Luton Town enhanced their reputation as the season’s cup specialists after Matthew Spring and Drew Talbot scored in extra time to earn their team a place in the Carling Cup fourth round. The goals settled a fine cup-tie against Charlton Athletic in favour of the Coca-Cola League One club.

With one eye on his team’s Championship campaign, Alan Pardew, the Charlton manager, made ten changes to his starting line-up from Saturday’s win over Leicester City. But Pardew’s replacements settled quickly and Charlton took the lead after only three minutes when Dean Brill failed to hang on to Dean Sinclair’s header and the ball trickled over the line.

The visiting team were far more incisive early on and they were unfortunate not to double their lead when Therry Racon struck the bar with a fierce drive from 30 yards.

Luton made Charlton pay for missed opportunities when Steve Robinson found the top corner with a wonderful volley from 25 yards. The goal galvanised Kevin Blackwell’s team and they started the second half well, with Spring, David Bell and Paul McVeigh going close. But it required an athletic save from Brill, who turned Ambrose’s looping header over the bar in the last minute of normal time, to ensure extra time.

Brill surpassed his previous effort 11 minutes into the extra half-hour, producing a marvellous reaction stop to deny Luke Varney, and his excellence was rewarded when Spring converted a cross from Talbot, who later completed the scoring with a calm finish in the 117th minute.

Luton Town (4-4-2): D Brill - R Jackson, J Fojut, C Perry, A Goodall - D Bell (sub: A Brkovic, 103min), S Robinson, M Spring, D Morgan (sub: D Currie, 86) – P Furlong, P McVeigh (sub: D Talbot, 91). Substitutes not used: C Coyne, C Andrew.

Charlton Athletic (4-4-2): D Randolph – Y Moutaouakil, P McCarthy, M Bougherra, O Sankofa – T Racon (sub: L Varney, 65), D Sinclair, M Holland, D Ambrose (sub: J Fortune, 106) – S Todorov (sub: H Arter, 91), I McLeod. Substitutes not used: N Weaver, A Thomas. Booked: I McLeod.

Referee: A D’Urso.