Luton Town 3 Sunderland 0

WHEN Sunderland fell at the first hurdle of last season's Carling Cup it felt as if the club was sinking into oblivion.

The Black Cats had played four and lost four Championship games, and then suffered the ignominy of losing to Bury - the Football League's bottom club.

But instead of Sunderland sinking without a trace after that humiliating defeat, the game turned out to be the club's watershed.

Roy Keane arrived and the club moved onwards and upwards winning the title on their way back to the Premier League.

That humiliating defeat to Bury a year ago must have seemed like a distant memory - until last night when the ghost of Carling Cup returned to haunt them.

The Black Cats were absolutely wretched against their League One opponents - the defence was pedestrian, the midfield lacked cohesion and the strikers were toothless.

Luton tied their Premiership opponents in knots with veteran striker Paul Furlong, in particular, running the Sunderland back four ragged.

The 38-year-old was aided and abetted by the impressive David Bell, who netted a stunning opener directly from a free-kick, after 15 minutes, and a busy Dean Morgan in the centre of the park. Furlong added Luton's second with a delightful chip two minutes before the break and following Greg Halford's sending off in the 62nd minutes, for two yellow cards, there was no way back.

The Black Cats had stopped practising what they were good at - pressing and harassing their opponents into making errors - in their opening fixtures of this term. The Hatters did exactly the opposite and did not give Roy Keane's men a moment to think.

The game sprung in to life in the seventh minute when Luton caught the Sunderland defence napping. Richard Jackson found an unmarked Furlong eight yards out, but fortunately for the visitors the former Chelsea striker's header flashed well wide.

If the visitors thought this was going to be a one off then they were sadly mistaken. On the quarter hour they were behind.

Following a foul by Halford on Morgan on the edge of the box, Bell took full advantage to blast a direct free-kick through the Sunderland wall and into the net.

In almost identical position the Hatters almost increased their lead moments later. This time Nyron Nosworthy was the guilty defender when he wrapped himself around Furlong, but the veteran's effort found the hoardings.

The Luton striker wasn't so wasteful two minutes before the break. The striker timed his run to perfection to beat the Sunderland offside trap before lifting the ball beautifully over Darren Ward from eight yards after Alan Goodall provided the inviting pass.

Sunderland's best efforts came when Daryl Murphy flashed a shot high and wide in the 22nd minute, as did Anthony Stokes six minutes before the break. The former Arsenal man was unlucky a minute before the break when he hit the bar from distance but when Michael Chopra, following in, was unable to convert the rebound the writing was pretty much on the wall.

After the break it wasn't much better for Black Cats. Luton continued to harass and press and Sunderland failed to step up a gear.

Morgan had another opportunity to increase the lead in the 69th minute when he broke in to the box only for Ward to save well with his feet.

Sunderland's best effort came from a subdued Grant Leadbitter, who had a double effort blocked by a combined defence and keeper combination.

But arguably the game's best player, Furlong, ended the tie as a contest when he stabbed home from close range 15 minutes from time.