Football: Oakes takes three steps as Luton go forward: Potts' mistake ends West Ham's Cup aspirations while Dutch display lifts spirit of Advocaat and gives Brown losing start

Luton Town . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

West Ham United. . . . . . . . . . . . .2

SCOTT OAKES, whose most striking claim to fame until recently was that his father, Trevor, plays with the pop group, Showaddywaddy, came to prominence in his own right last night. The first hat-trick of the 21- year-old striker's senior career saw Luton Town through to the FA Cup semi-final after a sixth-round replay against West Ham that was as fluctuating as the wind in which it was played.

After the Premier League side had opened the scoring on the half-hour and then recovered from going 2-1 down, Oakes settled the game in the 74th minute by running half the length of the pitch after Steve Potts, West Ham's normally punctilious defender, had stepped on a high ball and let it run behind him.

The Endsleigh League First Division side - who disposed of Newcastle United in the fourth round - thus meet their third Premiership opponents in this year's competition when they face Chelsea on 9 April.

David Pleat, Luton's manager, did not want to think about that last night. 'We are going to enjoy this win,' he said. 'In this game, in this life, success is fleeting and glory is very hard to find.'

His young players, several of whom look likely to relieve Luton's financial problems by moving onwards and upwards, found their glory last night. It was all the sweeter for them given that they have - by Pleat's calculations - cost the least of any First Division side.

Billy Bonds, West Ham's manager, was sombre in defeat. 'We did a lot of work on Scott Oakes earlier in the day,' he said, 'knowing they'd play one up and Oakes would break from midfield. But you wouldn't have thought we'd done anything tonight. It was as if we were facing a new system. Disappointing.'

Afterwards, Oakes, signed by Pleat from his old club Leicester City as a YTS player, had a little difficulty persuading the linesman to give him the match ball. By the end of the evening it bore an inscription from Oakes' more experienced striking partner, Kerry Dixon, who now faces meeting the club where he played most of his career: 'You have made an old man very happy.'

Dixon hardly plunged Oakes into the depths of depression, either, as he made the first two goals, after 35 minutes and a minute into the second half, with a nod down in the box and a smart, simple pass which left West Ham appealing vainly for offside.

Luton's defenders were guilty of the same mistake on the half-hour as they allowed Martin Allen to gather Steve Butler's chip into the box and drive home an opening goal that came against the run of play.

After they had lost their lead, West Ham appeared to be losing their grip, but a tackle by Potts on Oakes after 55 minutes kept them in the game, and five minutes later a lovely break out of defence, and a run of passes from Trevor Morley to Steve Butler to Ian Bishop ended with the midfielder cutting in from the left to find the only gap left by Luton's keeper Jurgen Sommer at the far post.

It was Luton's turn to wobble. But after Tim Breacker had escaped with a yellow card after bringing down Oakes, the young forward - whose father was appearing with Showaddywaddy just up the road at Milton Keynes - made his own encore.

The home crowd erupted in delight as their side, who last contested an FA Cup semi-final in 1988, when they lost to the eventual winners, Wimbledon, confirmed what will be their fourth Wembley appearance in six years - the others coming in the League Cup and Simod Cup finals.

'My Dad used to stuff all his guitars and musical instruments in my bedroom when I was young, but it really put me off music and turned me on to sport,' Oakes said. When it comes to playing on the pitch, Pleat, a fine judge of a player, sees enormous possibilities for him. 'He has got a lot of range in his game,' Pleat said. 'He can see a pass. He stopped before the third goal and looked up because he had seen a gap. It may sound odd to say it, but he could end up as a midfield player.' And very far from Kenilworth Road. But for now, the Town can enjoy him.

Luton Town (4-4-2): Sommer; James, Dreyer, Peake, Linton; Hughes, Preece, Harper, Telfer; Dixon, Oakes. Substitutes not used: Hartson, Thorpe, Petterson (gk).

West Ham United (4-4-2): Miklosko; Burrows, Potts (Jones, 80), Martin, Breacker; Marsh, Bishop, Butler, Allen; Morley, Chapman. Substitutes not used: Gale, Kelly (gk).

Referee: B Hill (Kettering).