Luton come from 3-1 down to win 4-3 in what was an entertaining League One opener against Reading on Saturday afternoon.
It took just five minutes for Luton to take the lead through Jake Richards, before Jack Marriott got Reading level on the 8th minute, poking the ball home.
He then scored two more, his second from the edge of the box and then tapped in to complete a hat-trick, Reading 3-1 up on by the 38th minute.
Luton fought back however in the second half, Kasey Palmer scored twice in two minutes, 3-3 on 52 minutes, then right at the end, the 96th minute, Luton snatched all three points thanks to Gideon Kodua, scenes in the away end, Reading players fall to their knees.
INCREDIBLE 🔥 pic.twitter.com/uBGDqxIrce
— Luton Town FC (@LutonTown) August 15, 2026
Luton boss Jack Wilshere told the club’s media: “We have to do so many things better, yeah, we gave away three goals against Reading, which really really frustrates me.
“But that being said, like there’s something there’s something special in this group and there really is like I keep saying it and they’ve got a spirit.
“Like even the second half, I thought we didn’t we didn’t start that well. Um yeah, and we we then took control. I thought the goals obviously helped. They changed games, become a little bit bitty probably in the second half and we didn’t really find our rhythm, but yeah, we almost like took a breath at 3-3 and said, “okay, we’re back in the game. Like, let’s find our way again”, where I want us to be even more on the front foot.
“But yeah, incredible incredible to to find that resilience. That energy at the end, the subs coming on. Really happy for Gids. He deserves that and yeah, we get the win and we look forward to next week.”
Check out more of what he said by watching the interview in full below…
“It shows the belief in the group.”
Kasey’s instant reaction to today’s comeback result 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/k5QnJdqmnO
— Luton Town FC (@LutonTown) August 15, 2026
Reading boss Leam Richardson told the club’s media: “Sickening to lose a game like that. Sickening to lose at the time like that. Certainly coming off the last year when it was too many times in them moments. um you know my take on it straight away we’ve gone from looking like a team in the first 50 minutes or whatever it was in the first half so connected such a threat to then so disjointed uh too many individual errors you know the third goal’s offside but we can’t we can’t you know we can’t score three goals at home and lose again we can’t, it’s impossible.
Interviewer: So the fans are saying you know there is a bit of a deja vu element from the last season with especially with the late nature of the winner as well is that what hurts because of so much work that’s been done since then
Leam: Absolutely. No I totally agree. I totally agree. It’s like deja vu for myself as well. Deja vu for the players, like I say, I thought there was so many good things within the game, you know, I don’t think we deserve to lose or whatever it is, whether you listen, when you score three goals and you concede four. course, you deserve to lose, especially in the manner that we we conceded a couple of them as well because you know, they’re individual errors that you know, they’re easily avoidable and you know, listen, that was my thing at half time to the players, you know they should be on the bus on the way home. The game should be over and then we have a chance straight away with Daniel to make it 4-1 and we don’t capitalise on that and then we had a five or 10 minute spell where we were just like you say so disjointed uh to so disconnected and then the individual has cost us and listen you know like say the third goal is offside but um you know that’s that’s just life at the minute.
Check out more of what he said by watching the interview in full below…
Here’s how fans reacted after Luton come from 3-1 down to win 4-3 in an entertaining League One opener against Reading…
@SSE_LTFC: There are some tweets being deleted as we speak 😂
@Leon161: What a second half! Others may get the plaudits but Jake Richard’s was absolutely outstanding!!
@talkabouttom: HMS PISS THE LEAGUE HAS LEFT THE PORT. THE TOWN ARE GOING UP 🧡
@dingaling68: I may not last the season if it carries on like this 🤣🤣🧡
@DannyXCI: 3-1 Up and they fckd it up 🤣 #COYH
@Sam_Vernon1: Fair play to you, as frustrating as our capitulation was, you’re a quality side. Even when 3-1 down you carried on playing your game and came out on top in the end. You’ll be right up there at the end of the season, no doubt there. I used to live in Wigmore so know the town well.
@Wearethehatters: Now keep Kodua in the middle where he plays his best football
@MazeProWres: Quality Game between 2 teams who don’t know how to defend. Best of luck for the rest of the season Luton Fans!
@Cathaloc7: What a game of football. Will be hard to beat for excitement. Had it all. Huge belief now from this 👏
@Robison35032341: Considering how piss poor our defending was, the spirit and fight that they showed was absolutely magnificent. 👏
@Brink1es: send dorsett to national league north #readingfc
@_Luke1871: Second-half syndrome strikes again under Richardson. Dorsett needs to leave. We’ve been crying out for a left-back for over a month and our owners are just stalling with transfers. Gutted for Jack Marriott, in particular.
@m1871e: Disgrace. Set up for failure yet again. #readingfc
@NCCDakota: Well done lads. Great start to the season, we going for a record amount of points dropped in extra time this year?
@1ntrepidtravel: Good to see Richardson has learnt fuck all during the closed season
