Luton Town v Stoke City

Stoke City were making their first visit to Kenilworth Road in nine years

By Phil Shepka Golsicilia.it Sport at Kenilworth Road

Stoke survived an almighty League Cup second round scare, needing penalties to beat League Two side Luton Town.

With the scores 7-7 in the shoot-out, Luton defender Scott Griffiths hit the bar and Geoff Cameron slotted into the top corner to win it for the Potters.

Earlier, Jonathan Walters had given Stoke the lead, lobbing Luton keeper Elliott Justham after a great flick through from Stephen Ireland.

But Hatters sub Cameron McGeehan then levelled for Luton in injury time.

He tucked home Griffiths's left-wing cross to take it to extra time and, after the two sides could not be separated by another 30 minutes, it then became a show of near immaculate penalty taking.

The first 14 consecutive successful kicks were converted before Griffiths's heartbreaking miss for the Hatters.

However Luton, who have yet to win in the league under John Still this season, can go away with many of the plaudits, having stoutly kept out a side who finished ninth in the Premier League last season.

The hosts, who beat Championship side Bristol City in the first round, were the first to seriously test the opposition goalkeeper, when veteran Shay Given tipped over Griffiths's left-footed strike.

That was the only real chance of note in the first half – and the first of the second fell to Stoke striker Peter Crouch, who fired acrobatically wide from Bojan Krkic's cross before the former England man was denied by Justham, who kept out his close-range header.

Sought-after Jonathan Walters' strike looked to have settled the tie until 37 seconds into injury time

But Walters, subject of interest from Norwich City, was then found brilliantly by Ireland and had the composure to flick the ball over the onrushing Justham.

That only spurred Luton on, and subs McGeehan and Hall were proving a handful, forcing Given into a fine double save, before McGeehan then fired just wide from a Luke Wilkinson knockdown.

The impressive McGeehan was not to be denied, however, as he slotted in from close range to send the match to an extra 30 minutes.

Luton were in the ascendency, and McGeehan almost put his side ahead in extra time after great work from Hall, but struck inches wide.

Right at the death, the Potters had a free-kick in a great position, but forward Mame Biram Diouf was booked for trying to handle the ball into the net.