Luton Town 2-1 Norwich City: Cauley Woodrow gets winner for 10-man Hatters
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Luton's summer signing from Barnsley Cauley Woodrow had not found the net in over a year
Luton Town substitute Cauley Woodrow came off the bench to hit a stunning late winner to sentence Dean Smith's Norwich City to a second successive defeat.
In his first home game in charge of the Hatters, 39 days after taking charge, it looked like new Luton boss Rob Edwards might have to settle for a point.
After Scottish midfielder Allan Campbell's excellent low 20-yard strike had put Luton ahead on 61 minutes, Teemu Pukki then also cashed in on poor defending to level eight minutes later.
The hosts then had Gabriel Osho sent off for a second yellow card - and that increased the growing sense that Norwich might go on to to claim all three points and lift the pressure on Smith.
But, just three and a half minutes after coming on, Woodrow's right boot delivered the best strike of the night to find the top right corner - in the 89th minute.
It was also summer signing Woodrow's first goal for the club - six months on from his arrival from Barnsley.
It lifted Luton from 16th at the start of the night to 12th, within two points of the wounded Canaries, in fifth, in this incredibly congested Championship promotion free-for-all.
It was also an untimely third defeat in four games for pre-season promotion favourites Norwich - to leave the affable Smith still under fire from his own fans, as well as being the subject of taunts from Luton fans telling him "you're getting sacked in the morning".
Campbell's second goal of the season for Luton was his first at Kenilworth Road in 10 months
Since winning 1-0 at Carrow Road in mid-October, Luton had won just once in seven games either side of the season-disrupting World Cup break. But they made a bright start against a Norwich side who are clearly not firing on all cylinders.
Luton had the better of the first-half chances, going closest through Elijah Adebayo before James Bree had a free-kick turned onto the bar by Norwich keeper Angus Gunn.
The Hatters then found a way through when Dimitris Giannoulis miscontrolled meekly in midfield, got outmuscled to the loose ball by Campbell, then looked on in horror as the Scotland midfielder strode forward to bury low a right foot drive in it the corner.
Norwich looked to have been rescued when Dan Potts failed to cut out Ben Gibson's through ball, and Pukki took a good first touch and hammered home a powerful right-foot shot from 18 yards.
Having won their last two away games, intermingled with two successive home defeats, it looked like it was the Canaries' match to win, especially when Osho pulled back Pukki back and was sent off.
But Woodrow had an almost immediate impact as he controlled well on the edge of the box before connecting so cleanly that the ball flew high to Gunn's left to nestle in the top corner - and earn Luton only their third victory at Kenilworth Road this season - and first in more than two months.
Who's next?
Luton now face successive away games at QPR, on Thursday, and Huddersfield, on New Year's Day, in the space of four days.
Norwich now have three successive home games, Reading on Friday night, Watford on the Monday and then Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup third round.
Luton Town boss Rob Edwards told BBC Three Counties Radio:
"There was a lot of emotion released at the final whistle. A big game against a big club. Boxing Day. Night game. In front of our own fans. This is what football can do to us.
"To find a way to win with 10 players was incredible, but I'm delighted for Cauley. He's the sort who can score a goal from nothing. And I'm delighted for the group as a whole. I'm very proud of them. We were very good.
"I was thinking after the red card we'd take the point but, credit to the lads, it was them who were on the front foot. They sniffed it, they smelt it.
"The fans are the most important people at the club and we just wanted to start off by making a connection with them. I hope this will help."
Norwich City manager Dean Smith told BBC Radio Norfolk:
"I'm going to talk about the football and not anything else, but this hasn't helped. All I can do is go into work, and try to turn round results and performances like this.
"We knew it would be tough here. It always is. They won the physical battle in the first half and we got to half time at 0-0 and then changed it by opting for more physicality.
"But they were two such terrible goals to give away. They showed that same softness about us. It's criminal to give away the goals we did.
"Then Ben Gibson puts a great ball through, Teemu Pukki finishes well and I thought we'd go on and win it. We looked more dangerous, and then we got the bonus of the sending-off. But then we get more sloppiness from a throw-in against us, nobody gets a tackle in and it's another soft goal to give away."