The Bees fell to a 4-1 defeat at Kenilworth Road tonight in the first group stage game of the Vertu Trophy.
Luton scored three in the first-half, before converting a penalty to add a fourth, with Adam Senior scoring on the stroke of the final whistle to deny the Hatters a clean sheet in the sides’ opening fixture of the competition.
The Bees started brightly and a had an early chance when Scott High played the ball to Senior, but the number five’s left-footed shot glanced wide of the post.
The hosts soon took control and had the lead with eleven minutes on the clock through Lasse Nordas, before doubling their lead shortly after, this time with Jerry Yates firing past Owen Evans in the Barnet net.
Dean Brennan was forced into a first-half substitution midway through the first 45, replacing the injured Ollie Kensdale with Danny Collinge who took the captains armband.
Nordas almost had a second for the Hatters, but Evans palmed his effort away, before parrying away another shot from the Luton forward minutes later.
Our number thirteen was called into action again, this time making a point blank save to deny Yates from close-range.
The Hatters scored their third on the stroke of half-time, with the Bees having work to do in the second 45.
Half-time: Luton Town 3-0 Barnet FC
A substitution at the break saw Ryan Glover replace Ryan Galvin and the Bees started brightly in the second-half.
Dennis Adeniran almost had the ball in the back of the net shortly after the restart, but James Shea in the Luton goal was able to keep it out.
Callum Stead charged forward with the ball and forced a corner.
The resulting set-piece was straight into the hands of Shea, with Glover getting the final touch.
Just after the hour mark, we made our second change of the night, bringing on Lee Ndlovu in place of Callum Stead.
Glover’s pace down the left-hand side caused issues for the Luton defence on numerous occasion, with no black and red shirt seeming to be able to mark him out wide.
New recruit Ben Winterburn had a shot on goal, getting onto the end of a looping corner delivered into the box by Scott High, but his header was just over the bar.
A double substitution was made on 72 minutes, with Nnamdi Ofoborh and the returning Nik Tavares coming on for Dennis Adeniran and Romoney Crichlow.
Winterburn found himself in a good position in the box again, receiving the ball from Glover, but he was unable to divert his effort goalward.
The Hatters were awarded a penalty a few minutes before the clock struck 90 and the spot-kick found the back of the net through Luton substitute Shayden Morris.
Six minutes were added at the end of the second-half, and Adam Senior scored a late consolation goal for the Bees before the final whistle, denying the hosts a clean sheet on the night.
Full-time: Luton Town 4-1 Barnet FC
The Bees’ attention turns back to league action on Saturday, when the Hive plays hosts to Shrewsbury Town.
Line-up: Evans, Galvin (Glover, 45’), Senior, Osadebe, High, Stead (Ndlovu, 61), Winterburn, Kensdale (Collinge, 27), Smith, Crichlow (Tavares, 72), Adeniran (Osadebe, 72’)
Goals: Senior (90+6’)