Birmingham advance after win over Wycombe

BIRMINGHAM secured their place in the second round of the Carling Cup with a routine 4-0 victory at Wycombe as all four Coca-Cola Championship teams avoided upsets last night.

While the likes of Plymouth, Charlton and Barnsley crashed out on Tuesday night with Wolves and Derby needing extra-time to overcome lower-league opposition, Coventry, Nottingham Forest and Sheffield United joined Birmingham in the next round.

After an evenly-contested opening Mehdi Nafti fired Birmingham ahead 14 minutes in, Wycombe fought hard in an attempt to equalise. However their efforts were undermined by two well-worked second-half strikes.

First, Scottish striker Garry O’Connor’s excellent footwork set up Sebastian Larsson after 64 minutes before Stuart Parnaby’s well-floated cross was headed home well by Cameron Jerome.

Debutant Quincy Owusu-Abeyie added a delightful fourth with five minutes to go.

Robbie Simpson’s double helped Coventry to a 3-1 win over League Two side Aldershot at the Ricoh Arena.

Clinton Morrison’s opener on the half-hour mark suggested it would be a simple win for the Championship side but after Marvin Morgan’s 36th-minute equaliser, the Sky Blues had to rely on Simpson to score twice in the second half and send them through.

Robert Earnshaw scored twice as Nottingham Forest beat another League Two team, Morecambe, 4-0.

Chris Cohen’s early free-kick meant Forest led just 1-0 at the break but Earnshaw (62 and 89) and Adam Newbold (81) ensured it was a comfortable win.

Sheffield United made hard work of a 3-1 win at home to League Two Port Vale as Lee Hendrie, Stephen Quinn and Danny Webber eventually made Ugo Ehiogu’s own-goal – which had earlier levelled the scores – immaterial.

Carling Cup second round draw

Blackburn v Grimsby; Bolton v Northampton; Brighton v Man City; Burnley v Oldham; Cardiff v MK Dons; Cheltenham v Stoke; Coventry v Newcastle; Crewe v Bristol City; Fulham v Leicester; Leeds v Crystal Palace; Hartlepool v West Brom; Huddersfield v Sheff Utd; Ipswich v Colchester; Middlesbrough v Yeovil; Nottm For v Sunderland; Preston v Derby; QPR v Carlisle; Reading v Luton; Rotherham v Wolves; Southampton v Birmingham; Swansea v Hull; Watford v Darlington; West Ham v Macclesfield; Wigan v Notts Co

* Ties to be played week beginning August 25 – with the exception of Brighton v Man City.