Luton earned their third win in four games thanks to Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s goal midway through the second half to beat Bournemouth 1-0.
The Cherries played most of the match with 10 men as Jefferson Lerma was sent off after 25 minutes for leading with an arm in an aerial challenge with Tom Lockyer which left the Luton defender with a cut that required heavy bandaging.
The defeat leaves the Cherries trailing the automatic promotion places whilst Luton climbed into the top half of the table.
The first half was played at a frenetic pace but both sides were short of a cutting edge.
Luke Berry’s misplaced back header was seized on by Josh King but he could make a firm connection with his volley.
Later in the half, Simon Sluga saved from King at the near post after neat approach work from the Cherries.
After few chances in the first half, Bournemouth were thankful for three brilliant saves from Asmir Begovic at the start of the second.
First he denied Glen Rea with a brilliant reflex stop before a double save to deny first Berry and then Dewsbury-Hall.
Bournemouth were reduced to attacking on the break and they almost took the lead when King broke down the left flank and slid the ball into the path of Dominic Solanke whose goal-bound shot was brilliantly diverted round the post by the recovering Dan Potts.
Nathan Jones had switched to a back four at half-time to allow an extra man to push into midfield after starting the game in a 5-3-2 formation.
The Hatters took advantage of their extra man as former Bournemouth forward Harry Cornick teed up Dewsbury-Hall on the edge of the area and he buried a shot into the far corner.
Jason Tindall made a raft of changes in an attempt to get back into the game but Luton were relentless in their work rate and organisation.
The usually free-scoring Cherries have struggled to break down both Millwall and Luton this week and the outcome of their quest for promotion is likely to depend in large part on their ability to find a way past teams who set up to frustrate them.
The return of King ought to have provided a welcome tonic for Tindall but the Norway striker looks a shadow of the player who was linked with Manchester United in last January’s transfer window.
The Hatters can now look upwards after a good run of results ahead of a tough-looking trip to Brentford on Wednesday.
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