Stuart Elliott scored one and made another as Hull fought back from a goal down to seize the initiative in the opening 45 minutes.

But they had to withstand a spirited Luton fightback in the second half before edging home by the odd goal in five.

Luton, handily placed on the fringes of the promotion race, started strongly and had the first effort on goal inside the opening minute when Carlos Edwards tested Boaz Myhill in the Hull goal with a right-foot volley from 18 yards.

But the visitors hit back quickly and carved out a chance of their own after six minutes as Keith Andrews fired just over the crossbar from distance.

Luton grabbed the breakthrough just three minutes later, however.

Rowan Vine's cross from the left was met by Keith Keane who planted a clinical header past Myhill.

And Mike Newell's side had a chance to double their advantage after 11 minutes only for Markus Heikkinen to send his close-range header agonisingly wide from Kevin Nicholls' inswinging corner to the far post.

It proved to be a costly missed opportunity as Hull levelled matters three minutes later.

Andrews found Elliott and the midfielder fired in a cracking goal from 25 yards to stun the home side.

Shortly afterwards Hull's Darryl Duffy became the first player to be booked for persistent infringement.

Luton again threatened midway through the first half but Nicholls' shot was superbly tipped around the post by Myhill to keep his side on terms.

Peter Taylor's side then took the lead for the first time 10 minutes before the interval when Duffy converted Elliott's cross from close range and two minutes later it was 3-1 to the visitors as Jon Parkin fired past Luton goalkeeper Marlon Beresford from six yards.

Boaz made another fin save after 43 minutes from Steve Howard to preserve his side's two-goal cushion.

Hull were forced to make a change at the interval with the injured Ryan France replaced by Scott Wiseman.

Myhill was again in the thick of the action four minutes into the second half as he parried a right-footed effort from Vine and shortly afterwards Keane sent a 30-yard shot wide of the target as Luton piled on the pressure.

Hull's Damien Delaney became the second player to be booked after 51 minutes for unsporting behaviour.

With Luton continuing to push Howard had another chance on goal two minutes later but his shot from 12 yards was too high.

Newell then elected to ring the changes with a triple substitution, Enoch Showunmi, Ahmet Brkovic and Vine replaced by David Bell, Dean Morgan and Warren Feeney.

The home side did pull a goal back with four minutes remaining when Chris Coyne headed home an Edwards cross, but it was too little, too late as Hull hung on for maximum points.

Teams:

Luton Beresford, Keane, Coyne, Heikkinen, Foley,Brkovic (Morgan 55), Showunmi (Bell 55), Nicholls, Edwards,Vine (Feeney 56), Howard.

Subs Not Used: Brill, Barnett.

Goals: Keane 9, Coyne 86.

Hull Myhill, Delaney, Cort, Collins, France (Wiseman 45),Elliott, Andrews, Welsh, Ellison (Paynter 80), Parkin,Duffy (Fagan 71).

Subs Not Used: Green, Aspden.

Booked: Duffy, Delaney, Myhill.

Goals: Elliott 14, Duffy 35, Parkin 38.

Att: 8,835

Ref: K Friend (Leicestershire).