Luton Town 3-1 Stockport County: Hatters Lift Vertu Trophy in El-Hattico Final at Wembley

Match Details

• Competition: Vertu Trophy Final
• Date: Sunday 13th April 2026
• Venue: Wembley Stadium, London
• Final Score: Luton Town 3 - 1 Stockport County
• Attendance: 49,517
• Referee: Martin Coy (4th Official: Tom Parsons)

Match Stats & Key Metrics

	Luton Town	Stockport County
Score	3	1
Half Time	2	1
Goalscorers	Lawrence 22', Wells 39', Wells 90+1'	Sidibeh 11'
Formation	3-4-2-1	3-4-3
Yellow Cards	Richards 76', Jones 78', Wells 90+2'	Pye 37'
Red Cards	-	-
Substitutions	Kodua 77' (Lawrence), Morris 87' (Jones), Lonwijk 88' (Richards), Saville 90+7' (Palmer), Cole 90+7' (Wells)	Mothersille 65' (Olowu), Olaofe 65' (Sidibeh), Barry 85' (Bailey), Bate 85' (Stokes), Dodgson 90+3' (Diamond)
Attendance	49,517

The Story of the Match

LUTON TOWN came from behind to beat fellow SKYBET League 1 hopefuls Stockport County 3-1 in style to lift the Vertu Trophy in the Final at Wembley Stadium in front of 49,517 fans yesterday afternoon, of which 33,000 were from Luton Town. Jack Wilshere achieving silverware for the Hatters had a great ring to it.

The competition for League 1 and League 2 plus some U21 higher league teams brought the best out of Luton Town who, having been beaten by Swindon Town at home (1-2) in an earlier round, were reinstated as the Robins fielded an ineligible player and were removed from the competition.

It was to Luton Town's benefit, and they made no mistake having had a second chance to progress in the Vertu Trophy which they won yesterday. Stalwart Mick Harford looked on from the Directors Box as the Hatters lifted silverware at Wembley to the joy of the Luton Town fans who had travelled to the capital from nearby Bedfordshire.

The old Kenilworth Road Stadium will be gone come 2028/29 when the Club moves to Power Court which is currently under construction and will host 25,000 crowds. Yesterday Luton Town were backed by 33,000 fans so they will have no trouble filling their new home come the 2028/29 campaign.

Luton Town manager Jack Wilshere selected a 3-4-2-1 formation with James Shea in goal, then with three defenders spread across the back in Hakeem Odoffin, Mads Anderson and captain Kal Naismith, a four-man midfield of Isaiah Jones, Liam Walsh, Jordan Clark and Emilio Lawrence with two attacking midfielders in Kasey Palmer and Jake Richards, and Nahki Wells up top.

Stockport County boss Dave Challinor, like the Hatters, set up with a 3-4-3 formation with Corey Addai in goal, then a back three of Joseph Olowu, Ethan Pye and Ben Osborn, four across the middle of the park in Tayo Edun, captain and stalwart midfielder Oliver Norwood, Odin Bailey and Josh Stokes, then with Jack Diamond, Kyle Wootton and Adama Sidibeh up front.

Luton Town had the upper hand coming into the Vertu Cup Final as they had beaten Stockport County 3-1 at Edgeley Park earlier in the season and recently drew 1-1 last month at Kenilworth Road.

Luton Town came into the game off the back of four wins against AFC Wimbledon (away) 3-0, Peterborough United (home) 2-1, Exeter City (home) 3-2 and Wycombe Wanderers (away) 2-1 and a single draw against Stockport County (home) 1-1.

Meanwhile Stockport County came into the game off the back of three wins against Wycombe Wanderers (home) 3-0, AFC Wimbledon (home) 3-0 and Northampton Town (home) 2-1 and two draws against Bolton Wanderers (away) 2-2 and Luton Town (away) 1-1.

Luton Town's previous appearances at Wembley were: 1959 FA Cup Final against Nottingham Forest (lost 1-2), 1988 Simod Cup Final against Reading (lost 1-4), 1988 Littlewoods League Cup Final against Arsenal (won 3-2) and 2023 Championship Play Off Final against Coventry City (drew 1-1, won 6-5 on penalties).

Stockport County had been to Wembley seven times but had only won once, in 2008 in the League 2 Play Off Final with Rochdale.

Stockport County kicked off the first half. Luton Town were backed by some 33,000 fans inside the stadium including Justine from New York City who had just touched down from the USA at 10 o'clock this morning making her way to Wembley Stadium for the big match. It was a day to savour for the fans in orange and black.

Jack Wilshere the Luton Town boss looked ready for action in his black suit with white t-shirt, as did his opposite number Dave Challinor the Stockport County boss in his blue suit. Wilshere had represented England at Wembley so was used to the ambience of the National Stadium.

Both sides started steadily with neither side looking to take complete control of the ball during the initial stages of the Cup Final. Emilio Lawrence on the left-wing for Luton showed his pace but his final delivery into Nahki Wells in the penalty area was poor in the eighth minute as the Hatters pressed forward.

Stockport County opened the scoring in the 11th minute through Adama Sidibeh with a left footed shot from inside the penalty area after beating Mads Anderson to the ball from Odin Bailey to open the scoring 0-1.

Liam Walsh saw a right footed shot from 20 yards out saved easily by Corey Addai in the 16th minute as Luton came forward seeking an equaliser after the opening goal for Stockport County.

Luton Town equalised through Emilio Lawrence with a lovely left footed shot from inside the Stockport County penalty area to make it 1-1 from an assist by Jordan Clark in the 22nd minute.

Stockport County conceded a free kick in the 37th minute, Ethan Pye fouling. The free kick was taken by Liam Walsh to the centre of the penalty area where Hakeem Odoffin rose high up to head just inches wide of the post.

Then with Luton's next attack, the much-travelled striker Nahki Wells fired home right footed from inside the penalty area to make it 2-1 to the Town in the 39th minute after an assist by his skipper Kal Naismith.

The teams went in with Luton Town leading 2-1 at the interval which they deserved having come back from the early goal for Stockport. Jones was through on goal in first half injury time but could not convert.

Luton Town kicked off the second half 2-1 up. Neither side made substitutions during the interval. Jordan Clark curled a right footed shot narrowly wide of the far post in the 51st minute.

Stockport County made a double substitution in the 65th minute with Joseph Olowu replaced by Malik Mothersille and Adama Sidibeh replaced by Tanto Olaofe.

County forced a corner in the 68th minute into the six-yard box but James Shea in the Luton goal punched the ball clear from inside his penalty area. Jake Richards was yellow carded in the 76th minute which gave Stockport a free kick, but it came to nothing.

Luton Town replaced Emilio Lawrence with Gideon Kodua in the 77th minute. Oliver Norwood's free kick swung into the penalty area in the 82nd minute, which was headed on target, but Shea saved remarkably. Stockport replaced Odin Bailey and Josh Stokes with Louie Barry and Lewis Bate in the 85th minute.

Luton Town replaced Isaiah Jones and Jake Richards with Shayden Morris and Nigel Lonwijk in the 87th and 88th minutes. There was ten minutes of added time at the end of the second half and in the first of those minutes (90+1') Nahki Wells fired home to seal the victory 3-1 from an assist by Shayden Morris who had sped down the right wing and crossed into the striker who made no mistake and sealed the win.

Stockport County replaced Jack Diamond with Owen Dodgson in the 90+3rd minute but it was all too late. Luton Town replaced Nahki Wells with Devante Cole and Kasey Palmer with George Saville in the 90+7th minute.

Luton Town saw out the final stages of the match to win the Vertu Trophy Final in front of joyous, loud, noisy fans who had followed the team to Wembley and seen them win. Luton Town still have a chance of promotion via the playoffs should they sneak into 6th spot with a strong finish to the league season, but today it was the Hatters from Luton who were victorious in the El-Hattico Final as both sides' nicknames are the Hatters!

Half Time Luton Town 2 Stockport County 1 (5 minutes added time)

Full Time Luton Town 3 Stockport County 1 (10 minutes added time)

Timeline of Key Events

• 8' - Chance (Luton) - Lawrence's left-wing delivery into Wells poor in the penalty area.
• 11' - Goal (Stockport) - Sidibeh left footed shot from inside the area after beating Anderson, assist Bailey. 0-1.
• 16' - Save (Stockport) - Walsh's right footed shot from 20 yards saved by Addai.
• 22' - Goal (Luton) - Lawrence left footed shot from inside the area, assist Clark. 1-1.
• 37' - Yellow Card (Stockport) - Pye booked for the foul leading to the Luton free kick.
• 37' - Chance (Luton) - Odoffin header from Walsh free kick inches wide.
• 39' - Goal (Luton) - Wells right footed shot from inside the area, assist Naismith. 2-1.
• HT - Luton Town 2-1 Stockport County (added time).
• 51' - Chance (Luton) - Clark's curled right footed shot wide of the far post.
• 65' - Substitutions (Stockport) - Mothersille replaces Olowu; Olaofe replaces Sidibeh.
• 68' - Corner (Stockport) - Shea punches clear inside his penalty area.
• 76' - Yellow Card (Luton) - Richards booked.
• 77' - Substitution (Luton) - Kodua replaces Lawrence.
• 78' - Yellow Card (Luton) - Jones booked.
• 82' - Save (Luton) - Shea saves remarkably from Norwood free kick header.
• 85' - Substitutions (Stockport) - Barry replaces Bailey; Bate replaces Stokes.
• 87' - Substitution (Luton) - Morris replaces Jones.
• 88' - Substitution (Luton) - Lonwijk replaces Richards.
• 90+1' - Goal (Luton) - Wells right footed shot from inside the area, assist Morris. 3-1.
• 90+2' - Yellow Card (Luton) - Wells booked.
• 90+3' - Substitution (Stockport) - Dodgson replaces Diamond.
• 90+7' - Substitutions (Luton) - Cole replaces Wells; Saville replaces Palmer.
• FT - Luton Town 3-1 Stockport County (10 minutes added time).

Author's Standout Players

• Nahki Wells (Luton Town) - The much-travelled striker produced a match-winning display, firing home twice to seal the Vertu Trophy for the Hatters. His clinical finishing from the Naismith and Morris assists made the difference on the big stage.
• Emilio Lawrence (Luton Town) - Showed his pace down the left-wing throughout and took his equalising goal with a lovely left footed finish inside the Stockport penalty area from Jordan Clark's assist.
• Kal Naismith (Luton Town) - Led by example as skipper from the heart of the back three and provided the assist for Wells' first goal to turn the final on its head before half time.
• James Shea (Luton Town) - Produced a remarkable save from Oliver Norwood's dangerous 82nd minute free kick header when Stockport were pressing for an equaliser, and commanded his area throughout.
• Adama Sidibeh (Stockport County) - Opened the scoring in the 11th minute with a composed left footed finish after beating Anderson to Bailey's ball, giving County early hope on their Wembley return.
• Oliver Norwood (Stockport County) - The stalwart captain set the tempo for County throughout and his dangerous 82nd minute free kick delivery almost brought his side back into the contest.