Luton 1-0 Wimbledon: Ryan Johnson own goal condemns Dons to defeat on League One return
The Hatters were not at their best, but were gifted three points by Johnson's 85th-minute gaffe.
Nahki Wells lofted a ball into the box from range, aiming for the run of Cauley Woodrow, but the backpedalling Johnson badly misjudged his clearance, glancing a looping header into his own net.
With just five minutes left to play, there was not enough time for the Wombles to respond. There are positives to take back to Plough Lane, though. They limited the hosts to just six shots on the night, but managed just two themselves, neither of which were on target.
It is not an unfamiliar problem for Johnnie Jackson's side, who scored the second-fewest goals of any top-ten finisher in League Two last season.
'I'm gutted for the players and the supporters,said Jackson, cutting a downcast figure at the final whistle. 'To lose the game in that manner is cruel.'
He was quick to absolve Johnson of any blame, though: '[Johnson] has to go and put his head on it. It can land on top of the bar, go over, but it is just one of those things. It goes in, and it is a horrible way to lose.'
Luton have plenty riding on this campaign after suffering back-to-back relegations, tumbling from the Premier League to the third tier, and will be grateful for a slice of luck in their season opener.
But Hatters boss Matt Bloomfield acknowledged at full-time that there was plenty of room for improvement.
'We are an evolving group, adding lots of bodies,' he said. 'We are on the journey to the final product but we are not there yet, I think that's obvious.
'There's lots in my mind right now, but I am pleased to get off to a winning start.'
Luton have brought in no less than 10 new faces this summer, and announced an eleventh ahead of kick-off with the surprise unveiling of Swansea's Jerry Yates, who hit ten Championship goals last season while on loan at Derby County.
'It has been a tough one to get over the line, let me assure you,' Bloomfield laughed. 'We had to work really hard on it.
'I am complimentary of the boys we already have, but if we can add that pace and power, grit and determination which I think he brings, the way he presses, we are really pleased to get him through the door.'
Luton face Peterborough next time out as they look to extend their winning form, while Wimbledon will hope to get their first points on the board as they host Lincoln City.
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