Both visiting managers left happy but it was a close call. Stuart Pearce, the England Under-21 coach, came to see James Vaughan make his first appearance of the season but the striker did not come on until the 71st minute. While the 19-year-old made a successful return from a shoulder injury, David Moyes almost suffered a serious case of wounded pride.

Everton have reached the quarter-finals of the Carling Cup, the first time they have progressed as far under Moyes’s management, but for much of this match last night they were as tepid as their opponents were vibrant.

The previous time Everton were in the last eight of this competition, Luton Town won it. That was in 1988 and Kenilworth Road has not altered much since. But Luton owe a debt to their little old ground because it is as uncomfortable for visiting teams as spectators.

Sunderland and Charlton Athletic were dispatched here in previous rounds. Thanks mainly to a turgid first-half performance, Everton looked capable of becoming the next giant to be slain by a side who are lower mid-table in Coca-Cola League One.

Without Andrew Johnson and Mikel Arteta, Everton lacked vigour and invention until the second half of normal time and Luton enjoyed the bulk of possession despite the setback of their 39-year-old top scorer, Paul Furlong, going off injured after 20 minutes.

Around the hour mark, Everton found some momentum. Dean Brill, the Luton goalkeeper, lived up to his name with a smart stop from Leon Osman’s deflected shot. In the same passage of play, Joleon Lescott made room in the area for a low diagonal drive that clipped the far post. Soon afterwards, Matthew Spring cleared Phil Jagielka’s header off the line.

Luton were unbowed but a defensive lapse ten minutes into extra time proved fatal. Thomas Gravesen’s low corner was not cleared, the ball broke to Tim Cahill at the far post and the substitute, recovering from a foot injury himself, scored from close range.

“He’s not yet match-fit but he’s got a fantastic knack of being in the right place at the right time,” Alan Irvine, the Everton assistant manager, said. Then Everton hung on.

“It just wouldn’t pop in at the end,” Kevin Blackwell, the Luton manager, said. “Moysey had to put on his big guns to rescue a situation that had gone away from him. You couldn’t tell who had got the money and who hadn’t.”

Luton Town (4-4-2): D Brill – C Perry, C Coyne, J Fojut, A Goodall – D Bell, S Robinson, M Spring, D Currie (sub: D Morgan, 104min) – P Furlong (sub: C Andrew, 20), D Edwards (sub: P McVeigh, 104). Substitutes not used: D Hutchison, R Jackson. Booked: Fojut, Perry.

Everton (4-4-2): S Wessels – P Jagielka, A Stubbs, J Lescott, N Valente – P Neville, L Carsley, L Osman, S Pienaar (sub: T Gravesen, 95) – V Anichebe (sub: T Cahill, 77), J McFadden (sub: J Vaughan, 71). Substitutes not used: Yakubu Ayegbeni, T Howard. Booked: Cahill.

Referee: S Tanner.

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