Luton 2-4 Fulham: Cottagers send the Hatters back to the Championship with a defeat courtesy of a brace from Raul Jimenez, either side of long-range strikes from Adama Traore and Harry Wilson

It was not a day to believe in miracles after all. Luton, as they have done all season, gave their all one last time but had relegation confirmed with a final-day defeat to Fulham.

A brace from Raul Jimenez between two beautiful long-range strikes from Adama Traore and Harry Wilson saw the Cottagers condemn Rob Edwards' proud side at Kenilworth Road.

But by Jove, they gave it a go. Carlton Morris scored from the spot and Alfie Doughty beat everyone with a low free-kick into the bottom corner. Tahith Chong had an early goal ruled out for offside.

Rob Edwards’ side went down fighting.

In truth, any dreams of a shock survival died after 78 seconds when news filtered into the ground that Nottingham Forest had taken the lead at Burnley.

 Luton had not only needed to win and for Forest to lose but with a 12-goal swing thrown into the bargain.

‘We’re going to win 12-0,’ sang the Luton fans before kick-off. In the end, even that wouldn’t have been enough.

Luton’s impressive young manager knew any real flickering hopes had died last week with defeat at West Ham.

‘Now we’ve had a taste of dining at the top table, all I can think about – and all we should be focusing on now – is ensuring that we get back there again,’ said Edwards in his programme notes.

For many, it was a miracle Luton had pulled up a chair at this table at all. This was, after all, a team that was in League Two six years ago and in non-league four years before that.

For many, too, they expected Luton to be the whipping boys. But, under Edwards, they punched above their weight and took their fate, mathematically at least to the final day, even if that was also partly thanks to Forest being handed a four-point deduction for financial misdemeanours.

How different it could have been too. They led Arsenal here but lost to a 97th-minute Declan Rice winner. Aston Villa snatched a late victory here too. The night Hatters fans will long look back on was the replayed game against Bournemouth when they led 3-0 at half-time but still lost the game.

They depart the Premier League with their heads held high and memories to savour. They did the double over Everton. They beat Newcastle here and played put a 4-4 thriller at St James’s Park.

Edwards and the club earned great credit, too, with how well they handled seeing their captain Tom Lockyer collapse on the pitch during a game at Bournemouth in December.

Luton have more than played their part.

Even as Forest coasted at Burnley and the acceptance of their own fate grew, the Luton fans still cheered and roared and groaned and jeered. They squeezed out every moment of the final few hours of their Premier League adventure until the referee blew his whistle for the last time and then they cheered some more and sang even louder.

‘We are proud of you all,’ read one unfurled banner. ‘We are Luton Town and we will be back.’

Perhaps they’ll need another miracle to return to the top table but with Edwards at the helm, you wouldn’t write them off producing another.