Admiral Muskwe inspires Luton to convincing victory over Cambridge

At least they will always have Newcastle. Cambridge’s heroes of the third round could not extend their FA Cup run, having been outmuscled by a Luton team strong on set pieces and expert in punishing their opponents’ mistakes. First-half goals from Reece Burke and Carlos Mendes Gomes, and a late strike from Admiral Muskwe, the Zimbabwean having been excellent throughout, were enough to guide Luton through to the fifth round for the first time in nine years.

Luton looked battle-hardened by life in the Championship, where they are mounting a play-off challenge, but were often threatened by the speedy attacks of Mark Bonner’s passing team, with the veteran Wes Hoolahan as the prime creator.

Bonner’s pre-match entry was almost gladiatorial as he walked around the field whipping up the home fans. He got the desired result as the game kicked off with crackling noise from the stands and a bright start from his team. He and the Luton manager, Nathan Jones, are close friends who share a Christian faith, but the pals’ act was set aside in a contest full of crunching challenges urged on from the sidelines.

It was Cambridge’s biggest home tie since they held Louis van Gaal’s Manchester United seven years ago at the same stage of the competition. It was a sell out, the Luton fans behind one of the goals sheltered from an icy wind whipping off the Fens.

There was no Joe Ironside, Cambridge’s goalscoring hero of the third-round win at Newcastle absent with an ankle injury. Jack Iredale, outstanding in defence that day, was also missing. Hoolahan, 40 in May, had been selected as an old-style, pint-sized schemer, the former Ireland international a throwback in dropping down the divisions to play for the love of the game.

Early on, with