George Hirst netted an early penalty and Jack Clarke scored twice to give the Blues a 3-1 half-time lead over Coventry City at the CBS Arena.

Town boss Kieran McKenna made the expected 11 changes to his team, who were wearing their pink third kit, with new keeper Alex Palmer making his debut.

The former West Brom man was behind a back four of Ben Godfrey, Luke Woolfenden, who skippers as he did in the previous round, Cameron Burgess and Conor Townsend.

Kalvin Phillips and Jack Taylor were the central midfielders with Jaden Philogene on the right, Sammie Szmodics returning from his ankle injury in the middle and Jack Clarke on the left with George Hirst the out-and-out striker.

Cieran Slicker was the sub keeper on a bench with Aro Muric among a number of players who started the last game left out, along with Omari Hutchinson, Jacob Greaves, Dara O’Shea and the cup-tied Julio Enciso.

Coventry, wearing a one-off dark blue shirt to raise funds for charity with the numbers all but unreadable, made four changes from the team which lost 2-0 at home to Leeds on Wednesday with another Championship game against QPR at the CBS Arena this coming Tuesday.

Lewis Binks came into the back three, Jay Dasilva at right wing-back, Josh Eccles in midfield and Tatsuhiro Sakamoto behind main striker Brandon Thomas-Asante.

Jake Bidwell dropped out of the squad, while Milan van Ewijk, Ellis Simms and Victor Torp were on the bench.

The game got under way at 3.10 due to congestion around the CBS Arena and 20 seconds after the kick-off, taken by the home side, the Blues were awarded a penalty.

Taylor threaded in Hirst towards the left of the area by Taylor before the striker cut inside to Szmodics, who was clumsily upended by Binks. Referee Ben Toner pointed straight to the spot.

Hirst took the kick and hit it powerfully past home keeper Oliver Dovin to his left into the corner of the net to send the 5,000-strong Blues support wild.

On four, Hirst, who had taken his season’s tally to two, was sent away again in the same area but this time the flag was raised prior to the former Leicester man finding the corner of the net for a second time.

But Town’s lead was to last until only the eighth minute. Jack Rudoni swung over a corner from the right and Joel Latibeaudiere nodded home unmarked.

In the 14th minute Brandon Thomas-Asante broke down the middle and was through on former teammate Palmer but the linesman’s flag was raised.

Four minutes later, from another corner on the right, Liam Kitching flicked a header well over.

The home side were seeing most of the ball but on 22 a Jaden Philogene cross from the right was cut out and from the corner Szmodics slammed well wide at the near post.

Two minutes later, the Blues worked a slick move out from the back on the right and Clarke eventually swept a pass out wide to Townsend on the left but the left-back’s low cross was cut out.

Nevertheless, it was Town’s best passing move with the Blues taking control, and in the 28th minute they went back in front.

Clarke tricked his way in from the left on the edge of the area using his quick feet to work himself room to shoot right-footed and the former Sunderland man’s powerful low strike - his second goal of the season, both in the FA Cup - found the same corner of the net as Hirst’s penalty.

Szmodics, back in the team following his ankle problem, picked up a knock in the build-up but continued after treatment.

Town successfully defended a couple of Coventry corners before a Blues break ended with Philogene hitting a shot from an angle on the right which Dovin saved comfortably to his left.

Szmodics immediately took to the turf again indicating he wanted to come off and after treatment Nathan Broadhead took over.

Three minutes after coming on, the Wales international helped create Town’s third goal. Coventry gifted possession and Broadhead swiftly cut the ball inside to Clarke, the winger holding off two defenders before planting the ball in the corner of the net, his third goal of the season.

Thomas-Asante smashed a 20-yard free-kick into the Town wall in the 41st minute, Eccles subsequently blazing wide.

That was the last action with the Blues thoroughly deserving their 3-1 lead at half-time.

Town had started brightly, creating the opening from which they won the penalty in the opening seconds despite the home side having kicked off.

The Blues defended a Coventry corner poorly, something they did on a couple of occasions early on, to allow the leveller and the Sky Blues had a brief spell on top in the spell immediately after that.

However, Town’s class quickly began to tell and Clarke took his first goal in a manner which will be very familiar to Sunderland fans from last season and then confidently added the final touch as the Blues seized upon a Coventry error for his second.

The Blues should go on to secure their place in round four for the first time since 2007 in the second half.

Coventry City: Dovin, Latibeaudiere, Thomas, Binks, Kitching, Dasilva, Allen (c), Eccles, Rudoni, Sakamoto, Thomas-Asante. Subs: Collins, Wilson, Simms, Burroughs, Bassette, Sandiford Jr, Raphael, Van Ewijk, Torp.

Town: Palmer, Godfrey, Woolfenden (c), Burgess, Townsend, Phillips, Taylor, Philogene, Szmodics (Broadhead 35), Clarke, Hirst. Subs: Slicker, Tuanzebe, Johnson, Davis, Morsy, Cajuste, Luongo, Delap. Referee: Ben Toner (Lancashire).

Photo: Action Images via Reuters

itfc2024 added 16:17 - Feb 8 please mckenna start j Clarke everyweek he's a decent player why buy him if not gonna give this lad minutes he's better than Hutchinson and philogene
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