Nahki Wells scored twice and had an assist as Luton Town dodged a bullet against National League outfit Forest Green Rovers in an epic FA Cup first-round tie at Kenilworth Road.

Sky Bet League One outfit Luton squandered a 3-0 advantage as the visiting side from two tiers below staged a remarkable comeback to erase the deficit and sends shudders through the home side.

However, just when it looked like extra time was beckoning with Forest Green carrying all the momentum, substitute Gideon Kodua thumped in the winner to leave Robbie Savage’s battlers gutted.

Spanish midfielder Lamine Fanne opened the scoring for the Hatters in the 23rd minute when he swept home a centre from Wells just inside the box.

Wells then went from provider to scorer to double the advantage seven minutes later when he pounced to follow up from close range after Cohen Bramall’s free kick was split into his path by Rovers goalkeeper Fiachra Pagel.

It was Wells’s first Luton goal from open play after opening his account from the penalty spot 11 matches earlier.

The 35-year-old striker made it 3-0 in the 53rd minute when Fanne, his shot rebounding favourably off the goalkeeper for another veritable tap-in.

Savage rang the changes at half-time, and it was notable that each of his three substitutes brought the underdogs back into the tie.

Tom Knowles pulled one back for Rovers in the 61st minute after whipping a shot past Hatters goalkeeper Josh Keeley from outside the box.

Kyle McAllister made it 3-2 six minutes later when he converted a penalty after Harry Whitwell was fouled by Teden Mengi on the end of a swift counter-attack.

Wells was replaced in the 71st minute by Jerry Yates, as manager Jack Wilshere looked to protect what he had. But it almost immediately got worse for Luton when debutant Aidan Dausch equalised in the 79th minute after a goalmouth scramble to set up a nervy finish.

Rovers kept their foot on the gas in search of more goals with captain Laurent Mendy heading against the bar from a free kick and Knowles firing over from 12 yards.

Luton regained the lead in the second of six minutes of added time when Kodua, on loan from West Ham United, smashed Yates’s pass home for what ultimately proved to be the winner.

An unmarked Dausch was gifted a glorious opportunity to level the scores again and send the cup tie into extra time but failed to hit the target from six yards.

Fellow Bermudian Nathan Trott gets his taste of cup action on Saturday at noon Bermuda time when Cardiff City play away to Peterborough United.