Conor Lawless and Jake Burger set the Hatters development squad on their way to victory with two wonderful strikes into the top corner in the first half, before a Millar Matthews-Lewis hat-trick and an Avan Jones penalty ramped up the scoreline after the break.

Afterwards, a proud Forbes said: “I spoke to the boys before the game about the importance of how they’ve done the hard work in the previous rounds against Biggleswade and against Bedford, but it’s not job done.

“I said, ‘You’re playing on your patch, the patch you want to be playing on hopefully for the first team here at some point, so go and showcase what you’re about’. I think we can safely say they’ve done that today with a good performance and some fantastic goals.”

First team manager Rob Edwards and his coaching staff were all present, along with 751 spectators, to see the young Town starlets – with the safety net of senior goalkeeper James Shea behind them – turn in a stunning performance against the Southern League Division One Central side.

“It's a stage they all want to play on,” said Forbes. “At the end of the day, they join this club as academy players to reach that holy grail of being a fully-fledged signed, professional footballer to play in front of 10,000-plus here.

“That’s what they are aiming to do and it’s our job as coaches to give them the tools to be able to achieve that, and nights like tonight help with that.

“But also in the previous rounds, going to Bedford where the crowd are crazy and they are on top of you. Playing in the Biggleswade [United] game a few weeks before that where the crowd are crazy and on top of you.

“They are all little milestones and stepping stones that are going to add to their development and hopefully put them in a better position when they do hopefully play here one day when it’s full, it will tick off that experience.

“I’m really proud of them, really pleased with what they’ve achieved, but it’s just another step. Plenty more steps before hopefully one day they are playing out here with Rob Edwards as their manager instead of Forbesy!”