LUTON boss Rob Edwards expects Sunderland to stick around at the top end of the Championship after their blistering start to the season.

Edwards admires the technical talent of many of Sunderland's stars but was also impressed with the way the Championship's league leaders stood up to the physical challenge they faced against his Luton side at Kenilworth Road on Wednesday night.

And although the Hatters boss thinks the Black Cats were fortunate with the offside decision that resulted in Carlton Morris's opening goal in first half stoppage time being ruled out, he says Sunderland deserve immense credit for the way they dug out the midweek victory and for their hugely impressive start to the campaign.

Wednesday's game was Sunderland's first visit to Kenilworth Road since they lost to Edwards' side in the play-off semi-final first leg two seasons ago and Luton's boss thinks the Black Cats are well equipped to get over the line this term.

He said: "In many ways they're similar to the team we came up against a couple of years ago.

"I thought they were brilliant a couple of years ago, really good technical players. When we played that game in the semi finals, I know they had players lacking with injuries - like we're having now - but very well organised, some brilliant technical players.

"They're riding the crest of a wave at the moment as well. They went very close a couple of years ago and I don't see any reason why they won't be there or thereabouts again with how they started and what they're doing.

"We put them under a lot of pressure tonight and they stood up to it, credit for winning the game."

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Despite his Sunderland praise, Edwards felt his side did more than enough to win the game on Wednesday night.

"I feel really disappointed," he said.

"Credit to Sunderland, they've come away from home and won the game. They're top of the league for a reason and found a way. "But for me and us, bitterly disappointed. We dominated the game from start to finish. The first half was entirely in their half. They couldn't really find a way out. That's where we now have to be more ruthless and clinical."

Luton did have the ball in the net deep in first half stoppage time but Morris' strike was ruled out, with midfielder Jordan Clark - who was central in front of goal in the build-up - flagged offside.

Edwards said: "If we had VAR maybe it would have been ruled in our favour, I don't think Clicker [Clark] is doing too much wrong. "The first goal is important.

"I just think Clicker, he starts in an offside position, but he's coming away from it and I don't think he gets in the way of anybody or affects anything. Like always, they'll think differently but he doesn't affect the play, direction of the ball or an individual."

Chris Rigg put Sunderland in front early in the second half before Elijah Adebayo levelled for Luton, only for Romaine Mundle to curl in a brilliant winner. Mundle's goal infuriated Edwards, who had focused on Sunderland's wingers in his preparation before the game and admitted his surprise that Patrick Roberts didn't start on the opposite flank.

He said: "We got punished by a couple of outstanding individual efforts but we can do better to stop that.

"We have to do better with their goals. Mundle's is particularly frustrating because we did a lot of work on their wide players. We thought Roberts would play, start, but the wide players coming inside and their shooting ability. He's jinked inside too easily."