In their opening match of the new campaign, a niggly first half saw the Town youngsters dominate without testing the visiting goalkeeper but they opened the scoring early in the second half when centre back Christian Chigozie found the target.

The visitors were then reduced to ten men and the Hatters took full advantage as midfielder Marcus Warren score twice in a ten-minute spell to get the lead to 3-0 – his second a lovely composed side-foot finish from just outside the penalty area.

It was four when midfielder Jack Lorentzen-Jones capitalised on poor goalkeeping and substitute Charlie Trustram made it five with a close range rabona after aggressive pressing forced a defensive mistake.

The coup de grace was then applied in the fifth minute of injury time when Lorentzen-Jones got his second and the Town’s sixth with a powerful drive.

Coach Alex Lawless said: “We played like a team who worked for one another – something we really wanted and hence why we dominated the whole game. In the end ruthlessness was probably the most impressive, it’s not often ten men are beaten 6-0.

“They did what I asked from them before the game and I was mindful that I wanted the team to continue the work ethic, drive and mindset installed by Alan McCormack.

“For a first game of the season it was a very pleasing team performance.”

Town Under-18s: Hockey; Chigozie, Harvey (sub Ioannides), Benagr, Routh, Emery; Martins, Warren, Lorentzen-Jones; Xavier-Jones (sub Trustram), Houghton (sub Takawira). Subs not used: Roberts-Edema, Booth (GK).