Luton Town endured defeat in their first match under new boss Jack Wilshere as they lost 2-0 to Mansfield Town at Kenilworth Road.

Rhys Oates and Tyler Roberts scored the winning goals for the Stags, in a game that had seen Luton’s Nahki Wells miss a penalty when the game was still goalless.

The result saw Luton’s stop-start to the new League One season continue as they suffered back-to-back defeats and slipped into the bottom half of the table.

The match was billed as the start of a new era for the Hatters, who had seen former Arsenal and England international midfielder Wilshere replace Matt Bloomfield as their boss during their break since their defeat by Stevenage in Bloomfield’s final game in charge.

Despite hopes of a new manager bounce, it was Mansfield that began brighter. Roberts was denied by Josh Keeley in the opening three minutes, before Nathan Moriah-Welsh fired a strike wide of the target.

Luton soon began to respond. Jordan Clark would have one strike blocked before he came closer with a fine strike denied by away keeper Liam Roberts.

There was then a great opportunity spurned by the Hatters when they missed a penalty. A foul by Mansfield’s Kyle Knoyle on Clark was penalised, but from the spot, Wells was denied by Roberts.

Mansfield then took the lead in the final minutes of regular time of the first half. Wells lost the ball on the edge of his own box and the ball fell the way of Oates, who swept the ball beyond Luton keeper Keeley.

The Stags had arrived in Bedfordshire without an away win since winning at Exeter in August, and they missed chances to make it 2-0 in the opening stages of the second half when Will Evans missed the target from close range and Roberts hit the bar from a tight angle.

Like Luton, Mansfield were then handed a penalty. Handball by Luton defender Mads Andersen was penalised, and from the spot, Roberts beat Keeley to give the away side a two goal advantage.

That was the end of the road for the Hatters, as despite there being half an hour remaining, they found chances at a premium and slid to defeat.

Luton will seek for better things next time out, when they make the short trip up the M1 to take on Northampton Town at Sixfields.

A joint roadside investigation between Milton Keynes city council and local police saw 14 private hire and hackney carriage vehicles found in breach of road traffic and taxi licensing laws.

Earlier this month, Milton Keynes City Council and Thames Valley Police led a joint investigation where 36 taxis originally licensed in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, Wolverhampton, Luton, Central Bedfordshire and London were inspected at the roadside. The team uncovered violations including:

• Bald tyres
• Missing roof signs, door signage and driver badges
• No licence plates
• Expired licences
• Vehicle damage

Fixed Penalty Notices and Suspension Notices were issued to offending drivers, who were also told what they needed to do to become compliant. 

MK City Council declared that their operation was part of ongoing work to give taxi passengers confidence in the safety of vehicles and competence of drivers who work in the city. Further joint operations are already planned for later in the year.

Cabinet Member for Regulatory Services, Cllr Mick Legg, said, “This operation sends a clear message that safety and compliance are non-negotiable. We’re committed to ensuring that all taxi services operating in Milton Keynes meet the required standards to protect passengers and other road users. I’d like to thank our enforcement team and Thames Valley Police for their continued partnership and dedication.”

A Thames Valley Police Force Spokesperson added, “Working in partnership with MK City Council, Thames Valley Police conducted a day of action targeting taxis and private hire vehicles that were in breach of road traffic and licensing laws.

“The public should rightly expect vehicles used for hire to be in a road legal condition and that those operating the vehicles comply with relevant licensing laws.

“We are committed to working with our partners to ensure that vehicles are safe and a number of fixed penalty notices were issued during the operation.

“Our message is very clear. It is essential that your vehicles are road legal and in compliance with licensing laws, and appropriate action will be taken when we find evidence that they are not.”

MK Dons made it 4 League Two wins in a row after a 3-1 home success against Crewe Alexandra.

Will Collar and an Alex Gilbey double won the match for Paul Warne’s home side as they built on their recent form to win at Stadium MK. Crewe did grab a consolation through Louis Moult with the final kick, but the Dons had the cushion to pick up the points.

The recent streak means that MK Dons continue their flight up the League Two table, with Warne’s outfit up to second after 13 games.

Having scored four away at Bristol Rovers in their last outing to make it 3 wins in a row, the Dons were now looking to continue their streak. Standing in their way were a Crewe side who were aiming to bounce back from defeat at home to Bromley last time out, and who would’ve leapfrogged the Dons in the table with an away win.

MK Dons began the match on the front foot. Liam Kelly saw an angled drive denied by Crewe goalkeeper Tom Booth, and from the corner, Booth produced another stop to deny Callum Paterson’s header.

The home side generally looked likelier to produce something in the early phase of the contest, although Crewe nearly stung the home side. Former Dons loanee Emre Tezgel was able to battle his way through the crowd before his pass teed up Owen Lunt, who had a first time try saved by Craig MacGillivray.

Not long after that, it was the Dons that scored first. Paterson’s cross took a deflection off former Crewe man Luke Offord that saw the ball fall for Marvin Ekpiteta. The defender in turn teed up Collar, who drilled a first time snapshot that went through the crowd into the net.

Crewe did cause the Dons some problems in response. Former MK loanee Tommi O’Reilly and Max Sanders both saw strikes from outside the box blocked, while the lively Tezgel was causing the home side’s defensive ranks issues.

But the visitors were struggling to create chances and were duly punished when they fell 2-0 down in the final minutes of the first half. The Dons won the ball high-up the pitch and attacked quickly, with Paterson feeding Nathaniel Mendez-Laing. His cross duly took deflections off both Aaron Nemane and Crewe’s Conor Thomas before reaching Gilbey, who swept a first time drive into the back of the net.

MK Dons would then add a third goal just before the hour. A direct ball down their right evaded Mickey Demetriou’s attempted interception and released Nemane. It looked as though the Dons’ right wing-back had taken too long when he drew out Booth but didn’t shoot, but then Nemane spotted Gilbey and teed up the Dons’ captain, who duly blasted his second of the match into the back of the net from the edge of the box.

The hosts had a scare when MacGillivray required treatment after a collision with Ekipteta, but he was able to continue as the game was duly a more stop-start affair with both sides making multiple subs.

Crewe sub Callum Agius would miss the target twice when well-placed, before home sub Rushian Hepburn-Murphy had a strike kept out by Booth in the Crewe goal.

The visitors would grab a consolation in the tenth minute of stoppage time, as from the last act of the game, MacGillivray was unable to reach a Crewe corner and Moult’s strike was bundled in despite attempted interventions by two Dons defenders on the line.

But it was the home side that took the points, with Warne’s side able to savour the reward of three extra points ahead of a trilogy of away games in league and FA Cup.

MK Dons: MacGillivray – Offord, Ekpiteta, J. Sanders (Thompson 77) – Nemane (Tomlinson 63), Collar, Kelly (Crowley 77), Mellish – Gilbey (Thompson-Sommers 86) – Paterson, Mendez-Laing (Hepburn-Murphy 77)

Subs not used: Trueman, Leko

Goal: Collar (23), Gilbey (41, 57)

Booked: Nemane, Offord, Paterson, Collar

Crewe: Booth – Billington, Connolly, Demetriou, Hutchinson (Finney 81) – Lunt (Moult 45), Thomas (Holicek 67), M. Sanders – O’Reilly, Tezgel, Lankester (Agius 67)

Subs not used: Waller, Rankine, Golding

Goal: Moult (90+10)

Police are appealing for witnesses after a fatal road traffic collision in Milton Keynes on Wednesday (15/10) in which the car involved failed to stop.

The incident happened at around 7.50pm, a white Audi was involved in a collision with a pedestrian on Great Monks Street. Sadly, the pedestrian, a man in his eighties, died at the scene. His next of kin have been informed and are being supported by officers.

The white Audi did not stop at the scene.

Thames Valley Police confirmed that in total, six arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing.

A 22-year-old woman and 25-year-old man, both from Milton Keynes have been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender, causing death by dangerous driving and perverting the course of justice.

Two men aged 52 and 48, also from Milton Keynes, have been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender and causing death by dangerous driving.

Two further men, aged 18 and 27, from Milton Keynes, have been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.

All have been released on police bail.

Investigating officer, Detective Sergeant Robert Chevalier said, “We are appealing for witnesses who may have seen the white Audi and its occupants either at the time of the collision or immediately after.

“If you were driving around this area during this time or after and may have dash cam footage, please contact us. If you live locally and have door cam footage or CCTV footage in the area, please come forward.

“If you have any information or footage, please make a report online or by calling 101, quoting reference 43250527486.

“To speak up 100% anonymously, visit Crimestoppers-uk.org or speak to one of their specially trained, non-police call agents at their UK Contact Centre which is open 24/7, 365 days a year on 0800 555 111.”