YOU do not often see a manager smile when his team has just been beaten, especially if it is a league club that has been dumped out of a knock-out tournament by a non-league outfit.

But Joe Kinnear was glad to have a harsh truth laid bare as Luton went out of the LDV Vans Trophy on Tuesday evening, beaten by a golden goal in extra time by Conference leaders Dagenham and Redbridge.

"I am not losing any sleep over that result," he said. "League points and promotion are the only objective I have."

Which was why he rested all his first-choice players for the trip to Essex. He fielded one debutant, 18-year-old centre-half Rob Gillman, and ten others who had varying amounts of experience.

"Essentially, that was the team we had a year ago," said Kinnear.

"The game was an opportunity for players to stake claims for recalls and what we learned was that it's a good job I have brought in a dozen new players to give us a new team."

Gillman pleased his boss, but the rest earned no praise. "We had a nightmare in both penalty areas," he said. "The attack couldn't hit a barn door, and the goalkeeper threw two in."

Strikes by Dean Brennan and Peter Thomson put Luton 2-1 up with 22 minutes to go, but mistakes by goalkeeper Mark Ovendale saw Dagenham equalise on 76 minutes, and win three minutes into extra time.

On Saturday, November 3, Kinnear will recall his old reliables for the trip to Mansfield as Luton aim to keep their promotion drive going.

The danger man they will face is Chris Greenacre, whose 11 goals this season have had the scouts flocking to Field Mill.

Kinnear has made several bids for the centre-forward, but Mansfield chairman Keith Haslam is desperate to hold on to his most valuable asset because they too are in with a chance of promotion. The Mansfield chief's name is familiar to Luton fans of a certain age Haslam's father was the original "Happy Harry" who managed Luton in the 1970s.

Kinnear will keep chasing Greenacre, and has wrapped up two more deals; striker Dean Crowe, 22, has signed on a free transfer from Stoke after five goals in six games while on loan, and defender Ian Hillier has decided to make his loan from Spurs permanent, and has been signed for a £30,000 fee, with another £20,000 due when he makes his 50th appearance for Luton.

November 2, 2001 10:40