LUTON TOWN plan to move their television gantry so that viewers do not see a stand solely comprising chalet-like executive boxes, and last night’s result only increases the incongruity between their tiny Kenilworth Road stadium and the club’s pursuit of a Barclays Premiership place.

Only four of the past 50 teams to visit the ground in the league have won and Preston North End knew that they would not become the fifth after conceding three first-half goals. A deserved victory lifted Mike Newell’s side to third in the Championship and the manager is aware that fans’ expectations have been raised.

“People have to know they can’t get carried away — the Championship has a lot of good teams,” he said, but Luton’s rivals will place them in that category after they overran a Preston team that, on paper, was the second-best away side in the division.

Luton’s fine start to the season has encouraged hopes that they can climb from the bottom division of league football to the top in five seasons, and two goals in the first ten minutes added to the sense of them going places in a hurry.

Poor Preston had conceded a stoppage-time equaliser to Crystal Palace on Saturday and their misery continued in the third minute when Steve Howard sent through Warren Feeney to beat the offside trap and sidefoot low inside the far post. Preston impressed with their slick passing, yet were two down when Chris Coyne’s deep cross from the left was headed home by Ahmet Brkovic as Carlo Nash, the goalkeeper, and his defence watched motionless.

The visiting team were restricted to long-range shots, while Luton were more dangerous throughout, Howard adding the third seven minutes before half-time with a deflected 25-yard shot. Coyne struck the crossbar with a 30-yard effort with 20 minutes left and Billy Davies, the Preston manager, admitted that Luton “fully deserved their victory”.

LUTON TOWN (4-4-2): M Beresford — C Edwards, M Heikkinen, C Coyne, S Davis — A Brkovic (sub: K Keane, 85min), K Nicholls, S Robinson (sub: P Holmes, 74), D Morgan (sub: E Showunmi, 80) — S Howard, W Feeney. Substitutes not used: R Perrett, D Brill. Booked: Brkovic, Nicholls.

PRESTON NORTH END (4-4-2): C Nash — G Alexander, C Lucketti, M Hill, C Davidson — C Sedgwick, D Etuhu, P McKenna, D Jones, L Neal (sub: T Mears, 57) — D Dichio (sub: D Hibbert, 80). Substitutes not used: A Lonergan, P Agyemang, A Nowland. Booked: Davidson, Etuhu.

Referee: C Penton.