Football: HOW-ITZER

STEVE HOWARD grabbed a hat-trick to pile on the misery for MK Dons - leaving their caretaker manager Jimmy Gilligan convinced that Luton will be champions

Howard netted for the fourth successive game with the table- toppers' second goal on the stroke of half-time before bagging two more in the second half.

Rowan Vine, on loan from Portsmouth, had put the free-scoring visitors ahead with a wonder strike after eight minutes.

MK Dons hit back immediately after Luton's second goal, with Wade Small scoring for the third successive game in first-half injury time.

But Howard ended the home team's hopes of a comeback with his second of the match after 66 minutes, heading home Kevin Foley's cross.

The striker then claimed the match ball with his third - and 13th of the season - seven minutes from time.

Luton keeper Marlon Beresford pulled off super saves to deny Malvin Kamara and Gary Smith, and keep MK Dons in the relegation zone.

Gilligan said: "The difference between the teams was timing. They did things right and we did things wrong at critical moments that killed us.

"Our young team will learn from that. Some of these boys will go on to play at a higher level and this result will be a good experience for them.

"We were playing the champions. Luton were superb."

Gilligan added: "It's another disappointing result. We need points very badly."

The caretaker ended a run of eight games without a win last weekend in the FA Cup against non-leaguers Lancaster in his first game in charge.

But his future is uncertain and he is facing an injury crisis - although he will have been heartened by the performance of new signing Rizzo, an arrival from Italy's Serie B, despite substituting him in the second half. "Rizzo was superb," he added. "It's been hard getting international clearance for him, but it was worth it.

"He was tired and that's why I took him off in the second half. He thanked me because he was spent."

Delighted Luton boss Mike Newell, whose side have now scored 12 goals in their last four games, said: "We worked very hard for one another and the result was never cut and dried until the third goal. They posed a serious threat up front and we could not relax.

"It sounds crazy to say after seeing those goals but Steve can score more. As for Rowan, that was a lovely goal. He's worked ever so hard without any rewards recently, he really deserved that."

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