Chris Porter’s first-half brace gave Colchester United a deserved 2-1 win over Luton Town this afternoon.

Experienced frontman Porter was clinical in the fourth and 31st minutes for Colchester, who moved up to 10th position with this result, two points adrift of the League Two play-offs.

The U’s got off to the perfect start when Porter looped a fourth-minute header, from an inch-perfect Brennan Dickenson cross, over Luton goalkeeper Matt Macey and into the net.

Left-winger Dickenson, who has been attracting interest from Ipswich Town, was at the heart of another fine Colchester move in the 12th minute.

After deceiving his marker by the touchline, Dickenson found Drey Wright, whose accurate 30-yard effort had to be tipped behind by a flying Macey.

Macey was flying again, from the resulting corner, when saving Dickenson’s close-range header, after Rekeil Pyke nodded Sean Murray’s set-piece across goal.

The returning Tom Eastman then headed over a great opportunity from close-range, before unhappy Luton boss Nathan Jones sent his substitutes out to warm-up, for the first time in the afternoon, in just the 15th minute, such was his displeasure at his side’s inept start to the match.

Hatters skipper Scott Cuthbert did well to scupper any chance of Pyke scoring, with a crucial intervention in the 22nd minute, before Eastman, a surprise starter for Colchester after almost seven weeks out with an ankle injury, also defended brilliantly, in the 26th and 28th minutes, to halt Luton.

The U’s deservedly doubled their lead in the 31st minute. After a flowing move, target man Porter toe-poked Richard Brindley’s cross past Macey, who couldn’t keep the effort out, despite having two attempts.

Jones replaced Jake Gray with James Justin in the 37th minute, reshuffling his pack, before Jordan Cook sent a shot into row z five minutes later.

Jack Marriott’s tumble in the penalty area fell on deaf ears, before Porter narrowly headed over moments before the break as he eyed a first-half hat-trick.

Luton were much stronger in the second half, and after Isaac Vassell headed over from a decent position, George Elokobi blocked from Cook.

A better block were to come from Elokobi. After Sam Walker did well to beat away Alan Sheehan’s fierce effort, Justin must have thought he’d scored with a beautiful curling effort that looked like it was destined for the top corner, only for the brilliance of Elokobi, who somehow kept the effort out with a flying header on the goal-line!

The U’s were incensed in the 69th minute when Glen Rea, after getting the wrong side of through-on-goal Porter, appeared to tug the striker back in the penalty area, but nothing was given.

Down the other end, Vassell’s flashing cross was missed by goalkeeper, defender, and attacker, in the 82nd minute, before Eastman hacked off the goal-line as Luton increased the pressure.

That pressure told when dangerman Vassell neatly finished deep into injury-time, but it was nothing more than a consolation as Colchester claimed a big three points.