNakambaat 69'minutes
- 10Woodrow
- 19BrownSubstituted forAdebayoat 81'minutes
Substitutes
- 1Shea
- 6Barkley
- 9Morris
- 11Adebayo
- 12Kaboré
- 13Nakamba
- 14Chong
- 16Burke
- 38Johnson
Gillingham
Formation 5-4-1
- 1Morris
- 2Alexander
- 4Masterson
- 5Ehmer
- 22Ogie
- 3ClarkSubstituted forMaloneat 72'minutes
- 10NadesanSubstituted forWilliamsat 73'minutes
- 38DiengBooked at 43minsSubstituted forWilliamsat 73'minutes
- 14McKenzie
- 17ClarkeSubstituted forSitholeat 87'minutes
- 45BonneSubstituted forNicholsat 72'minutes
Substitutes
- 6Williams
- 8Williams
- 9Nichols
- 13Malone
- 25Turner
- 26Orji
- 29Gbode
- 31Sithole
- 32Chambers
Referee:Jeremy Simpson
Attendance:9,468
Live Text
Match ends, Luton Town 3, Gillingham 2.
Second Half ends, Luton Town 3, Gillingham 2.
Attempt blocked. Cauley Woodrow (Luton Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Attempt saved. Ross Barkley (Luton Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Marvelous Nakamba.
Corner, Gillingham. Conceded by Marvelous Nakamba.
Attempt blocked. Jonny Williams (Gillingham) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Foul by Marvelous Nakamba (Luton Town).
Shaun Williams (Gillingham) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Cauley Woodrow (Luton Town).
Max Ehmer (Gillingham) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt saved. Scott Malone (Gillingham) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Shadrach Ogie.
Corner, Gillingham. Conceded by Elijah Adebayo.
Foul by Reece Burke (Luton Town).
Jonny Williams (Gillingham) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Goal! Luton Town 3, Gillingham 2. Tom Nichols (Gillingham) header from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Cheye Alexander with a cross.
Substitution, Gillingham. Ronald Sithole replaces Jayden Clarke.
Attempt saved. Max Ehmer (Gillingham) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Shaun Williams with a cross.
Foul by Alfie Doughty (Luton Town).
Tom Nichols (Gillingham) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Marvelous Nakamba (Luton Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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