Luton Town 0-1 Preston North End: Brad Potts' spectacular volley secures North End win
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Brad Potts' acrobatic opener was his first league goal since 3 January
Brad Potts' spectacular volley gave Preston North End their first Championship win of the season as they beat Luton Town.
Potts unleashed a flying scissor-kick after 18 minutes - for Preston's first goal in the league this season - after Robbie Brady's deep cross from the left.
The hosts spurned a number of good chances in either half and felt they should have had a penalty when Elijah Adebayo went down in the area.
Cauley Woodrow and Adebayo both had good efforts in the final 10 minutes, but Luton could not find a way past Freddie Woodman in the Preston goal.
The win moves unbeaten Preston up to seventh place in the early Championship table, while Luton slip to 20th position.
Having drawn their opening two Championship matches 0-0, Ryan Lowe's Preston side were keen to avoid becoming the first team since Ipswich Town in 1998 to begin with three goalless draws.
They went ahead in superb style as Potts converted Brady's deep cross shortly after Luton's Carlton Morris had a header saved.
Jordan Clark's deflected effort for Luton appeared to clip the crossbar after half an hour, before Brady forced a good save from Ethan Horvath just before the half-time whistle.
Potts flashed a dangerous ball across the Luton six-yard box early in the second half, shortly before the Hatters felt they should have had a penalty after the challenge on Adebayo.
Preston's Andrew Hughes had a header blocked at the back post from a Potts cross after an hour, and 15 minutes later Allan Campbell volleyed Elliott Thorpe's cross wide.
Cauley Woodrow blazed a late chance over as Luton searched for an equaliser, while Tottenham loanee Troy Parrott sent an 89th-minute effort straight at Luton keeper Horvath.
Luton Town manager Nathan Jones told BBC Radio Three Counties:
"It's frustrating in a number of ways really. They probably had two opportunities really, one was a great header and one was shot from the edge of the box, but apart from that we limited them to very little.
"We've had enough of the game to have won it, so it's just a little bit frustrating.
"It's very difficult to chase a game now in the Championship, with the heat and everything. There was very little flow really.
"We tried to create a tempo in the game, but it just gets killed, and then a water break - we might as well not play in the heat. Why play? Just wait 'til it's cool, wait 'til it's cold. It's crazy because there's no flow."
Preston North End manager Ryan Lowe told BBC Radio Lancashire:
"I thought the performance was OK. We could have done better in certain situations.
"We scored a fantastic goal, I thought we defended very well and manged the game well.
"You can't come to Luton and go toe-to-toe with them. We knew that the game plan was a little bit different than what it normally is because we have to respect a good Luton team that have just missed out in getting to the Premier League last season.
"We found a way today and we found a way to take three points off a very good team."