United will be hoping three is the magic number when they take on Luton Town in the FA Trophy tomorrow.
It will be the third time the two clubs have met so far this season and the U's have yet to register a victory, with Luton winning the league fixture at the R Costings Abbey and the return match at Kenilworth Road ending all square.
Whatever the result, the numbers suggest it will be a high scoring encounter, with 11 goals having been scored in the first two fixtures.
The visitors come into the match in good spirits, having brushed aside League Two Rotherham 3-0 in a midweek FA Cup replay to set up a third round clash with Southampton. But despite their progress in the main competition, they will still be taking the Trophy seriously according to defender Claude Gnapka.
Gnapka, who scored in Luton's 3-2 JP Trophy final win over Scunthorpe last season, told the Luton Today website: "We won at Wembley and we know what it is to go there and win the game in front of our crowd and we want to do that again.
"I want to go back there. Obviously there's many games before Wembley. There's Cambridge, who are a different team.
"When they play against Luton it is like a final for them. Last time in Cambridge we won 4-3 which was unbelievable," he said.
Luton's grand ideas perhaps stem from the fact that it's only three seasons since they were playing in what is now the Championship, and the tale of their decline is a familiar story of boardroom mismanagement.
After finishing in a creditable mid-table position in 2005/06, a fire sale of key players saw them relegated to League One in 2006/07.
Kevin Blackwell took charge, anticipating putting together a promotion push, but despite a promising start, the club went into administration in November, and the subsequent 10 point penalty plunged them into a relegation battle.
In January 2008, the Luton 2020 group, which includes television presenter Nick Owen and a number of local businessmen, emerged as potential saviours, and at around the same time Blackwell departed, with the administrators appointing club legend Mick Harford as his successor.
Harford was unable to prevent relegation to League Two, and although the 2020 group assumed control of the club that summer, Luton suffered a double blow courtesy of the Football Association.
First it was announced that Luton would start on -20 points due to their failure to agree a CVA with their creditors. If this wasn't bad enough, a further 10 points were added to this penalty after an enquiry confirmed that financial irregularities had been committed at the club under the previous regime.
Starting with a 30 point deficit, it was always going to be an uphill struggle for Harford's men, and although they put up a good fight, they finished the season 15 points from safety and were relegated to the Conference. One bright spot for Hatters fans was a win in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy final, where they beat League One Scunthorpe 3-2 at Wembley.
Many Hatters fans thought they would bounce straight back into the league but, as many teams have found in the past, adjusting to life in non-league is not as easy as it seems and Harford paid the price for an indifferent start and was shown the door back in October.
His replacement is Richard Money, an experienced head who has managed in several European countries and was latterly boss at Walsall. With a backroom team including ex-U's boss Gary Brabin he has been tasked with leading Luton to promotion.
The Squad
Along with Oxford, Luton are one of the Conference's biggest spenders, and have a squad packed with experienced campaigners.
Goalkeeper Mark Tyler is a familiar face for United fans, having single-handedly thwarted us on several occasions during his time at Peterborough. The Posh youth product left London Road in the summer in search of first team football. However, he has been struggling with a back injury recently, meaning Notts County stopper Kevin Pilkington has been drafted in on loan.
Ex-Posh man Gnapka has been filling the right back spot this term, and scored against United at Kenilworth Road. In fact, Luton resemble Boro reserves this season, with another London Road reject, Shane Blackett, in contention for a place in defence.
Regular central defenders are Alan White, formerly of Colchester, and George Pilkington, signed last season from Port Vale.
Former United favourite Fred Murray is vying with Lewis Emmanuel for the left back shirt.
In midfield Luton are skippered by the highly experienced Kevin Nicholls, who has been with them since their days in the Championship, albeit with spells away at Leeds and Preston. On the flanks could be Rossi Jarvis, an ex-Norwich trainee, and Adam Newton, another of the ex-Peterborough contingent, while the versatile Keith Keane can slot in anywhere across the midfield.
Up front, Kevin Gallen is the Hatters danger man, with vast experience in the football league with QPR and MK Dons. Tom Craddock, an £80,000 signing from Middlesbrough, is a highly talented striker of whom big things are expected this season, but Money has changed things around a bit in the striking arena since taking over.
With Liam Hatch injured and Steve Basham and Elliot Charles sent out on loan, Money has secured the services of highly-sought after Kidderminster striker Matthew Barnes-Homer, who initially joined on loan with a view to a permanent move in January. Another option is Mark Nwokeji, who is on loan from Dagenham.
This season
The Money reign so far has seen no real turn around in form for Luton, who have remained consistently inconsistent. The new boss watched on as they went down 2-0 to Rushden and Diamonds, and his first proper game in charge saw them squander a 3-0 lead, eventually drawing 3-3 with Rochdale in the Cup and winning the replay at Spotland 2-0.
Since then, they have picked up one league win, at Grays, drawn with Chester and United (Danny Crow's late brace securing Martin Ling's side an unlikely point), and lost 1-0 at home to Kettering.
It was a similar story under Harford, with good results being followed up with disappointing defeats, and Money will have to glean a bit more consistency from his charges if they are to secure a play off place. Currently they are in seventh place, with 37 points, albeit from a game or two less than all their rivals.
Last time
A topsy turvy encounter at the Abbey earlier this season left United fans wondering how their team had lost the match.
Although Luton dominated the first period, the U's found themselves 2-0 up and coasting at the break, thanks to a good finish from the returning Courtney Pitt and a Chris Holroyd penalty. Luton were also reduced to ten men right on the stroke of half time when striker Liam Hatch was dismissed after picking up a second yellow card.
However, the Hatters found an extra gear after the interval, and got back into the match almost immediately through Kevin Gallen. A superb goal from Rossi Jarvis made it two each, and minutes later Luke Howells netted to send the travelling fans wild.
United weren't quite done, and Holroyd scored his second from close range to restore parity. But after the referee awarded a second spot kick for a foul by Brian Saah on Alan White, Gallen stepped up to give the ten-man visitors a 4-3 victory.
Matt Gooding
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